Sri Lanka. The website of the president hacked, a teenager arrested

A 17-year-old teenager was arrested Monday in Sri Lanka on suspicion of hacking President Maithripala Sirisena’s website to post a message calling on the head of state to postpone an examination or to resign.

The young pirate, whose identity has not been made public, has been remanded in custody. He faces three years in prison and a fine of 300,000 rupees (approximately 1,800 euros).

“We tracked the hack to his home in Kadugannawa,” a town about 100 km east of Colombo, said a police official. “The website was paralyzed over the weekend” after the attack but was back on track on Monday.

The hacker replaced the home page of the presidential site with a message asking the president to postpone an ongoing review or to resign.

Official websites have already been hacked in Sri Lanka, but this is the first time a teenager has been arrested under the 2007 Computer Crime Act.

Aishwarya Yogeshwar

Aishwarya Yogeshwar is the visionary founder of CGI Jaffna, a pioneering organization dedicated to fostering innovation and community growth in the Jaffna region. With a deep passion for news publishing, Aishwarya combines her entrepreneurial spirit with a keen interest in delivering impactful and engaging stories. Her commitment to creating a platform for reliable news and meaningful discourse reflects her dedication to empowering communities through knowledge and information. Aishwarya’s leadership and innovative approach make her a driving force in the world of media and communication.

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