Impact Bytes: Shoring Up Cybersecurity to Defend the Defenders

When it comes to supporting the most vulnerable, nonprofits are on the front lines. Yet, they face an ever-growing array of cyber threats that can undermine their missions. In fact, of all sectors, the nonprofit sector is the second most targeted by cyberattacks—a battleground where organizations and the people they serve are targeted relentlessly.

Those attacks can take many forms, from blackmailing a food bank or stealing funds from an orphanage to paralyzing or destroying essential services like healthcare and water distribution.

Cybercriminals target nonprofits for many reasons. In carrying out their work, nonprofits often hold sensitive information criminals wish to sell or use for blackmail, preying on already vulnerable people. With nonprofits raising over one trillion dollars annually, criminals target their funds and donor financial data. Sometimes, repressive regimes try to discredit nonprofits or shut down their operations.

Yet, at a time when the threats are greater than ever, many nonprofits are unaware they can be a target for a cyberattack and how vulnerable their assets are. The founders of the CyberPeace Institute (CyberPeace) knew the need was urgent—and in five short years, they’ve made significant strides to protect nonprofits.

Cybersecurity Is About Justice and Human Rights

Launched in 2019, CyberPeace works to reduce the harm caused by cyberattacks. They view cyberattacks as not only a threat to organizations but also as a violation of people’s fundamental rights. As the internet becomes part of the world’s basic infrastructure, it is essential that everyone has the right to use the internet safely and that their personal information be private and secure. Cyberattacks directly violate those rights.

To help restore those rights, it assists vulnerable communities and calls for responsible cyber behavior, accountability and, ultimately, cyberpeace. Its work is grounded in data and analysis rather than politics or economic interests.

In the past four years alone, CyberPeace has identified more than 86,000 cyberattacks targeting nonprofits worldwide. Despite having only a few dozen employees, they’re creating an outsized impact by mobilizing partners and volunteers worldwide.

Providing Cybersecurity Expertise and Ongoing Threat Intelligence

To support nonprofits, CyberPeace has created a community of Builders— cybersecurity experts who volunteer pro bono a few hours each year to defend vulnerable nonprofits online. CyberPeace seeks to connect every cybersecurity professional in the world with nonprofits and to do that, it needs to scale up its existing network from hundreds of volunteers and organizations to thousands. The Builders program is unique in providing free cyber assistance to nonprofits using a financially sustainable model.

Given the urgent need, CyberPeace is looking to scale up faster. While the organization already has a solid data pipeline and infrastructure, it’s investing in automating its processes and further strengthening data science capabilities, fueled partly by a recent grant from Splunk. Today, CyberPeace receives data points on its 180+ nonprofit beneficiaries from various third-party providers.

By investing in its ability to process and present complex datasets to beneficiaries, it will be able to provide cyber threat intelligence that allows those beneficiaries to respond to those threats and vulnerabilities in near real-time—from open ports and unpatched vulnerabilities to leaked credentials, misconfigured software or hardware, active phishing campaigns and more.

“We are incredibly grateful for Splunk’s continued support, which will help us streamline our volunteer matchmaking with AI-driven improvements, doubling our impact on nonprofits in need,” said Stéphane Duguin, CEO of the CyberPeace Institute. “The new grant will also enhance our Threat Intelligence program, allowing us to proactively address cyber threats before they cause harm. Splunk is setting a strong example of corporate digital responsibility, and we hope others will follow their lead in supporting this critical mission.”

Support Cyberpeace Institute as a Pro Bono Cybersecurity Expert

CyberPeace continues to seek cybersecurity experts for its Builders program to contribute a few hours each year to help the nonprofits in its growing network. To learn more, visit here.