The National Whistleblower Center, the nation’s leading nonprofit advocating for whistleblowers and against corruption, has established a research partnership with the Center for Cybersecurity at Bradley University. Through this partnership, an academic research working group has been created to facilitate and promote enhanced whistleblower anonymity.
Dr. Jacob Young, who has studied whistleblowing systems since 2013, has agreed to serve as the Senior Advisor on Cybersecurity for the National Whistleblower Center. In this role, he will manage and coordinate a multidisciplinary research team focused on protecting whistleblowers from retaliation. The team’s findings will inform legislation and practice through the National Whistleblower Center. Additionally, Dr. Young serves as Director of the Bradley University Center for Cybersecurity.
“Whistleblowing has never been more important than it is today. Regrettably, most whistleblowers experience devastating retaliation due to poor organizational policies and ineffective reporting channels. Our whistleblowing research working group was formed to help reduce the threat of retaliation by advocating for increased research on whistleblower anonymity. Through our partnership with the National Whistleblower Center, we can help protect those who wish to protect us,” said Dr. Young, Director of the Bradley University Center for Cybersecurity.
John Kostyack, Executive Director of the National Whistleblower Center, said, “We are excited about this new partnership with Bradley University’s Center for Cybersecurity. By working with Dr. Young and his team, the National Whistleblower Center will be better positioned to educate whistleblowers about how to remain anonymous when blowing the whistle and government whistleblower programs about necessary updates to the guidance they provide whistleblowers.
Kostyack continued, “Whistleblowers are critical to protecting democracy and the rule of law so we need to let them know that they can report wrongdoing without fear of retaliation. Preserving anonymity through strong cybersecurity is a critical part of preventing whistleblower retaliation.”
