Canada, U.K. launch $5.7M cyber fund to protect digital commons

On June 15, 2025, Prime Ministers Mark Carney and Sir Keir Starmer unveiled a significant bilateral initiative: the Joint Canada–U.K. Common Good Cyber Fund. With an initial commitment of $5.7 million over five years, this initiative was swiftly endorsed by G7 leaders, reinforcing its international relevance.

Strengthening the Digital Frontline

The fund, jointly administered by the Internet Society (ISOC) and the Global Cyber Alliance (GCA), is designed to fortify civil society against growing digital threats. It focuses on underserved, high-risk communities—including journalists, activists, and human rights defenders—often targeted by transnational repression campaigns.

By providing cybersecurity training, incident response support, and free tools, the fund helps non-profits build baseline cyber resilience. It also aims to protect foundational elements of the internet—such as DNS infrastructure, open threat intelligence, and secure communications—ensuring broader systemic security.

An Ecosystem Approach

Key partners in the initiative include the Cyber Threat Alliance, CyberPeace Institute, and Shadowserver Foundation, each bringing deep expertise in cyber threat analysis, remediation, and public-good tooling.

This partnership-based approach recognizes that securing the internet’s most vulnerable actors contributes directly to global cyber stability. In an age where threat actors target both individuals and infrastructure, resilience must begin at the edges.

Strategic Implications

This joint investment signals a shift from reactive cyber strategies to proactive, coalition-driven defence. It reflects an emerging recognition that the cybersecurity of civil society is as vital as that of corporations or governments.

The fund not only supports global norms around digital rights and open internet principles—it also positions Canada and the U.K. as champions of cyber solidarity in an increasingly fragmented digital landscape.