A Message From Bilva Chandra, DPN’s New Global Ambassador
Hello digital peace activists, tech ethics enthusiasts, cyber peeps, and the worldwide DPN community,
I’m so honored to join the Digital Peace Now organization as the new Global Ambassador, working to raise awareness about cyberattacks, advocate to end cyberwar, and promote a peaceful cyberspace.
As someone who has worked in cyber threat intelligence, fought against state-sponsored mis/disinformation campaigns, and helped create election integrity policies in the private sector, I’m thrilled to start this role and continue to secure people online. Currently, my full-time role is on OpenAI’s Trust and Safety team, where I lead our Trust & Safety work on DALL-E (image generation tool) safety and broadly work on scaling safe AI systems. In my free time, I love listening to my favorite podcasts: On by Kara Swisher and The Intelligence by The Economist. I also enjoy choreographing for fun (classically-trained dancer here!) and traveling globally with my partner!
If you’re still reading this letter, you’re probably wondering how I’ll contribute to the movement and the future of DPN. To start, I will dedicate myself to raising cyberattack awareness and mobilizing individuals, organizations, and communities to help stop the weaponization of the Internet. I also plan to represent the movement worldwide by speaking about the importance of digital diplomacy at public events, informing individuals about vital cyber news/trends, highlighting changing tactics/techniques/procedures (TTPs) of bad actors, and connecting with fellow digital activists to achieve both impact and progress in this space. If you’re interested in contributing to our cause, I’m here for it! I’m looking forward to building meaningful relations with our existing community and continuing to expand our global base.
As society increasingly relies more on technology to function, nearly every essential societal need is contingent on online networks and cyber systems working smoothly, with confidentiality, integrity, and availability (known as the CIA triad in cyber) remaining intact. Therefore, keeping our digital infrastructure secure is of the utmost importance. An attacker only needs to exploit one vulnerability to affect the system, while the defender must ensure that any potential vulnerability gap is closed. In other words, defending against cyberattacks is super hard. Spreading knowledge about cyberspace, digital diplomacy, and building a better Internet all contribute to a larger goal of reducing cyberwar and promoting a peaceful information ecosystem.
Digital peace must be a priority for everyone, not just those within cybersecurity and diplomacy circles. We need to show the human side of cyberattacks as well, whether through sharing victims’ stories, promoting cyber career opportunities, or simply making cyber threat education more accessible and enjoyable! Promoting a peaceful information ecosystem is a core passion of mine and one that I’m really thrilled to take on with DPN. I can’t wait to see what we accomplish in partnership with you all!
Cheers,
Bilva Chandra
P.S. There is no peace without digital peace!
Are you looking to make cyberspace a better place? Feel free to reach out to our newest Global Ambassador Bilva Chandra on LinkedIn or Twitter!