Why Open Knowledge is Essential for Stronger Cybersecurity

Warsaw, Poland - September 23, 2025

How open knowledge empowers communities to defend against evolving cyber threats

Cybersecurity has traditionally been dominated by proprietary tools, closed standards, and expensive certifications. While these resources serve enterprises, they leave individuals, small businesses, and underfunded organizations without access to vital knowledge. Open knowledge initiatives such as Not The Hidden Wiki (NTHW) challenge this imbalance by advocating for transparency, free learning, and global collaboration.

The principle is simple: defenders are stronger when knowledge is shared. Attackers collaborate freely in underground forums, trading exploits and techniques. To counter this, defenders need equally open access to information about threats, vulnerabilities, and best practices. Without it, only the wealthiest organizations can keep pace.

Platforms like NTHW provide curated resources, open-source projects, and structured guidance to help both beginners and experienced practitioners. These resources reduce the entry barrier for students, nonprofits, and smaller enterprises that otherwise lack the budget for formal training or commercial-grade tools.

CypSec complements this mission by integrating open knowledge into its own networks. For example, insights from CypSec's platforms are shared with the community. This bridges grassroots knowledge with structured operational security.

"Cybersecurity knowledge must not be locked away. Open access empowers defenders everywhere, from students to enterprises," said Frederick Roth, Chief Information Security Officer at CypSec.

Open knowledge platforms encourage shared research and real-time feedback. When practitioners publish vulnerabilities, incident reports, or proof-of-concept code, others can learn, adapt defenses, and prevent similar incidents elsewhere. This creates a multiplier effect where a single disclosure strengthens thousands of systems worldwide.

Critics sometimes argue that open sharing of security information can aid attackers. However, evidence consistently shows that withholding knowledge benefits attackers more, as it delays the deployment of countermeasures. Transparency ensures defenders are not blindsided by the same techniques being reused across industries.

Partnering with NTHW lets CypSec reinforce its belief that cybersecurity knowledge should not be exclusive. Enterprise customers benefit from the integration of open insights, while the broader community gains from CypSec's expertise, governance tools, and secure platforms. The result is a security ecosystem that is more inclusive, resilient, and equitable.

Considering cyber threats evolve daily, knowledge is as critical as firewalls or encryption. Open access to security information is a practical necessity for global defense. Combining the nonprofit mission of NTHW with CypSec's operational security expertise allows organizations of all sizes to gain the tools and understanding to face tomorrow's threats with confidence.

About Not The Hidden Wiki: Not The Hidden Wiki (NTHW) is a nonprofit initiative dedicated to making cybersecurity knowledge open, accessible, and ethical. Its resources include curated security guides, open-source projects, and community-driven research. For more information, visit notthehiddenwiki.com.

About CypSec: CypSec delivers risk management, access governance, and cybersecurity solutions for enterprises and governments. Through partnerships with nonprofit initiatives such as NTHW, it bridges community knowledge with enterprise-grade defense. For more information, visit cypsec.de.

Media Contact: Daria Fediay, Chief Executive Officer at CypSec - daria.fediay@cypsec.de.