World Solve

Many major rivers depend on glacial melt for a steady water supply, and as these glaciers shrink, the long-term water security of downstream populations becomes increasingly uncertain. Protecting or planning around this shrinking resource remains unresolved.

Cameras and sensors used in security or autonomous systems still perform noticeably worse in poor visibility conditions than in daylight, creating real safety and reliability gaps. Closing this performance gap affordably remains unresolved.

Developers still occasionally and accidentally commit sensitive credentials directly into shared code repositories, creating avoidable security exposure. More robust default protections against this common mistake remain inconsistently adopted.

Physical hardware used in sensitive systems can sometimes be tampered with before installation, and detecting this tampering reliably and affordably remains technically challenging. Closing this hardware security gap remains an unresolved priority.

Networking equipment can potentially be intercepted and secretly modified during shipping before it ever reaches its intended destination, creating hidden long-term security risks. Building tamper-evident supply chains for this hardware remains incompletely adopted.

Many home security systems still generate frequent false alerts from pets, shadows, or weather, reducing their practical reliability for identifying genuine security concerns. Improving this accuracy without expensive hardware remains unresolved.

Doubts about election security, counting errors, and manipulation persist in democracies around the world. Restoring full public trust in voting systems is essential for democracy to function as intended.

Many major rivers and aquifers are being pumped or diverted faster than rainfall can replenish them, threatening long-term water security. Without better management, some regions may simply run out of accessible fresh water.

Nearly every major hack traces back to a bug that existed long before anyone found it. Catching these flaws before release, rather than after damage is done, remains an unsolved challenge.

Land ownership records in Brazil remain largely paper-based and inconsistently maintained, fueling disputes, fraud, and insecurity of tenure that discourage long-term investment.

Long-term anxiety and depression tied to job insecurity and informal labor in Chile are poorly quantified, making it difficult for policymakers to justify investment in preventive mental health infrastructure.

Current approaches to systems ensuring the reliability and security of digital infrastructure under climate extremes either underperform under variable field conditions or generate externalities that undermine long-term sustainability and equity. Closing the gap requires coordinated advances in science, systems design and enabling institutions.

Build usable security, governance, maintenance, and incident-response practices for community-owned networks operated with limited technical staff.

Create accessible cybersecurity, segmentation, monitoring, emergency operations, and workforce tools for water utilities with aging operational technology.

Develop managed security, offline backups, rapid recovery, and incident-response systems suitable for schools with limited IT budgets and staff.

Create affordable security monitoring, backup, staff training, and recovery systems for hospitals without dedicated cybersecurity teams.

Create methods for governments to evaluate bias, error, and accountability in automated public decisions while preserving citizen privacy and system security.

Utilities and hospitals in Democratic Republic of Congo increasingly face ransomware attacks, but many operate on legacy systems without the budget or expertise to implement modern cybersecurity defenses.