With the growth in internet and use of technology the world is preparing for cyber war by raising its own cyber military and cyber weapons. It has been rightly said that the fifth dimension of war would be CYBER WAR (rest 4 being land, sea, air and space), which will have a devastating effect on the world’s information security. Not only that, it can result in a complete chaos as Critical Information Infrastructure of the countries would be affected. Other spheres of life also have been brought in a vast magnitude of risks and threats to the peace of the cyber society. i-genius talks with Vineet Kumar to find out about Cyber Peace Foundation.

i-genius: Why did you start Cyber Peace Foundation?
Vineet Kumar: I started Cyber Peace foundation due to increased Nation-sponsored cyber-attacks, cyber wars & cyber weapons. There were a lot of peacekeeping initiatives but none in Cyber Space undertaken by an NGO. This was the Eureka moment and it led to the establishment of Cyber Peace Foundation, an organization working towards Cyber Peace and also prevention of cyber weapons & Cyber wars.

i-genius: In what way is Cyber Peace Foundation a social enterprise/NGO?
Vineet: Cyber Peace Foundation is a registered Non-Governmental organization under Indian Societies Registration Act XXI of 1860, Government of India. It is an NGO actively working for the benefit of the netizens and their security as a social responsibility.

i-genius: What difficulties did you experience setting up Cyber Peace Foundation??
Vineet: Getting like-minded people on board and people from all the facets of life like Police Officials, Defence forces, Doctors, students, lawyers, teachers, housewives etc.. Also raising the organization in limited financial budget.

i-genius: Which of your initiatives has the greatest impact?
Vineet: Netizen outreach programme connecting with people of all age groups and the organization making them aware about Cyber Crimes, Cyber-attacks, Cyber Security and Cyber Peace Corps.

i-genius: How can every day individuals be cyber safe?
Vineet: One cannot be 100% Cyber safe. There are a lot of targeted & sophisticated attacks in cyberspace targeting Individuals, organizations and nations. By being aware about Cyber Crimes & following some basic cyber security measures, individuals can be safe against majority of attacks & crimes but not completely secure.

One can also follow us on our official Facebook, twitter pages to keep updated about the latest security tips and advisories.

i-genius: What is Cyber Peace Corps?
Vineet: In hindi we call it “shram daan”. It’s like a battalion of volunteers devoting their service to the people who need cyber related help for all the age groups, be it the elderly who face difficulty in using the latest technology. Any body can join the Cyber Peace Corps by making a request at: info@cyberpeacefoundation.org

i-genius: Why is the work you do important in India?
Vineet: We had started in 2003 at the time when cyber identity was not as important but today it’s as important as one’s real identity. Every aspect of life is connected to the digital world be it you yourself or your finances or anything for that matter. It’s the age of Internet of things (IOT) where we have smart homes, vehicles, home appliances and even smart health appliances like pacemaker running on Internet. So its safety also needs to be taken care of. There’s a high rise in cyber-attacks and therefore it is quite essential to combat the evils of cyber space and use it in a productive way.

i-genius: What makes a good candidate for a Founder/President of a company?
Vineet: A desire and the passion to create a positive impact/change in the society. One should be passionate,  dedicated & committed to the organization.

i-genius: Who’s/what’s been your continued source of inspiration?
Vineet: My dad who is an excellent programmer & connected to the Cyber world right from late 70’s. I learn to be passionate about work from him. My previous boss, Mr. SN Pradhan, IPS, Addl Director General, Jharkhand Police also a founding member of Cyber Peace Foundation who is like another father figure to me and unconditional support to me and my initiatives. Steve jobs who inspires us all to think out of the box and brought revolution in the field of technology.

i-genius: What is your favorite motto in life?
Vineet: My motto is to contribute positively & leave a mark in the society

i-genius: What advice would you give to those starting up a social business/project?
Vineet: Prioritize service to mankind, money will follow. Follow your heart, live your dreams; everything else will automatically fall in place.

This interview was conducted as part of the i-genius Getting Started interview series. If you would like to learn how to get started in your social business, then why not take our ‘Getting Started – Social Business Start Up’ online course with i-genius Academy. To find out more, click here!