National Certification Authority for ICTA

The ICT Agency of Sri Lanka (ICTA) was recently vested with National Certification Authority (NCA) powers by a special gazette notification.

The gazette establishes ICTA as the Certification Authority for the purpose of the Electronic Transaction Act.

ICTA Chairman, Prof. P. W. Epasinghe said, “A unit is being set up within ICTA with the support of the professional expertise available within ICTA and the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (CERT) to implement the additional obligations imposed on ICTA under the Electronic Transaction Act.

The setting up of the NCA was a long-felt need. It will greatly help further strengthen and enhance the information security and digital signature framework in the country”.

ICTA Program Director and Legal Advisor Jayantha Fernando said, “The setting up of the National Certification Authority (NCA) is mandated under section 18 of the Electronic Transaction Act to regulate the Certification Service Providers (CSPs) issuing Electronic Signatures in Sri Lanka.

The setting up of NCA is pursuant to a recent gazette order, sequel to several legal issues being resolved, including the opinion of the Attorney General”.

ICTA has set up a task force to govern and administer the National CA. The task force is jointly chaired by the Central Bank and ICTA (represented by Central Bank Asst. Governor Janakie Mampitiya and ICTA Programe Director and Legal Advisor Jayantha Fernando).

Other members of the task force are Additional Secretary Defence Rohan Seneviratne, Telecommunications Regulatory Commission of Sri Lanka (TRCSL) Director General Anusha Palpita and Lanka Clear Ltd (the National Clearing House) CEO Sunimal Weerasuriya.

The task force is supported by Sri Lanka CERT led by Sri Lanka CERT CEO Lal Dias.

ICTA Legal Advisor Jayantha Fernando said, “The Electronic Transaction Act establishes the legal basis for resolving uncertainty in relation to electronic contracts, e-commerce, e-business and even e-Government activities”.

This Act was formulated to support the private sector, ICTA sources said.

“The banking sector has been at the forefront in setting up a digital certificate framework in Sri Lanka.

To have the appropriate information security safeguards and instill greater customer confidence, the Central Bank worked closely with ICTA and gave the mandate to Lanka Clear Limited (LCPL) to become the financial sector Certification Service Provider(CSP),” Fernando said.

“In May 2009, Lanka Clear launched a certification service. This effectively became the first entity issuing digital certificates to commercial banks and is branded as 'LankaSIGN',” he said.

The legal and policy measures in connection with the setting up of 'LankaSIGN' CSP were formulated by ICTA. Since the launch of 'LankaSIGN' the volume of SLIPS settlements increased significantly due to the enhanced safety and security to such transactions, resulting in greater user confidence in the system,” Fernando said.

In November 2009 the second Certification Service was set up - 'Lanka Government Network -- Certificate Authority' (LGN-CA). The LGN-CA was designed to facilitate the digital certificate needs of Government organisations.

LGN-CA issues digital certificates to organisations after following a specified request validation and approval procedure.

The National CA would serve as the standard-setting body to regulate the Certification Service Providers in Sri Lanka.