Grant from Patrick J. McGovern Foundation
21 FEBRUARY 2023, Geneva, Switzerland – Cyberattacks and cybercrime are exploiting the interconnectedness and digitalization of our societies and blur the boundaries between perceptions of peace and conflict. The security of cyberspace is essential for a stable global system, thus action must be taken now to strengthen this security with approaches that enhance trust, the rights of people and resilience.
At the heart of the CyberPeace Institute’s efforts is the recognition that cyberspace is about people. We support providers of essential services to the most vulnerable members of our society, ultimately benefiting us all, like humanitarian NGOs.
In order to deliver on this mission, the Institute relies on donations and the generosity of individuals, foundations, companies and other supporters.
Tech for Good
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation has granted the CyberPeace Institute $600,000 in grants since 2021. This philanthropic gift is part of the Foundations investment in organizations at the forefront of building inclusive tech, data, and AI ecosystems.
“We are most grateful for the ongoing support and commitment of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation. This grant enables us to further scale-up our activities, which are designed for the public good“ stated Stéphane Duguin, Chief Executive Officer, CyberPeace Institute. “To preserve what is humanly important in cyberspace and the trust in technology it is essential to focus on the impact on people and society of cyberattacks, and not only on the economic cost or technical remediation needs.”
A renewal grant of $250,000 by the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation was donated in September 2022 and a grant of $250,000 was awarded to the CyberPeace Institute in January 2022. This funding is a recognition of the Institute’s mission and towards the creation of a digital public good that informs cybersecurity capacity building and technical and policy recommendations to decrease the human rights impact of cyberattacks globally
Accelerator Program
As of February 2023, the Institute is a grantee of the Patrick J. McGovern Foundation Data Practice Accelerator Program to support the Institute’s human-centric and evidence-led work to build cyber peace and ensure vulnerable communities’ rights to security, dignity, and equity in cyberspace.
The 9-month program will support the Institute in improving data analysis capabilities with machine learning techniques to develop a unique mapping of cyber threats against NGOs, enabling a measurement of the impact of cyberattacks on vulnerable communities, and deriving actionable insights on how human rights are violated.
Investing in Global Changemakers
Support received by the Institute serves to assist NGOs in securing their resources and enhancing their resilience to cyberattacks. It also serves to provide evidence-based knowledge and foster awareness of the impact of cyberattacks on people, empower victims to claim their legitimate rights and to give a voice to victims and committed actors who want to see the change needed to secure the digital future for us all.
The Patrick J. McGovern Foundation is a global 21st century philanthropy bridging the frontiers of artificial intelligence, data science, and social impact to create a thriving, equitable and sustainable future for all. Since its inception, the Foundation has awarded $330 million in grants. Its work focuses on bringing together academia, practitioners, and civil society to pursue the potential of AI and data science to address some of the world’s most urgent challenges.
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