Nonprofit organizations operate in a rapidly evolving digital landscape, challenged by limited resources to deliver mission-critical operations, and the need to safeguard sensitive data. Their services are provided in the most hostile environments, marred by conflict and natural disaster, and keeping the data of those they serve safe – NetHope’s Members only support 1.67 billion people - can be a matter of life and death. However, at a time of rapidly decreasing funding and increased hostility towards nonprofits, threat levels are more worrying than ever. Okta’s latest 2025 Nonprofits at Work report shows that nonprofits were the second-most targeted sector last year. Microsoft’s Digital Defense Report 2024 lists nonprofits as the fourth most targeted sector by nation state actors, and Cloudflare’s Project Galileo reports a 241% increase of cyber-attacks between 2024 and 2025, with human rights and civil society organizations the second most impacted by DDoS attacks.
As cybersecurity threats grow in scale and complexity, the sector faces mounting risks to operational continuity, reputation, and financial sustainability. Cybersecurity is no longer optional - it is essential.
In response, NetHope is regularly undertaking a comprehensive assessment of cybersecurity maturity across its Member organizations. This 2025 State of Humanitarian and Development Cybersecurity Report identifies key cybersecurity threats, trends, and capacity gaps affecting the nonprofit sector. Drawing on survey data from 30 global nonprofit Member organizations, the report provides a sector-wide view of prevailing challenges and emerging best practices in cybersecurity.
This marks the fourth State of Cybersecurity report developed by NetHope’s Digital Protection team, the NetHope Center for the Digital Nonprofit, and the NetHope Global Humanitarian ISAC, following the 2024 and 2023 releases (the 2022 release was not publicly shared). The findings support evidence-based decision-making for Member organizations and the broader nonprofit ecosystem, informing strategic priorities, guiding investments, and shaping advocacy efforts. Moreover, they guide the programming of NetHope’s Digital Protection Program and the NetHope Global Humanitarian ISAC, to make nonprofits more resilient against cyber threats from nation state and other hostile actors, offering training opportunities, grants, a virtual Chief Information Security Officer (vCISO) service, and peer support, to address capacity gaps and drive systemic improvements.
To access the Toolkit: 2025 State of Humanitarian and Development Cybersecurity Report | NetHope, please complete the form below.
The Report will be emailed to you on submission.
PLEASE NOTE - It can take up to 10 minutes to appear in your mailbox.
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