The Sri Lanka Police clarified that its official website was not compromised during the recent cyberattack on its social media accounts and assured the public that its new ‘eTraffic’ app prioritizes data security.
Addressing a government media briefing, Police Media Spokesman SSP Buddhika Manatunga said that the app will be available for download on the Play Store and Apple Store next week.
The remarks came after senior disinformation researcher Dr. Sanjana Hattotuwa raised concerns about the app’s credibility in light of the Police’s recent cybersecurity challenges.
Dr. Hattotuwa noted that despite promotional material suggesting otherwise, the app is not yet available on the Google Play Store, raising additional concerns about privacy and data protection.
SSP Manatunga explained that while the Police’s YouTube, Facebook, and Twitter accounts were targeted, the website remained secure. “We were able to recover all four social media accounts within four to five hours. Additional time was needed to recover the YouTube account, but the website was neither hacked nor compromised,” he said.
Addressing concerns raised by journalists about data security, SSP Manatunga stressed that no private data will be entered into the app’s system. “There is only a connection through an account. The Police have no ill intention and only seek public contributions to ensure law and order. If there are any identified weaknesses, they will be addressed in future,” he assured.
Responding to surveillance concerns, Manatunga said that experts were consulted during the app’s development to ensure data protection. “Personal data will not be shared. The recent cyberattack involved foreign operatives targeting multiple entities, and it wasn’t an isolated attack on Sri Lanka Police. There were similar reports from India. Investigations into this incident are ongoing,” he said. (Newswire)
