In the new paradigm of AI-enabled everything, micro-businesses (fewer than 50 employees) and nonprofit associations are now at the epicenter of risk when it comes to cyber security. Its been estimated that over 40% of all cyberattacks are specifically aimed at small organizations.
The rise of Generative AI has opened up doors for everyone. Unfortunately, that includes hackers and malcontents.
In late 2025, approximately 40% of phishing emails were identified as AI-generated, allowing attackers to craft context-aware, messages that bypass traditional human intuition. For a small team, the lack of rigid dual-authorization (think entering a password then getting a passcode texted to you, etc.) makes this highly effective.
Nonprofit associations have emerged as particularly vulnerable, experiencing a 57% year-over-year surge in attacks by November 2025. Adversaries view these groups as "soft targets" because they manage a "treasure trove" of information and are typically managed by small teams and fewer resources for tech.
Furthermore, organizations providing critical, time-sensitive services, such as food distribution or legal aid, have a low tolerance for downtime, which dramatically increases the likelihood of a ransom payout.
The greatest risk to these organizations is not the technology itself, but a persistent "security poverty line" driven by psychological biases. Currently, 60% of small business owners believe they are "too small" to be a target, an assumption that leads directly to underinvestment. The statistics tell a different story: 56% of ransomware hits target businesses with fewer than 50 employees, and 73% of sole proprietors invest absolutely nothing in cybersecurity.
Structurally, 52% of SMBs rely on a "DIY IT" model using untrained internal staff. This fragmented defense is easily overwhelmed by modern automated scanning tools that attempt to find unpatched systems 36,000 times per second. The stakes are existential.
First, don’t panic. If you are overseeing tech or systems for a small organization, there are steps you can take to begin to lower your risk! It doesn’t have to be overwhelming or extremely cost-prohibitive; in fact, you have an advantage because you can move faster than large organizations with longer timelines to make decisions.
Survival in 2026 requires moving beyond basic hygiene.
Here are some simple steps you can take to manage your risk immediately:
Phishing-resistant Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) via FIDO2 hardware keys is the gold standard in the corporate world. Because the threat landscape now exceeds the capacity of internal staff, transitioning to a Managed Service Provider (MSP) for proactive, behavior-based detection (EDR) is a robust way for small organizations to achieve professional-grade resilience.
Finally, as teams adopt AI tools for efficiency, they must guard against "Shadow AI." With 1 in 35 GenAI prompts carrying a high risk of sensitive data leakage, a single employee inputting donor details into a public AI model can inadvertently provide threat actors with the keys to the kingdom.
Harrier takeaway
Start with what you control, begin the dialog with staff and board, and create a phased plan to improve security and stay aware.