European Democracy Resilience Network (EDRN)

The European Democracy Resilience Network (EDRN) is a blueprint initiative co-created by the CyberPeace Institute (CPI), EU DisinfoLab (EUDL) and Qurium, with civil society organisations working to protect democratic spaces. EDRN strengthens the defensive capabilities of these organisations against digital threats and hybrid attacks, especially those combining cyber tactics and information manipulation. The project aims to help civil society organisations (CSOs) detect, understand, and mitigate targeting efforts, including forms of foreign interference that aim to disrupt their missions and undermine public trust.

The initial pilot project runs from August 2025 to January 2026 and focuses on co-developing a blueprint for integrated support. This blueprint will combine disinformation resilience strategies with cybersecurity insights provided by the CyberPeace Builders program.

The problem

Across Europe, civil society organisations defending democracy – including journalists, NGOs, election observers, and watchdogs – are increasingly targeted by hybrid attacks. These often combine cyber intrusions, information manipulation, and intimidation tactics, disrupting critical work and, ultimately, eroding public trust.

Despite strong local actors and expertise, support systems remain fragmented, mostly reactive, and slow to scale. What’s missing is a practical, non-competitive infrastructure that helps defenders meaningfully collaborate and build shared resilience.

Proposed solution: EDRN

• A blueprint project for structured collaboration and rapid support among democracy defenders
• A hybrid defense ecosystem built around civil society realities – light on jargon, heavy on operation/practice
• A community-driven support structure connecting cyber experts, disinfo researchers, and frontline CSOs

Key insights – how EDRN works

• Mapping exposure: assess CSOs’ vulnerabilities across cyber and information vectors
• Building capacity: provide tailored onboarding, training, and access to trusted expertise
• Rapid support: enable secure coordination and response when attacks occur
• Shared intelligence: facilitate safe, structured sharing of threat patterns and TTPs
• Sustainability & policy input: document lessons learned and translate them into long-term practices and recommendations to decision makers

Why it works

• Defensive by design: because EDRN focuses on protection – not offense, analysis, or attribution – there is no competition between actors. This creates real trust and cooperation.
• Ground-up structure: the project is co-created with participating CSOs and shaped around their needs, timelines, and tools.
• Operational focus: everything EDRN does is built to make defenders faster, safer, more connected – from the first threat signal to coordinated response.

Practical outputs

Toolkits & playbooks / crisis-ready guides for hybrid threat response:

• CyberPeace Builders: custom CSO onboarding to the CPI’s support program
• Threat alert pilot: community-driven alert system for digital harms
• Trusted referrals: pathways to legal, forensic, and comms support
• EDRN Dashboard: prototype visualisation of risks, trends, and help pathways

Call to action: defending together, not competing

Hybrid threats are increasingly complex, fast-evolving, and personal. But resilience doesn’t require building from scratch – it starts with sharing.

It’s not about competition or attribution. It’s about protecting space for civil society – and doing so in a way that’s agile, sustainable and community-owned.

The EDRN initiative is uniquely positioned to strengthen defensive capabilities by offering shared resources, threat intelligence, and coordinated support, ultimately improving the resilience of every actor in the network to digital threats.

However, to turn the pilot concept into a viable Minimum Viable Product (MVP), funding will be required. Efforts will be focused on securing financial support to develop and scale the dashboard and related tools. This funding will ensure that the blueprint not only addresses the immediate needs of CSOs but also delivers a sustainable and scalable solution.

As the threat landscape expands, so do the needs of the network.

We are looking to:

• Support more organisations in more countries
• Sustain and scale a proven, field-tested model
• Expand our portfolio of tools, services, and shared intelligence

Connect. Share. Defend.

If you would like more information about EDRN, please contact us at edrn[at]disinfo.eu.