Quad9 Appoints Simon Forster as New General Manager

Zurich, Switzerland, March 11, 2025 – Quad9, a leading global DNS security provider, is pleased to announce the appointment of Simon Forster as its new General Manager. John Todd, who has been instrumental in the growth and technical direction of Quad9 since its inception, will now take on the role of Chief Technology Officer (CTO).

Simon Forster brings more than 25 years of executive leadership experience, most recently serving as CEO of Spamhaus Technology. Under his leadership, Spamhaus grew from a startup into a global cybersecurity powerhouse with annual sales of $15 million, an EBITDA of 49%, and a strong base of over 5,300 customers across 132 countries. His proven expertise in revenue generation, operational strategy, and cybersecurity makes him an ideal leader to drive Quad9’s continued mission of providing free, secure, and privacy-focused DNS services to Internet users worldwide.

Bill Woodcock, Chair of the Quad9 Foundation Council, said, “Quad9’s public-benefit purpose is to improve Internet users’ security and privacy. By bringing Simon Forster on board as our new General Manager, we gain both a capable executive and a dedicated advocate for cybersecurity and users’ rights. Simon’s twenty years with Spamhaus brought the benefit of sophisticated threat intelligence to millions of Internet users, and we anticipate that he’ll bring the same focus and dedication to Quad9’s similar mission. The Internet and its users are weathering some turbulent times right now, from AI-driven phishing attacks to stalkerware and botnets, and Simon’s uniquely applicable background and skills are just what we need to help keep our users safe. John and I look forward to collaborating closely with him as we expand the leadership team, and I look forward to this next chapter of Quad9’s growth.”

John Todd, Quad9’s co-founder and outgoing General Manager, will transition into the role of CTO, where he will focus on enhancing the platform’s security, scalability, and technological innovations. His deep technical expertise and longstanding commitment to Quad9’s mission will ensure continued development of the service as a robust and reliable DNS security solution. "Quad9 is a small organization with very large responsibilities to its user community, and I'm thrilled to be able to welcome Simon on board to help divide the workload as we continue to grow," says Todd.

“For those of us working in the cybersecurity sphere, Quad9 stands out as an ethical operator championing security, privacy, and freedom on the Internet,” said Forster. “I’m honored to join the talented team at Quad9 and work alongside them to strengthen and expand our operations. Our biggest challenges remain funding our free services and navigating legal battles that threaten Internet freedom. We will continue to engage with our community to ensure we all have an Internet that we want and deserve.”

Quad9 remains steadfast in its commitment to protecting users from cyber threats while respecting privacy and freedom online. With Forster’s leadership and Todd’s continued technical vision, the organization is poised for sustainable growth and resilience in the face of increasing legal and financial challenges.

For more information, please visit www.quad9.net or contact media inquiries at press@quad9.net.

About Quad9
Quad9 is a nonprofit foundation based in Switzerland that provides free cybersecurity services to the emerging world via secure and private DNS lookup. Quad9 operates more than 245 locations across more than 115 nations, blocking hundreds of millions of malware, phishing, and spyware events daily for an estimated 100+ million end users. Quad9 reduces harm in vulnerable regions, increases privacy globally against criminal or institutionalised interception of Internet data, and improves performance in under-served areas.

Media Contact:

Ronjini Joshua
ST for Quad9
Quad9@thesilvertelegram.com
(949) 295-9779