Over 280 individuals — from red teamers and DevSecOps specialists to corporate executives, researchers, policymakers, and students — came together for a landmark moment in Sri Lanka’s cybersecurity journey: the inaugural BSides Sri Lanka conference.
As the country’s first chapter of the global Security BSides movement, this wasn’t just another tech event. It was a declaration — that Sri Lanka’s cybersecurity ecosystem is ready to step onto the world stage, powered not by top-down mandates, but by community-driven innovation, collaboration, and a hunger to learn.
Breaking Down Silos: A Day of Insight, Innovation, and Hands-On Learning
The BSides format is famously non-commercial, open, and technical — and the Sri Lankan edition stayed true to that ethos. The one-day conference delivered a carefully curated agenda that tackled the most pressing cybersecurity concerns of our time.
From red teaming in cloud environments and secure SDLC strategies, to cyber hygiene awareness and the application of machine learning for threat detection, the sessions were deep, practical, and thought-provoking.
But it wasn’t just theory. The Hacking Village emerged as the event’s most interactive draw— where attendees got their hands on physical security devices, learned how RFID badges could be cloned, and experienced in real time how vulnerabilities manifest in the wild. For many students and professionals, it was a rare chance to bridge the gap between classroom learning and frontline experience.
More Than a Conference — A Crossroads for CyberCulture in Sri Lanka
What stood out most wasn’t just the quality of the content — it was the diversity of the audience.
Attendees included penetration testers and SOC analysts, legal advisors and compliance officers, university students and academic researchers, not to mention policy thinkers and tech media. BSides Sri Lanka achieved something rare: it created a space where industry, academia, and government didn’t just coexist — they converged.
As one organizer put it:
“The energy and curiosity we saw from students, professionals, and first-time attendees proves that the Sri Lankan cybersecurity community is not only growing — it’s thriving. BSides Sri Lanka has now joined the global Security BSides family with a strong message: local innovation, global impact. This is just the beginning.”
Backed by Industry, Driven by Community
A key reason for the event’s success was its ability to attract support from key players in the tech ecosystem, without compromising its grassroots integrity.
The event was powered by a collective effort:
- Platinum Sponsor – Orel IT
- Strategic Partner – Sysco Labs
- Gold Sponsors – Dialog Axiata PLC & TrustVault
- Silver Sponsor – eSec Forte
These partnerships are more than logos on a banner — they symbolize a growing alignment between corporate innovation and community-led knowledge sharing, both essential to building long-term cyber resilience in the region.
Why BSides Sri Lanka Matters
In a world where cyber threats evolve faster than most organizations can adapt, countries like Sri Lanka face a critical challenge: how to grow a cybersecurity culture that’s both technically competent and deeply collaborative.
BSides Sri Lanka 2025 showed us one path forward — a decentralized, inclusive, and hands-on approach to cybersecurity education and awareness. Not dictated by industry elites, but shaped by everyone: students, hackers, engineers, policymakers, and educators.
It was more than a conference. It was a movement. And by all signs, it’s just getting started
Photo caption:
Top Row (L–R): Dr. Upendra Pieris, Mr. Wong Onn Chee, Mr. Ramesh Indika, Mr. Lasantha Priyankara, Mr. Buddhika De Alwis
Bottom Row (L–R): Ms. Pragati Bhardwaj, Dr. Kushan Sudheera, Mr. Isira Adithya, Mr. Kenneth Thilakarathna, Mr. Samuel Abraham
