Cloudflare's Impact Report for 2025 Reveals How Elections, Journalism, and Nonprofits Faced Rising Online Threats

Why It Matters

By safeguarding democratic processes, independent media, and civil‑society organizations, Cloudflare reinforces the resilience of the public‑interest internet ecosystem, a critical foundation for open societies and economic stability.

Key Takeaways

• 3,000+ public-interest sites protected via Project Galileo.
• 9.9 billion attacks per month on protected properties.
• 200 million DDoS attacks blocked during election period.
• 441 election sites secured across 33 U.S. states.
• $19 million donated services delivered in 2025.

Pulse Analysis

Cloudflare’s fifth annual Impact Report underscores a growing reliance on cloud‑based security for the public‑interest sector. By extending free protection to over 3,000 sites across 120 countries, the firm mitigated nearly ten billion malicious requests each month, illustrating how automated threats and AI‑driven crawlers are reshaping the risk landscape for journalists and NGOs. The integration of Bot Management and AI Crawl Control into Project Galileo equips vulnerable publishers with granular traffic insights, helping them preserve content integrity while maintaining open access.

Election security emerged as a focal point, with the Athenian Project expanding to cover 441 state and local government properties. During a recent election cycle, Cloudflare’s network absorbed and neutralized 200 million distributed denial‑of‑service attacks, spanning 33 U.S. states and seven foreign nations. This level of mitigation not only safeguards ballot‑related infrastructure but also sends a broader signal to adversaries that large‑scale disruption of democratic processes faces robust, cloud‑native defenses. The report’s global perspective, including support for Moldova’s parliamentary elections, highlights the transnational nature of election‑related cyber threats.

Beyond immediate threat mitigation, Cloudflare’s report ties security to sustainability and talent development. Offsetting roughly 31,000 metric tons of CO₂e reflects a strategic push toward greener network operations, aligning with corporate ESG goals. Simultaneously, the pledge to onboard 1,111 interns with AI expertise signals an investment in the next generation of infrastructure engineers. Coupled with $19 million in donated services, these initiatives position Cloudflare as a pivotal player in building a resilient, sustainable, and inclusive internet ecosystem for the years ahead.