Ann Cleaveland
What if community volunteers could protect our most under-resourced organizations?
Community Organizations Face Rising Cyber Threats
Public-interest community organizations—like nonprofits, rural hospitals and water districts, K-12 schools, municipalities, and small businesses—are increasingly targeted by cyber threats, including phishing, ransomware, and data breaches. Without affordable and accessible cybersecurity solutions, many are left not knowing where to start, making a new support model essential.
Cyber Volunteers: Essential Support for Resilient Communities
Cyber volunteers offer critical support for community cyber resilience. The cyber volunteering community includes diverse services, such as university cyber clinics, for-profit and nonprofit organizations, and government-led civilian cyber corps. Building on trusted relationships and bringing specialized expertise, these volunteers are key allies in defending at-risk organizations across the country.
A National Initiative for Community Cyber Defense
The UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and the CyberPeace Institute are uniting cyber volunteer groups across the U.S. in order to more effectively deliver cybersecurity assistance to organizations in need. Building on CISA’s Volunteer Resource Center, this initiative combines immediate collaboration, shared intelligence, and a framework for sustainable community cyber defense.
The initial organizational allies are The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics, CyberPeace Builders, Project Franklin, NGO-ISAC, and UnDisruptable27, with individual support from Ray Davidson (fmr. Michigan Cyber Corps) and Michael Razeeq (New America).
Building a Cyber Volunteer Platform
A new platform for coordinating the nation’s cyber volunteer networks, allowing volunteer groups to scale their impact on community cybersecurity.
Coming Soon:
- A data-driven public website to aggregate real-time data on incidents, responses, shared threat intelligence, and volunteer contributions, showcasing the measurable impact of cyber volunteer efforts.
- A web platform to synchronize efforts across cyber volunteer groups, featuring tools for seamless collaboration, resource-sharing, and prioritization.
Path to Success:
| Connect & Support Volunteers: | Optimize Community Defense: | Expand Local Impact: |
|---|---|---|
| Convene leaders from major cyber volunteer networks to establish best practices, identify critical service gaps, and build cohesive, nationwide collaboration. | Enable community organizations to access tailored cybersecurity assistance from skilled volunteers. | Partner with Managed Security Service Providers (MSSPs) to strengthen volunteer pools in high-need regions. |
Establishing a National Roadmap for Community Cyber Defense
The Roadmap will create a pathway for the long-term, systematic cyber defense of under-resourced organizations in the United States. The Roadmap will outline accessible and affordable cybersecurity solutions for community organizations like nonprofits, rural hospitals and water districts, K-12 schools, municipalities, and small businesses.
Coming Soon:
- Roadmap for Community Cyber Defense: A comprehensive plan with actionable recommendations to strengthen resilience and coordinate support to under-resourced sectors.
- Stakeholder Engagement & Launch: Expert workshops with public interest cybersecurity experts and affected communities. Roadmap public launch in summer 2025.
Target Audiences
| Existing Community of Cyber Civil Defenders | High-Level Decision-Makers in the United States |
|---|---|
| Expanding beyond volunteer networks to integrate providers of tools and toolkits; helplines; industry donations; information sharing platforms and other cyber civil defenders | Including policymakers, bureaucrats, industry executives, the investment community and coordinating bodies |
Get Involved!
Cyber Volunteers:
Are you part of a cyber volunteer group eager to collaborate?
Community Organizations:
Tell us what you need!
Private Companies:
Can you contribute skilled volunteers, threat intelligence or funding?
A Growing Need for Community-Based Cyber Defense
Thousands of organizations in the U.S. remain vulnerable, overlooked by traditional cybersecurity support mechanisms focused on critical sectors like energy and transportation. Local cyber defense initiatives—including cybersecurity clinics, volunteer programs, and state response corps—are making strides, yet they often operate independently, with limited reach. This initiative will unify these efforts, building a cohesive, lasting support structure to protect community organizations against evolving cyber threats.
Project Leadership
- Co-Chair: Ann Cleaveland and Sarah Powazek, UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity
- Co-Chair: Adrien Ogee and Jessica Walton, CyberPeace Institute
Project Allies
- Advisory support from CISA JCDC
- The Consortium of Cybersecurity Clinics
- The CyberPeace Builders
- NGO-ISAC
- Michael Razeeq (fmr. New America)
- Project Franklin
- Ray Davidson (fmr. Michigan Cyber Corps)
- UnDisruptable27
This groundbreaking initiative, launched by the UC Berkeley Center for Long-Term Cybersecurity and the CyberPeace Institute, is proudly supported by Craig Newmark Philanthropies.
