Avast, a global leader in digital security and privacy products, has donated $500,000 to The Shadowserver Foundation, a nonprofit security organization working behind the scenes to make the internet more secure for everyone.

For more than a decade, Avast has partnered with Shadowserver by sharing threat intelligence with the foundation. The partnership is based on the belief that combining forces is paramount in fighting against bad actors, cybergangs, and nation-states from spreading their malware.

Shadowserver collects intelligence from various players in the cybersecurity industry, and runs their own scans and honeypots to reveal security vulnerabilities, combat malicious activities, and help victims.

Shadowserver works together with industry sectors, national CSIRTS, and law enforcement agencies, such as the FBI, Interpol and Europol, providing access to invaluable critical data and helping to take down and remediate cyber security threats globally. The Foundation scans the entire IPv4 internet on a daily basis, operates a sinkhole infrastructure, and runs large-scale networks of honeypots and honey clients to collect threat intel. Additionally, they store collected raw data, analyze malware, and keep over 1.3 billion samples up-to-date by reprocessing malicious samples every 90 days.

Jaya Baloo, Chief Information Security Officer at Avast said: “I am very proud that Avast is funding the Shadowserver Foundation with $500,000. Cybersecurity is essential in today’s tech-first world, and we are committed to contributing to all causes that support the improvement of security measures. While sharing data and insights is important and fundamental to Shadowserver’s efforts, we are also fully aware that non-profits depend on financial donations to operate.

We feel it is our obligation to help maintain organizations that share our mission, to keep the online world safe and secure, a goal we can only achieve if we work together.”

Richard Perlotto, Director and Founder at Shadowserver said: “Our mission is to make the Internet more secure by bringing to light vulnerabilities, malicious activity and emerging threats. It’s vital we collaborate with industry leading organizations, like Avast, who share our vision and values. Their threat insights contribute to the intelligence we can share with our members, CERTS and law enforcement agencies.

At this time of global uncertainty, the COVID-19 pandemic and the increased potential attack opportunities for cyber criminals to exploit, we are all now more than ever, dependent on a secure, reliable Internet. The Avast donation will enable us to continue this important fight and ensure that victims of cybercrime continue to be protected, and the cybercriminals do not win.”