IMF monitors $2.5 million cyber theft at Finance Ministry
Posted on April 25th, 2026
Courtesy Hiru News
The International Monetary Fund closely monitors the situation in Sri Lanka following a cybersecurity breach at the Finance Ministry.
Officials confirm that cybercriminals gained unauthorized access to the External Resources Department (ERD) computer systems, resulting in the theft of US$ 2.5 million.
These funds were intended for debt repayment to Australia.
An IMF spokesperson informed Hiru that the organization is aware of the Finance Ministry’s statement regarding the unauthorized access and considers this a significant development.
Deputy Minister of Digital Economy Eranga Weeraratne stated that an international firm volunteered to assist in tracing the destination of the stolen funds.
Meanwhile, Chairman of the Committee on Public Finance, Dr. Harsha de Silva, officially summoned the Secretary to the Ministry of Finance to appear before the committee.
Lead Information Security Engineer of the Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team, Charuka Damunupola, noted that forensic analysis of the affected system continues and technical precautions were recommended.
International media highlighted the incident, which reports suggest is the first cyber breach of its kind in the nation’s history.