Cyberattack prompts investigation at Sri Lanka finance ministry

Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Finance said on Wednesday that hackers gained unauthorized access to a computer system belonging to the Department of External Resources, prompting an investigation by law enforcement authorities.

The Ministry of Finance, Planning and Economic Development said it filed complaints after detecting a suspicious foreign currency transaction in January 2026, News.Az reports, citing Xinhua.

The incident triggered a broader review of potential security breaches within the department’s systems.

Authorities said the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team and the Computer Crime Investigation Division of the police were immediately informed. Complaints were also lodged with the Criminal Investigation Department and the Financial Intelligence Unit of the Central Bank.

A preliminary internal inquiry has been completed, and disciplinary action has already been initiated against several officials, the ministry added.

The ministry said it is cooperating fully with ongoing investigations and will provide further updates when appropriate. It also noted that, if necessary, arrangements could be made with foreign jurisdictions under existing agreements to support the probe.

News.Az 

By Nijat Babayev