Email Breach Led to $2.5M Cyber Heist, Says Finance Ministry Secretary

Harshana Suriyaperuma, Secretary to the Ministry of Finance, revealed that hackers infiltrated the ministry’s system through an email, leading to a cyberattack that resulted in the loss of US$ 2.5 million.

Speaking at a media briefing held today (23) at the ministry auditorium, he stated that authorities are currently working to recover as much of the stolen funds as possible.

The Secretary further noted that both the Australian Ambassador to Sri Lanka and the relevant creditor have been informed about the incident.

He explained that warning signs had emerged earlier this year. “In January, we became aware that cybercriminals were attempting to access the system. Once this information was reported, we immediately contacted the relevant foreign authorities and were able to prevent any damage at that time,” he said.

However, subsequent investigations revealed that the hackers had been active even during a previous payment process in January. This discovery came while officials were reviewing past transactions, a process that took time but ultimately exposed the earlier breach.

Authorities are continuing investigations while strengthening cybersecurity measures to prevent further incidents.