Fom left: Bureau for the Investigation of Abuse of Children and Women Deputy Inspector General Darshika Kumari, Assistant Superintendent of Police and Sri Lanka Police Media Spokesperson F.U. Wootler, The Asia Foundation Senior Programme Manager and Asia Policy Lead Rukshanie Vidyaratne and University of Peradeniya Senior Lecturer in Computer Engineering and Lanka Education and Research Network CEO Prof. Roshan Ragel
Senior Deputy Inspector General Western Province Sajeewa Medawatta
The Asia Foundation, in partnership with the Sri Lanka Police, has launched a public awareness campaign to strengthen cybersecurity awareness and encourage prevention of cybercrime among the micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and wider public.
Delivered through The Asia Foundation’s Asia-Pacific Cybersecurity Fund (ACF) project, the campaign extends digital safety guidance to communities nationwide through television, police social media channels and public spaces. It seeks to help individuals and businesses recognise cyber threats, safeguard information and prevent cybercrimes.
The campaign features six infomercials, with broadcasts scheduled on TV Derana during November, alongside dissemination through Sri Lanka Police social media channels.
Sinhala and Tamil awareness pennants will be displayed at police stations nationwide, Bandaranaike International Airport and other public establishments. Public transport stickers and laptop stickers distributed through the Sri Lanka Police will reinforce these messages in everyday settings.
Central to the campaign are straightforward precautions that support safer digital practices. These include using strong, unique passwords, enabling two-factor authentication wherever possible, verifying suspicious links, attachments and messages before responding and never sharing one-time passwords with anyone. Together, these messages encourage vigilance in daily digital interactions.
The initiative builds on ACF’s efforts to strengthen cyber resilience among micro and small businesses, nonprofit organisations and social enterprises. Supported by Google.org and delivered with regional partners Protect.ngo and Global Cyber Alliance, the project runs from October 2023 to December 2026 across 13 countries in Asia and the Pacific.
In Sri Lanka, implementation partners include Sri Lanka Institute of Information Technology (SLIIT), Uva Wellassa University, Lanka Education And Research Network (LEARN), Regional Development Bank (RDB) and Sarvodaya.
More than 11,000 individuals representing over 7,000 MSMEs have received training to identify, prevent and manage cybersecurity risks.
University Cybersecurity Clinics at SLIIT and Uva Wellassa University have also reached more than 200 MSMEs with practical support to strengthen digital safety.
Complementing public outreach, ACF’s partnership withthe Sri Lanka Police National Police Academy has trained 150 station and divisional level officers as trainers, 50 women officers in inclusive community engagement and first-response protocols and 30 officers in technical skills, including evidence preservation and referrals. A customised cybersecurity toolkit will be integrated into the Police learning management system.
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