Internet security giant McAfee Inc. has announced two grants under the company’s Initiative to Fight Cyber Crime.

McAfee has pledged (US)$55,000 to the Council of Europe’s effort to fight cybercrime, announced last week, and an equal sum to the U.S. National District Attorneys Association, both grants to be, “utilized in programs to train law enforcement, prosecutors and judges on cybercrime to make a practical and measurable impact on decreasing criminal activity.”

“Cybercrime is a growing problem that negatively impacts everybody, especially in the current economic climate,” said McAfee President and CEO DeWalt. “A lot has been done to combat cybercrime over the past decade, but criminals still have the upper hand. McAfee is proud to support these two organizations to advance their efforts to make the world a safer place.”

“Much of our private life takes place on and is stored on our computers,” said Alexander Seger, head of the Economic Crime division for the Council of Europe and responsible for the Council’s global project on cybercrime. “This means that if our computers are attacked, our fundamental rights are attacked. Therefore, we need to take action against cybercrime. It is clear that McAfee shares our dedication and we thank them for this grant.”

The National District Attorneys Association represents state and local prosecutors across the United States. The NDAA is a key group in the prosecution of cyber criminals, it provides education of local constituencies and offers assistance to cyber crime victims. The NDAA will use McAfee’s grant to offer an electronic cyber crime training course for prosecutors and law enforcement across the U.S.