The Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Readiness Team (SLCERT) has formally established the Malware Analysis & Threat Hunting (MATH) Lab, a national‑level cybersecurity capability designed to strengthen proactive defense across government institutions and Critical Information Infrastructure (CII).
The launch marks a crucial milestone in the country’s cybersecurity journey, signaling a strategic shift from conventional reactive incident response toward early detection and intelligence‑driven threat anticipation.
Rising cyber risks
Authorities noted that cyber threats have grown in complexity and frequency as Sri Lanka expands its online public platforms and digital government services.
Phishing campaigns, data breaches, and exploitation of exposed digital assets pose increasing risks to national systems. While the National Cyber Security Operations Centre (NCSOC) provides centralized monitoring and incident response, the need for a specialized capability focused on proactive threat identification led to the creation of the MATH Lab.
Advanced capabilities
The MATH Lab introduces specialized functions such as proactive threat hunting, actively searching for hidden threats within networks before they cause damage, using globally recognized methodologies. It will also conduct External Attack Surface Monitoring (EASM) to identify weaknesses, configuration errors, and potential entry points in publicly accessible government digital assets.
To strengthen collective defense, the Lab will collect, analyze, and disseminate actionable cyber threat intelligence (CTI) to relevant government stakeholders. This intelligence‑led approach aims to detect threats at an early stage, reduce attacker dwell time, and prevent large‑scale cyber incidents before escalation.
National Impact
The MATH Lab is designed to support over 250 government entities, enhancing coordinated national defense mechanisms across multiple sectors including health, education, and energy. By developing cutting‑edge local expertise in malware analysis and threat hunting, Sri Lanka CERT is building autonomous cyber capacity, reducing reliance on external responses.
Commitment to cyber resilience
SLCERT said the establishment of the Lab demonstrates the country’s commitment to protecting digital infrastructure and ensuring trust in public digital services. It represents a forward‑looking investment in national security, technological capability, and institutional resilience, with CERT pledging to continuously improve the nation’s cybersecurity posture in collaboration with government institutions. (Newswire)