National Civic League Launches CyberSim and Take9 to Strengthen Civic Digital Resilience

The National Civic League has launched CyberSim and Take9—a new initiative with Craig Newmark Philanthropies and Aspen Digital to strengthen civic digital resilience. Using immersive cybersecurity simulations adapted from the National Democratic Institute’s role-playing models, the program helps local governments and civic leaders understand cascading impacts, clarify roles, and build cross-sector coordination. With 44% of officials facing daily cyberattacks, breach costs averaging $6.53 million, and federal funding shrinking, communities increasingly shoulder the security burden themselves. The 2026 rollout includes in-person simulations, train-the-trainer expansion, and conference programming. By linking technical cybersecurity to public trust and democratic participation, this work advances NCDD’s mission and underscores how digital resilience is now essential civic infrastructure.

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The National Civic League has launched CyberSim and Take9 for Civic Digital Resilience, a new national initiative in partnership with Craig Newmark Philanthropies and Aspen Digital at the Aspen Institute, using immersive cybersecurity simulations to help local governments and civic leaders build skills, partnerships, and awareness needed to protect critical community infrastructure. The initiative responds to growing digital security threats facing local governments, with 44 percent of local officials reporting cyberattacks on an hourly or daily basis, while only 67 percent believe their cybersecurity funding is sufficient, and the National League of Cities estimating average breach costs at $6.53 million. Beyond financial loss, the consequences of cyber insecurity include eroded public trust, disrupted services, and diminished civic participation—fundamentally undermining democratic engagement and service delivery that are central to the National Civic League's mission.

CyberSim is an interactive, role-playing, tabletop exercise originally designed by The National Democratic Institute to help democratic actors, civil society members, and political parties abroad defend against real-world digital security threats. The National Civic League and Take9 are adapting and deploying new editions specifically designed for local governments and civic organizations, bringing digital threats to life in realistic community scenarios where participants experience and respond to cascading impacts of cyber incidents, clarify roles and responsibilities, strengthen cross-sector partnerships, and identify practical steps to improve preparedness. Rather than relying solely on compliance checklists or technical training, CyberSim builds awareness through lived experience, creating emotional connection and shared understanding necessary to prioritize cybersecurity—addressing the reality that communities struggle to prioritize digital security when it's framed as abstract, technical, and disconnected from day-to-day governance and public wellbeing.

The initiative recognizes that cybersecurity is foundational to public trust and meaningful democratic participation. When residents join participatory budgeting processes or community survey panels only to have personal data stolen, they become unlikely to participate again or encourage others, undermining civic engagement infrastructure. When access to public health services or basic utilities is disrupted at critical moments, trust in the government's capacity to deliver erodes. Local governments and civic organizations managing sensitive data and critical infrastructure with limited staff and budgets are particularly vulnerable, especially as federal investment for state and local cybersecurity faces significant cuts, shifting the protection burden more heavily onto local governments. In 2026, CyberSim will roll out nationwide through convening local governments and civic organizations for in-person simulations, using train-the-trainer models to scale nationally, featuring simulations at events and conferences, and leveraging extensive networks to raise awareness and strengthen preparedness.

To participate in the baseline survey, helping shape CyberSim simulations, and learn more about the initiative, visit https://www.nationalcivicleague.org/launching-cybersim-take9-for-civic-digital-resilience/