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Actionable Cybersecurity Tools (ACT): Empowering Underserved Communities with Effective Cybersecurity Solutions
In a time when our lives are more digitally interconnected than ever, cybersecurity is not just a luxury but a necessity. However, understanding and accessing appropriate cybersecurity tools can be daunting, especially for those who aren’t technology enthusiasts. Actionable Cybersecurity Tools (ACT), an initiative by the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA) in partnership with Cyber Civil Defense (CCD) stakeholders,* will empower individuals and underserved communities to find the right cybersecurity solutions for their protection needs.
GCA is launching ACT as a part of the Cyber Civil Defense initiative, sponsored by Craig Newmark Philanthropies. The idea is simple – leveraging the power of inclusivity and solutions from open-source, commercial, and government providers to empower typically underserved communities.
Please help us make cybersecurity accessible by completing the ACT Cybersecurity Tool Survey. Your contributions will enrich our resource pool and empower countless individuals and organizations with the tools to protect themselves in the digital world.
Leveraging Nonprofit Cyber’s Open Source Cybersecurity Solutions Index
ACT builds upon the substantial work undertaken by Nonprofit Cyber, a coalition of nonprofit cybersecurity organizations co-chaired by GCA and the Center for Internet Security (CIS). The Nonprofit Cyber coalition has created a Nonprofit Cybersecurity Solutions Index, a listing of solutions provided by Nonprofit Cyber’s members, which forms a key input for ACT. With ACT, this rich body of work will become more accessible through a user-friendly Wiki format with intuitive search capabilities. It will also include commercial, government, and other open-source and community solutions.
With ACT, members of all communities can easily navigate the complex world of cybersecurity by enabling users to ask questions about protection needs and challenges using their own words. In addition, advanced search capabilities will decipher their needs, guiding them to suitable and accessible solutions.
Initial Launch: Focusing on Mission-Based and Small/Medium Business Organizations
Initially, ACT will launch in early June 2023. Our goal with the initial launch is to provide mission-based and small/medium business organizations with a quick and easy way to locate open-source cybersecurity tools that align with their unique needs.
Future Scope:
Including Commercial Tools and Services
This expansion will be delivered incrementally throughout June and July as commercially available tool and service providers contribute via the ask at the end of this blog post. Commercial tools and services will offer a more comprehensive range of solutions, allowing users to make informed choices based on their requirements and resources.
Covering Additional Communities
ACT will gradually expand its coverage to a broader audience at a pace driven by community input and review. Our plan includes curating cybersecurity solutions for communities participating in its development. High-priority communities include parents, children, aging adults, veterans, LGBTQIA+ individuals, journalists, watchdog groups, election officials, and voters.
Everyone has a right to digital safety, and we’re committed to making it a reality, one community at a time. Please contact us if you can help expand our coverage of underserved communities: [email protected].
Identifying Gaps; and Closing Them
The data collected to support building and operating ACT will enable GCA’s mission to accelerate all communities’ adoption of cybersecurity solutions. This data will also allow GCA and its partners to identify and close gaps ranging from missing capabilities or solutions to tools that lack adoption. Organizations can use the coverage and gap analysis built into ACT to drive necessary change in the world:
- Open-source solution providers will be able to understand gaps (see above) and seek funding to close them.
- Commercial solution providers can understand similar gaps and close them through incentive programs or adjust their roadmaps.
- Nonprofit organizations will be able to enhance their community engagement approach to address cybersecurity protection needs that are confirmed to be the most pressing.
Join Us in Our Mission
We invite providers of commercial cybersecurity tools and services to join us in this mission. Your participation can significantly broaden our cybersecurity tool knowledge base, providing users with a broader range of options.
Please help us make cybersecurity accessible by completing the ACT Cybersecurity Tool Survey. Your contributions will enrich our resource pool and empower countless individuals and organizations with the tools to protect themselves in the digital world.
Together, let’s ACT for a safer digital world for all.
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About Cyber Civil Defense
Cyber Civil Defense (CCD) is a broad coalition of organizations: nonprofits, governments, industry, and philanthropists dedicated to protecting democratic society amid escalating cybersecurity threats through a whole-of-society effort. Launched in April 2022, this growing initiative engages all communities to work together on better cybersecurity resources, support, and opportunities for everyone.
