New Cyber Fund Backs Nonprofits Safeguarding the Internet
▼ Summary
– The Common Good Cyber Fund aims to improve global cybersecurity, especially for vulnerable groups, with a long-term goal of a $50 million annual budget.
– The initiative is backed by the UK, Canada, and other G7 members, following a June 2025 meeting between their Prime Ministers.
– A 7-member secretariat, including organizations like the Global Cyber Alliance and CyberPeace Institute, coordinates the Common Good Cyber initiative.
– NGOs and think tanks are the fourth most targeted sector by state-backed cyber threats, as reported in Microsoft’s 2024 Digital Defense Report.
– The Fund supports 334 public-interest cybersecurity solutions, nearly half run by underfunded nonprofits, to promote a safer and more inclusive internet.
A groundbreaking initiative is channeling resources toward nonprofits that form the backbone of global cybersecurity, ensuring a safer digital future for vulnerable communities worldwide. The Common Good Cyber Fund represents a collaborative push to strengthen internet security, particularly for groups facing heightened risks of online threats. With ambitions to scale to $50 million annually, this effort could redefine how critical cyber protections reach those who need them most.
Backed by the UK and Canada, with additional support from G7 nations, the fund emerged from high-level discussions in mid-2025. Its operations are steered by a coalition of seven leading cybersecurity organizations, including the Global Cyber Alliance, CyberPeace Institute, and Shadowserver Foundation. These groups bring decades of combined expertise in threat intelligence, infrastructure defense, and policy advocacy.
Philip Reitinger, CEO of the Global Cyber Alliance, emphasized the fund’s broader mission: “This isn’t just about funding, it’s about building a resilient, equitable cybersecurity landscape. By stabilizing nonprofits that provide essential services, we’re ensuring civil society and human rights defenders can operate safely online.”
Recent data highlights the urgency of this work. Microsoft’s 2024 Digital Defense Report ranks NGOs and think tanks as the fourth most frequent targets of state-sponsored cyberattacks. Yet many of the organizations defending these groups operate on shoestring budgets, relying on volunteers and unpredictable grants. The fund has already mapped 334 public-interest cybersecurity solutions, nearly 50% of which are maintained by nonprofits.
Sally Wentworth of the Internet Society underscored the fund’s role in democratizing security: “Investing in these nonprofits means investing in the internet’s foundational safety nets. Their work benefits everyone, from small businesses to individual users.” By addressing systemic funding gaps, the initiative aims to turn sporadic efforts into sustained, global protections.
The fund’s approach reflects a growing recognition: cybersecurity is a collective responsibility. As digital threats evolve, supporting the nonprofits on the front lines may prove one of the most effective ways to safeguard the open internet.
(Source: HELPNETSECURITY)
