When we founded Open Data Kosovo ten years ago, our mission was clear: to make government-held information more accessible to the public. But that vision quickly met a deeper challenge: the information we sought often didn’t exist in digital form. You cannot make data open if it hasn’t been digitised in the first place.
This realisation shaped the path ahead. Instead of advocating from the outside, we partnered with institutions from within, helping them digitise, structure, and publish their information in ways that were transparent, comprehensible, and publicly usable. This collaborative spirit, built on trust and persistence, laid the foundation for long-term systemic change. It continues to guide our work today.
Over time, we began to understand that digital transparency alone is not enough. If people and organisations do not feel safe online, the very trust we work to build is at risk. That is where cybersecurity became not a shift in direction, but a natural evolution of our mission.
From open data to digital resilience
In the framework of the KnowCyber program, we focused on a select group of ten organisations, media outlets and civil society groups, who, like us, engage with sensitive information and serve as watchdogs of democracy. Despite their critical roles, most lacked basic cybersecurity awareness, infrastructure, and policies.
Together with Arcus, our technical partner, we designed a process that combined structured assessments with direct support. We assessed these organisations across eleven key cybersecurity domains, aggregated the scores, designed tailored interventions, and worked closely with their teams to upgrade systems, implement policies, and deliver practical, hands-on training. Within six months, their average cybersecurity maturity score improved from 3.49 to 4.07 on the scale of 10.
What enabled this progress was not the introduction of expensive tools. It was a shift in mindset. Once cybersecurity was made visible and manageable, people responded. Teams began adopting multi-factor authentication, drafting internal security playbooks, patching vulnerabilities, and initiating peer-led learning sessions. They took ownership.
Understanding the human layer
Engaging media and civil society organisations in this topic required care and persistence. Many had never been approached about cybersecurity in a way that reflected their mission or daily work. Some were hesitant or cautious, unsure of what such an engagement might imply. But we were not there to audit or critique. We came to listen, to understand, and to support.
This relational approach mattered. The most meaningful improvements often came not from technical upgrades but from leadership involvement. When cybersecurity became a topic of conversation at the decision-making level, change occurred more rapidly and stuck.
More than Findings – a future path
We often say that digital rights are a subset of human rights. The reverse is equally true: digital risks are, in fact, human risks. Civil society and media actors in Kosovo are doing some of the most vital democratic work in the region. If their digital systems are fragile, their impact is vulnerable.
This initiative provided more than data and observations. It gave us a blueprint. We now know what works, where the fundamental gaps are, and how to move forward. The future demands sustained investment, policy alignment, and the development of tools that serve small, purpose-driven teams.
At Open Data Kosovo, we believe that digital transformation must remain grounded in human experience. We do not build technology for its own sake. We build to meet real needs. And in today’s context, cybersecurity is no longer optional. It is civic infrastructure, just as essential as access to information, public services, or fundamental rights.
About Open Data Kosovo
Open Data Kosovo (ODK) is a civic-tech organisation working to advance digital transformation, transparency, and ethical innovation in the Western Balkans. Since 2014, ODK has partnered with institutions, civil society, and the media to build digital systems that are open, inclusive, and resilient, ensuring that public data serves the public good and that digital rights are protected by design.
