CyberCAN: Cybersecurity for Cities and Nonprofits
A San Francisco Project with National Impact Nonprofits like food banks, homelessness services, and…
With cyberattacks increasingly threatening the organizations that millions rely on for essential services, a new partnership between the State of Washington’s WaTech, Okta, and UC Berkeley’s Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity (CLTC) is helping to protect the digital front lines of the social sector.
Backed by a $500,000 grant from Okta, Inc., through its social impact and sustainability arm Okta for Good, CLTC is expanding its work in public interest cybersecurity, a multi-pronged effort to strengthen the digital resilience of under-resourced public interest organizations, including nonprofits, food banks, schools, hospitals, and other civil services.
A key initiative supported through this funding is Cybersecurity for Cities and Nonprofits (CyberCAN), an effort to improve municipal governments’ understanding of nonprofits’ cybersecurity challenges — and identify opportunities to improve the cyber resilience of organizations operating in their local communities. CyberCAN launched in 2024 with a successful pilot with the City and County of San Francisco.
In 2025, CyberCAN will expand statewide in Washington through a new partnership with WaTech, the state’s technology services agency. Through this collaboration, CLTC researchers will survey hundreds of nonprofits across Washington, conduct in-depth interviews with local IT and cybersecurity leaders, and publish a tailored report to help state and municipal governments better defend essential nonprofits from rising cyber threats.
“State and local governments are the last line of defense for our communities’ most vulnerable residents — we cannot accept the risk of these services being interrupted by cyber attacks,” said Sarah Powazek, Program Director of Public Interest Cybersecurity at CLTC. “We’re excited to continue our CyberCAN work at the state level and best position Washington’s state and local governments to defend their nonprofits.”
“Okta for Good’s generous support will bolster CLTC’s efforts to improve the digital security of a wide range of organizations, from city governments to schools and food banks, that represent the heartbeat of America’s communities and are vulnerable to ransomware and other cyberattacks,” added Ann Cleaveland, Executive Director of CLTC.
The $500,000 grant is part of Okta for Good’s broader $50 million, five-year commitment to build a more safely connected world. In fiscal year 2025, Okta for Good, Okta, Inc., and Okta, Inc. employees contributed $8.7 million in cash, $6.5 million in technology and services donated, and supported 4,600+ nonprofits through giving and volunteering.
“Okta for Good’s vision is to free everyone to safely use any technology. We do this through grant funding, our identity software platform, and the passion and expertise of our employees,” said Victor Cordon, Director of Social Impact at Okta for Good. “We are excited to partner with CLTC’s Public Interest Cybersecurity Program, which is working on multiple fronts to improve the cybersecurity of a wide range of public interest organizations.”
