The People’s Majolis has opened the Cyber Security Bill for public input, with submissions accepted until 1 July.

The bill was accepted by Parliament on 15 June and has since been referred to committee for further review. Public comments on the proposed legislation are being accepted from 17 June to 1 July.

One of the key objectives of the bill is to establish a legal framework to strengthen and safeguard the Maldives' cyber environment. It also seeks to identify and address both domestic and cross-border cybersecurity threats while preventing cyber incidents.

The proposed law outlines security standards for critical information infrastructure and systems, and provides for the establishment of a National Cyber Security Agency under the Ministry of Homeland Security, Labour and Technology. The agency would be overseen by a five-member board and serve as the country's principal body on cybersecurity matters.

The bill also sets out licensing requirements and penalties related to cybersecurity services. Under the proposed framework, entities providing certain cybersecurity services would be required to obtain licences, while unauthorised service providers could face fines ranging from MVR 50,000 to MVR 500,000.