The Digital Transformation of Humanitarian Aid

Integrating digital tools into humanitarian response is essential to address the growing scale of disasters. Humanitarian organizations are enhancing their digital capabilities by adopting data collection tools and digital technologies to better meet the needs of affected populations. This digitalization of humanitarian aid delivery has transformed humanitarian work, enabling faster and more efficient aid distribution.

Rising Cyber Threats Against Humanitarian Organizations

Humanitarian organizations are undergoing a digital transformation, adopting new technologies and digital tools for faster and more efficient emergency response. However, as they harness the benefits of digitalization, they also face increased exposure to cyber threats. In January 2022, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) suffered a significant data breach that exposed the personal data of over 515,000 vulnerable individuals, further endangering already at-risk populations. Cyberattacks against humanitarian organizations have since intensified, particularly in connection with the Russian Invasion of Ukraine and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in 2024. For instance, hackers associated with the Russian Federation and Belarus have stolen refugee data and exploited information about their movements in disinformation campaigns, disrupting aid efforts. These incidents underscore that the future of aid delivery depends not only on operational capacity but also on strong cybersecurity. A cyber crisis in this sector can be catastrophic, hindering aid delivery, damaging reputations, and eroding trust and support among donors and stakeholders. With the impact measured not only in financial terms but also in damage to human well-being and integrity, robust cybersecurity is essential.

Cybersecurity Challenges in the Humanitarian Sector

While cybersecurity experts have developed strategies for handling cyber incidents, most research has focused on private companies, leaving the humanitarian sector’s unique needs under-investigated. Humanitarian organizations face distinct challenges – limited resources, hostile environments, and the handling of sensitive data – which set them apart from other sectors. Current cyber strategies often overlook these specific challenges, leaving humanitarian organizations exposed and unprepared to deal with cyber threats. Developing tailored cyber strategies for the humanitarian sector is essential to safeguard their mission and the people they serve.

Our Project

In this project, we aim to address the scientific and societal challenge of developing cyber preparedness, response, and communication strategies specifically for humanitarian organizations. By combining insights from organizational science, cybersecurity governance, and crisis management, this project aims to provide evidence that leads to strengthening cybersecurity within this sector. Our five objectives are:

(1) Mapping cyber preparedness, response, and communication strategies within humanitarian organizations.

(2) Analyzing their operating environments and associated challenges.

(3) Evaluating the effectiveness of existing crisis communication strategies.

(4) Integrating results from objectives 1, 2, and 3 into a conceptual framework for managing cyber crises in the humanitarian sector.

(5) Offering practical recommendations to improve cybersecurity strategies.

Through these objectives, our project will advance cyber crisis management in a field that remains under-researched within cybersecurity and crisis governance.