New Common Good Cyber Fund Launches to Fortify Global Internet Security

The Internet Society (ISOC) and Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), representing the Common Good Cyber secretariat, today announced the launch of the Common Good Cyber Fund. This groundbreaking initiative aims to significantly bolster global cybersecurity by providing crucial financial support to nonprofits that deliver essential cybersecurity services. These services specifically protect high-risk civil society actors and safeguard the internet as a whole.

This pioneering effort to fund “cybersecurity for the common good”—ensuring protection for everyone, particularly those most vulnerable to intimidation, harassment, harm, and coercion—holds the potential to fundamentally improve the digital security of billions worldwide. The Common Good Cyber secretariat members, actively addressing this critical challenge, include the Global Cyber Alliance, Cyber Threat Alliance, CyberPeace Institute, Forum of Incident Response and Security Teams, Global Forum on Cyber Expertise, Institute for Security and Technology, and Shadowserver Foundation.

Momentum for this vital fund has been building at the highest levels. On June 15, 2025, a Joint Statement from the Prime Minister of the United Kingdom and the Prime Minister of Canada announced their commitment to invest in the Joint Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund. This was followed on June 17, during the G7 Leaders’ Summit in Alberta, Canada, by a collective declaration from all G7 Leaders to support initiatives like the Canada-UK Common Good Cyber Fund. Their aim is to aid civil society members actively working to counter the growing threat of transnational repression, as detailed in the G7 Leaders’ Statement on Transnational Repression.

Despite their critical role as a frontline defense for internet security, cybersecurity nonprofits remain severely underfunded. This chronic underfunding leaves millions of internet users, including journalists, human rights defenders, and other civil society groups, exposed to heightened risks of digital transnational repression. This form of repression involves the misuse of cyber capabilities for surveillance, individual tracking, and facilitating physical targeting. Moreover, this financial shortfall leaves the broader public vulnerable to increasingly frequent and sophisticated cyber threats.

“Common Good Cyber represents a pivotal step toward a stronger, more inclusive cybersecurity ecosystem,” stated Philip Reitinger, President and CEO of the Global Cyber Alliance. “By increasing the resilience and long-term sustainability of cybersecurity nonprofits, improving access to trusted services for civil society organizations and human rights defenders, and encouraging greater adoption of best practices and security-by-design principles, the Common Good Cyber Fund ultimately helps protect and empower all Internet users.”

The newly established fund will provide support to nonprofits that:

• Maintain and secure core digital infrastructure, including DNS, routing, and threat intelligence systems, for the public good.
• Deliver critical cybersecurity assistance to high-risk actors through targeted training, rapid incident response, and free-to-use tools.

These future beneficiaries play an indispensable role in safeguarding the internet. They ensure secure operations and supply global threat intelligence, directly shielding civil society from cyber threats through expert intervention. Furthermore, they elevate the security baseline for the entire ecosystem by supporting the “invisible infrastructure” upon which civil society depends.

The Fund will operate under a collaborative framework. The Internet Society will manage the Fund, while an expert advisory board will offer strategic guidance on developing granting programs. On behalf of the Common Good Cyber secretariat, the Global Cyber Alliance will lead the Fund’s Strategic Advisory Committee. Alongside other secretariat members, the GCA will also drive educational advocacy and outreach within the wider cybersecurity ecosystem.

“By supporting nonprofits’ charitable and educational work in cybersecurity, we’re providing critical financial support to those who help keep the Internet safe for everyone and promoting more inclusive access to a secure and trusted Internet,” said Sally Wentworth, President and CEO of the Internet Society.

The Common Good Cyber Fund embodies a global commitment to safeguarding digital frontlines, fostering local resilience and long-term digital sustainability. By supporting nonprofits that advance cybersecurity through innovative tools, solutions, and platforms, the Fund is building a safer internet that works for everyone, everywhere.

The Internet Society and the Global Cyber Alliance, on behalf of the Common Good Cyber secretariat, are currently finalizing the intricate details of the fund. Further information regarding funding specifics, the application process, selection criteria, and other key details will be shared in the coming months.

Source: https://commongoodcyber.org/news/common-good-cyber-fund-announcement/

About Author

Dr. Adebunmi Adeola Akinbo

Dr. Adebunmi Akinbo is a Researcher, Media Psychologist, Brand and Content Expert. He is an Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) Fellow, Member of Association of Cyber Forensics and Threat Investigators (ACFTI), Associate Member of the Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (CPN), and a Senior Member of Chartered Institute of Public Diplomacy & Management (CIPDM), He is passionate for information and solutions for ICT Challenges by the media for the global village.

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