On June 27, the United Nations celebrates Micro-, Small, and Medium-sized Enterprises Day (MSME) to recognize the critical role these businesses play in the global economy and economic development. According to the World Bank and the UN, small and medium-sized businesses make up about 90 percent of all businesses, between 50-70 percent of global employment, and 50 percent of global GDP. They not only drive local and national economies, but also sustain the livelihoods of women, youth, and other groups in vulnerable situations. 

As part of MSME Day, we wanted to highlight some of the amazing startups and small businesses that are using Cloudflare to not only secure and improve their websites, but also build, scale, and deploy new serverless applications (and businesses) directly on Cloudflare's global network. 

Cloudflare started as an idea to provide better security and performance tools for everyone. Back in 2010, if you were a large enterprise and wanted better performance and security for your website, you could buy an expensive piece of on-premise hardware or contract with a large, global Content Delivery Network (CDN) provider. Those same types of services were not only unaffordable for most website owners or smaller businesses, but also generally unavailable, as they typically demanded expensive on-premise hardware or direct server access that most smaller operations lacked. Cloudflare launched, fittingly at a startup competition, with the goal of making those same types of tools available to everyone.

As Cloudflare has grown, we have continued to highlight how our millions of free customers, many of them individual developers, startups, and small businesses, drive our network, company, and mission. They help keep our costs low, allow us to interconnect with more networks, and help us build better products.   

Over the last 12 months, we have put even more of an emphasis on supporting startup and small business communities by expanding free developer tools, which make it easier for anyone to build full stack, AI-enabled applications directly on Cloudflare's network, and investing in programs like Cloudflare for Startups, Workers Launchpad, and the Dev Alliance. For example:  

• More than 3,000 startups are receiving free credits to build and scale their applications directly on Cloudflare's global network using our developer services. 

• In 2024 alone, 122 startups in 22 countries were accepted into Cloudflare's Launchpad Program, which provides additional infrastructure, tools, and community support to help entrepreneurs scale their applications and businesses, including access to Cloudflare demo days. 

• Since 2022, Cloudflare has worked with over 40 venture capital partners to secure more than $2 billion in potential financing for companies participating in our startup programs. 

With the right tools in hand, entrepreneurs are turning ideas into real world impact, and we’re honored to support them. 

Cloudflare proudly supports over hundreds of thousands of small businesses that are using our services, including SaaS startups, health and wellness providers, real estate firms, local retailers, and global service providers. Here are just a few examples of these amazing new companies.  

Cloudflare is also working with our civil society partners in the Asia-Pacific region to help provide security training for new businesses. For example, in 2025, we partnered with Cyberpeace, a leading nonprofit organization in India, to host a webinar focused on building cyber resilience. The session included a live onboarding session, training on security services, and information on the most common cyber threats. Our first session attracted over 95 participants, and due to the high demand, Cloudflare is planning to host an additional in-person training session later this year. Stay tuned for more details!

It is incredible to see all the innovative ways companies are building new ideas with Cloudflare. However, as a startup originally designed to protect other startups, we know security remains one of the most pressing concerns for any small business. According to the U.S. Federal Communications Commission, theft of digital information has surpassed physical theft as the most commonly reported fraud for small businesses. In 2025 so far, Cloudflare has mitigated over three million Layer 3 (network layer) DDoS attacks targeting small businesses protected by our network.

This year, to help celebrate MSME day, Cloudflare is continuing our efforts to provide training and capacity building for our small business partners by releasing a brand new Cloudflare Small Business Security Guide. The guide includes step-by-step instructions that will allow anyone to better understand cyber security services and protect their business and customers from common cyberattacks. For more information, visit the Cloudflare for Small Businesses page to download the guide today. 

Cloudflare will always make robust security services available to any small business that needs them, free of charge. It is a fundamental part of our mission to help build a better Internet and our identity as a company. 

If you are building a small business and need access to better developer or security services, getting started with Cloudflare is simple, fast, and straightforward. Signing up for a Free plan takes only minutes and can instantly provide access to the tools you need to secure and accelerate your web presence and keep your small business thriving.

June 2025 marks the 11th anniversary of Project Galileo, Cloudflare’s initiative to provide free cybersecurity protection to vulnerable organizations working in the public interest around the world. From independent media and human rights groups to community activists, Project Galileo supports those often targeted for their essential work in human rights, civil society, and democracy building.

A lot has changed since we marked the 10th anniversary of Project Galileo. Yet, our commitment remains the same: help ensure that organizations doing critical work in human rights have access to the tools they need to stay online.  We believe that organizations, no matter where they are in the world, deserve reliable, accessible protection to continue their important work without disruption.

For our 11th anniversary, we're excited to share several updates including:

• An interactive Cloudflare Radar report providing insights into the cyber threats faced by at-risk public interest organizations protected under the project. 

• An expanded commitment to digital rights in the Asia-Pacific region with two new Project Galileo partners.

• New stories from organizations protected by Project Galileo working on the frontlines of civil society, human rights, and journalism from around the world.

To mark Project Galileo’s 11th anniversary, we’ve published a new Radar report that shares data on cyberattacks targeting organizations protected by the program. It provides insights into the types of threats these groups face, with the goal of better supporting researchers, civil society, and vulnerable groups by promoting the best cybersecurity practices. Key insights include:

• Our data indicates a growing trend in DDoS attacks against these organizations, becoming more common than attempts to exploit traditional web application vulnerabilities.

• Between May 1, 2024, to March 31, 2025, Cloudflare blocked 108.9 billion cyber threats against organizations protected under Project Galileo. This is an average of nearly 325.2 million cyber attacks per day over the 11-month period, and a 241% increase from our 2024 Radar report. 

• Journalists and news organizations experienced the highest volume of attacks, with over 97 billion requests blocked as potential threats across 315 different organizations. The peak attack traffic was recorded on September 28, 2024. Ranked second was the Human Rights/Civil Society Organizations category, which saw 8.9 billion requests blocked, with peak attack activity occurring on October 8, 2024.

• Cloudflare onboarded the Belarusian Investigative Center, an independent journalism organization, on September 27, 2024, while it was already under attack. A major application-layer DDoS attack followed on September 28, generating over 28 billion requests in a single day. 

• Many of the targets were investigative journalism outlets operating in regions under government pressure (such as Russia and Belarus), as well as NGOs focused on combating racism and extremism, and defending workers’ rights.

• Tech4Peace, a human rights organization focused on digital rights, was targeted by a 12-day attack beginning March 10, 2025, that delivered over 2.7 billion requests. The attack saw prolonged, lower-intensity attacks and short, high-intensity bursts. This deliberate variation in tactics reveals a coordinated approach, showing how attackers adapted their methods throughout the attack.

The full Radar report includes additional information on public interest organizations, human and civil rights groups, environmental organizations, and those involved in disaster and humanitarian relief. The dashboard also serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, researchers, and advocates working to protect public interest organizations worldwide.

Partnerships are core to Project Galileo success. We rely on 56 trusted civil society organizations around the world to help us identify and support groups who could benefit from our protection. With our partners' help, we’re expanding our reach to provide tools to communities that need protection the most. Today, we’re proud to welcome two new partners to Project Galileo who are championing digital rights, open technologies, and civil society in Asia and around the world. 

EngageMedia is a nonprofit organization that brings together advocacy, media, and technology to promote digital rights, open and secure technology, and social issue documentaries. Based in the Asia-Pacific region, EngageMedia collaborates with changemakers and grassroots communities to protect human rights, democracy, and the environment.

As part of our partnership, Cloudflare participated in a 2025 Tech Camp for Human Rights Defenders hosted by EngageMedia, which brought together around 40 activist-technologists from across Asia-Pacific. Among other things, the camp focused on building practical skills in digital safety and website resilience against online threats. Cloudflare presented on common attack vectors targeting nonprofits and human rights groups, such as DDoS attacks, phishing, and website defacement, and shared how Project Galileo helps organizations mitigate these risks. We also discussed how to better promote digital security tools to vulnerable groups. The camp was a valuable opportunity for us to listen and learn from organizations on the front lines, offering insights that continue to shape our approach to building effective, community-driven security solutions.

Founded in 2014 by leaders of Taiwan’s open tech communities, the Open Culture Foundation (OCF) supports efforts to protect digital rights, promote civic tech, and foster open collaboration between government, civil society, and the tech community. Through our partnership, we aim to support more than 34 local civil society organizations in Taiwan by providing training and workshops to help them manage their website infrastructure, address vulnerabilities such as DDoS attacks, and conduct ongoing research to tackle the security challenges these communities face.

We continue to be inspired by the amazing work and dedication of the organizations that participate in Project Galileo. Helping protect these organizations and allowing them to focus on their work is a fundamental part of helping build a better Internet. Here are some of their stories:

• Fair Future Foundation (Indonesia): non-profit that provides health, education, and access to essential resources like clean water and electricity in ultra-rural Southeast Asia. 

• Youth Initiative for Human Rights (Serbia): regional NGO network promoting human rights, youth activism, and reconciliation in the Balkans.

• Belarusian Investigative Center (Belarus): media organization that conducts in-depth investigations into corruption, sanctions evasion, and disinformation in Belarus and neighboring regions. 

• The Greenpeace Canada Education Fund (GCEF) (Canada): non-profit that conducts research, investigations, and public education on climate change, biodiversity, and environmental justice. 

• Insight Crime (LATAM): nonprofit think tank and media organization that investigates and analyzes organized crime and citizen security in Latin America and the Caribbean. 

• Diez.md (Moldova): youth-focused Moldovan news platform offering content in Romanian and Russian on topics like education, culture, social issues, election monitoring and news. 

• EngageMedia (APAC): nonprofit dedicated to defending digital rights and supporting advocates for human rights, democracy, and environmental sustainability across the Asia-Pacific. 

• Pussy Riot (Europe): a global feminist art and activist collective using art, performance, and direct action to challenge authoritarianism and human rights violations. 

• Immigrant Legal Resource Center (United States): nonprofit that works to advance immigrant rights by offering legal training, developing educational materials, advocating for fair policies, and supporting community-based organizations.

• 5W Foundation (Netherlands): wildlife conservation non-profit that supports front-line conservation teams globally by providing equipment to protect threatened species and ecosystems.

These case studies offer a window into the diverse, global nature of the threats these groups face and the vital role cybersecurity plays in enabling them to stay secure online. Check out their stories and more: cloudflare.com/project-galileo-case-studies/

In 2025, many of our Project Galileo partners have faced significant funding cuts, affecting their operations and their ability to support communities, defend human rights, and champion democratic values. Ensuring continued support for those services, despite financial and logistical challenges, is more important than ever. We’re thankful to our civil society partners who continue to assist us in identifying groups that need our support. Together, we're working toward a more secure, resilient, and open Internet for all. To learn more about Project Galileo and how it supports at-risk organizations worldwide, visit cloudflare.com/galileo.

In an era where digital threats evolve faster than ever, cybersecurity isn't just a back-office concern — it's a critical business priority. At Cloudflare, we understand the responsibility that comes with operating in a connected world. As part of our ongoing commitment to security and transparency, Cloudflare is proud to have joined the United States Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency’s (CISA) “Secure by Design” pledge in May 2024. 

By signing this pledge, Cloudflare joins a growing coalition of companies committed to strengthening the resilience of the digital ecosystem. This isn’t just symbolic — it's a concrete step in aligning with cybersecurity best practices and our commitment to protect our customers, partners, and data. 

A central goal in CISA’s Secure by Design pledge is promoting transparency in vulnerability reporting. This initiative underscores the importance of proactive security practices and emphasizes transparency in vulnerability management — values that are deeply embedded in Cloudflare’s Product Security program. ​We believe that openness around vulnerabilities is foundational to earning and maintaining the trust of our customers, partners, and the broader security community.

Transparency in vulnerability reporting is essential for building trust between companies and customers. In 2008, Linus Torvalds noted that disclosure is inherently tied to resolution: “So as far as I'm concerned, disclosing is the fixing of the bug”, emphasizing that resolution must start with visibility. While this mindset might apply well to open-source projects and communities familiar with code and patches, it doesn’t scale easily to non-expert users and enterprise users who require structured, validated, and clearly communicated disclosures regarding a vulnerability’s impact. Today’s threat landscape demands not only rapid remediation of vulnerabilities but also clear disclosure of their nature, impact and resolution. This builds trust with the customer and contributes to the broader collective understanding of common vulnerability classes and emerging systemic flaws.

Common Vulnerabilities and Exposures (CVE) is a catalog of publicly disclosed vulnerabilities and exposures. Each CVE includes a unique identifier, summary, associated metadata like the Common Weakness Enumeration (CWE) and Common Platform Enumeration (CPE), and a severity score that can range from None to Critical. 

The format of a CVE ID consists of a fixed prefix, the year of the disclosure and an arbitrary sequence number ​​like CVE-2017-0144. Memorable names such as "EternalBlue"  (CVE-2017-0144)  are often associated with high-profile exploits to enhance recall.

As an authorized CVE Numbering Authority (CNA), Cloudflare can assign CVE identifiers for vulnerabilities discovered within our products and ecosystems. Cloudflare has been actively involved with MITRE's CVE program since its founding in 2009. As a CNA, Cloudflare assumes the responsibility to manage disclosure timelines ensuring they are accurate, complete, and valuable to the broader industry. 

Cloudflare issues CVEs for vulnerabilities discovered internally and through our Bug Bounty program when they affect open source software and/or our distributed closed source products.

The findings are triaged based on real-world exploitability and impact. Vulnerabilities without a plausible exploitation path, in addition to findings related to test repositories or exposed credentials like API keys, typically do not qualify for CVE issuance.

We recognize that CVE issuance involves nuance, particularly for sophisticated security issues in a complex codebase (for example, the Linux kernel). Issuance relies on impact to users and the likelihood of the exploit, which depends on the complexity of executing an attack. The growing number of CVEs issued industry-wide reflects a broader effort to balance theoretical vulnerabilities against real-world risk. 

In scenarios where Cloudflare was impacted by a vulnerability, but the root cause was within another CNA’s scope of products, Cloudflare will not assign the CVE. Instead, Cloudflare may choose other mediums of disclosure, like blog posts.

Our disclosure process begins with internal evaluation of severity and scope, and any potential privacy or compliance impacts. When necessary, we engage our Legal and Security Incident Response Teams (SIRT). For vulnerabilities reported to Cloudflare by external entities via our Bug Bounty program, our standard disclosure timeline is within 90 days. This timeline allows us to ensure proper remediation, thorough testing, and responsible coordination with affected parties. While we are committed to transparent disclosure, we believe addressing and validating fixes before public release is essential to protect users and uphold system security. For open source projects, we also issue security advisories on the relevant GitHub repositories. Additionally, we encourage external researchers to publish/blog about their findings after issues are remediated. Full details and process of Cloudflare’s external researcher/entity disclosure policy can be found via our Bug Bounty program policy page

To date, Cloudflare has issued and disclosed multiple CVEs. Because of the security platforms and products that Cloudflare builds, vulnerabilities have primarily been in the areas of denial of service, local privilege escalation, logical flaws, and improper input validation. Cloudflare also believes in collaboration and open sources of some of our software stack, therefore CVEs in these repositories are also promptly disclosed.

Cloudflare disclosures can be found here. Below are some of the most notable vulnerabilities disclosed by Cloudflare:

Cloudflare quiche (through version 0.19.1/0.20.0) was affected by an unlimited resource allocation vulnerability causing rapid increase of memory usage of the system running a quiche server or client.

A remote attacker could take advantage of this vulnerability by repeatedly sending an unlimited number of 1-RTT CRYPTO frames after previously completing the QUIC handshake.

Exploitation was possible for the duration of the connection, which could be extended by the attacker.

quiche 0.19.2 and 0.20.1 are the earliest versions containing the fix for this issue.

The Cloudflare WordPress plugin was found to be vulnerable to improper authentication. The vulnerability enables attackers with a lower privileged account to access data from the Cloudflare API.

The issue has been fixed in version >= 4.12.3 of the plugin

The Cloudflare WARP client for Windows assigns loopback IPv4 addresses for the DNS servers, since WARP acts as a local DNS server that performs DNS queries securely. However, if a user is connected to WARP over an IPv6-capable network, the WARP client did not assign loopback IPv6 addresses but rather Unique Local Addresses, which under certain conditions could point towards unknown devices in the same local network, enabling an attacker to view DNS queries made by the device.

This issue was patched in version 2023.7.160.0 of the WARP client (Windows).

An improper privilege management vulnerability in Cloudflare WARP for Windows allowed file manipulation by low-privilege users. Specifically, a user with limited system permissions could create symbolic links within the C:\ProgramData\Cloudflare\warp-diag-partials directory. When the "Reset all settings" feature is triggered, the WARP service — running with SYSTEM-level privileges — followed these symlinks and may delete files outside the intended directory, potentially including files owned by the SYSTEM user.

This vulnerability affected versions of WARP prior to 2024.12.492.0.

Cloudflare’s mutual TLS implementation caused a vulnerability in the session resumption handling. The underlying issue originated from BoringSSL’s process to resume TLS sessions. BoringSSL stored client certificates, which were reused from the original session (without revalidating the full certificate chain) and the original handshake's verification status was not re-validated. 

While Cloudflare was impacted by the vulnerability, the root cause was within NGINX's implementation, making F5 the appropriate CNA to assign the CVE. This is an example of alternate mediums of disclosure that Cloudflare sometimes opt for. This issue was fixed as per guidance from the respective CVE — please see our blog post for more details.

Irrespective of the industry, if your organization builds software, we encourage you to familiarize yourself with CISA’s “Secure by Design” principles and create a plan to implement them in your company. The CISA Secure by Design pledge is built around seven security goals, prioritizing the security of customers, and challenges organizations to think differently about security. 

As we continue to enhance our security posture, Cloudflare remains committed to enhancing our internal practices, investing in tooling and automation, and sharing knowledge with the community. CVE transparency is not a one-time initiative — it’s a sustained effort rooted in openness, discipline, and technical excellence. By embedding these values in how we design, build and secure our products, we aim to meet and exceed expectations set out in the CISA pledge and make the Internet more secure, faster and reliable!

For more updates on our CISA progress, review our related blog posts. Cloudflare has delivered five of the seven CISA Secure by Design pledge goals, and we aim to complete the remainder of the pledge goals in May 2025.