Sri Lanka is prioritizing the implementation of a national biometrics-based digital identity project called the Unitary Digital Identity Framework (UDIF), similar to India's Aadhaar program. However, cybersecurity experts have expressed concerns over the lack of data protection laws and potential cybersecurity risks.
Key points:
Sri Lanka plans to adopt a digital identity framework similar to India's Aadhaar program, following a grant offer from India.
The Aadhaar framework, based on the India Stack, has the world's largest biometric database but has faced data breach incidents in the past.
Sri Lanka lacks data protection laws, raising concerns about data security in the implementation of the UDIF.
The absence of data regulations also poses challenges for data customization and localization.
Cyberattacks from anti-government entities, including hacktivists, are potential risks to the database.
Implementation of the framework is costly, and Sri Lanka faces challenges in reconciling fragmented citizen data and digitizing historical records.
In summary, Sri Lanka's adoption of a digital identity framework similar to Aadhaar presents cybersecurity and data protection challenges, particularly in the absence of robust data regulations and potential cybersecurity threats.
