IGDTUW, CyberPeace launch cyber safety initiative with Google.org support

New Delhi, Sept 22 (INB) The Indira Gandhi Delhi Technical University for Women (IGDTUW) and CyberPeace, with support from Google.org, have launched the CyberPeace Keepers and Cyber First Responders initiative to build safer and more cyber-resilient communities, the organisations said on Tuesday. The initiative, announced on the International Day of Peace, will create a trained cohort of students who will contribute to research, awareness, prevention and informed first response to emerging digital threats, according to an official statement issued by the organisation. The student cohort will study and document technology-enabled harms, including online scams and fraud, deepfakes, AI-enabled deception, misinformation, impersonation and online abuse, it added. Participants will also work with communities to promote preventive digital practices and help people navigate reporting mechanisms, grievance redressal, victim support and law-enforcement channels, they said. A key component of the initiative is “research-to-action”, under which emerging patterns of technology-enabled abuse will be documented and community experiences translated into insights for awareness, capacity building, technological interventions, policy and response mechanisms. The International Day of Peace programme began with an address by IGDTUW Vice Chancellor Prof Ranjana Jha, who highlighted the growing partnership between IGDTUW and CyberPeace and the role of the IGDTUW-CyberPeace Centre of Excellence in providing opportunities for young women to engage with emerging cybersecurity challenges. AICTE Chief Coordinating Officer Dr Buddha Chandrasekhar highlighted India’s technology talent pool and the importance of developing indigenous AI capabilities, while stressing the need for greater participation of women in science, technology and innovation. Google Head of Government Affairs and Public Policy Rajesh Ranjan discussed the challenges posed by frontier AI, including what he described as the “defender’s dilemma” — the need for cybersecurity defenders to keep pace with technologies that can be used both to protect and exploit digital systems. The programme also featured discussions by Prof Shilohu Rao, Professor of Law at National Law University, Jodhpur, and Ankur Mishra, Senior Product Leader from Ontario, Canada, on human judgement, responsible technology adoption and evolving legal and regulatory frameworks. Technical workshops on emerging cyber threats, digital safety and community cyber resilience were also conducted. The programme concluded with a closing address by Maj Vineet Kumar, Founder and Global President of CyberPeace, it stated. Participants also visited the 24×7 IGDTUW-CyberPeace Centre of Excellence, which provides a platform for students and researchers to work on technology and community-focused cyber safety initiatives. The organisations said the initiative will begin with the cohort at IGDTUW, with a broader vision of developing a network of CyberPeace Keepers and Cyber First Responders across universities and communities, particularly encouraging young women in technology to contribute as researchers, responders, mentors and leaders.