Microsoft & Mastercard Partners to Fund CyberPeace Institute

Microsoft, Mastercard, and the Hewlett Foundation have partnered to fund CyberPeace Institute, a platform that aims to protect vulnerable groups from hackers. The institute launched on the 26th of September 2019, with headquarters in Geneva.

The Institute is made up of an eight-member executive board with a 14-member advisory board, that cut across technical experts, legal experts, and human rights advocates.

According to Marietje Schaake, the president of CyberPeace Institute, the organization aims to employ over 20 staff within its first year of operation. She noted that the institute will also work with its partners to treat cyberattacks that harm people, especially the ones that shut down hospitals and collapse businesses. She also said the institute aims to create transparency and accountability on cyber-crime.

In her words, “we read about cyber attacks every day and people frown and worry, but there’s little understanding of the impact on civilians. We want to bring more transparency and accountability, and we want to focus on helping civilians who may have experienced harm or become the collateral damage of the cyberattack.”

CyberPeace’s CEO, Stéphane Duguin, noted that the institute aims to influence global policy and international laws on cyberattacks.

CyberPeace will provide technical support to groups that are victims of a hack. It will also publish public reports and technical details that will help track down a hacker’s identity. The institute will however not announce the name of an attacker publicly.