“We’re Too Small” Cyber Myth: Golf Manor Proves Otherwise

We hear it all too often, “We’re too small to be attacked.”

This belief is common. It is also very wrong. Dangerously wrong. And if there is one village that proves this myth wrong it is Golf Manor, Ohio.

Golf Manor is a small, tight-knit community just outside Cincinnati. It’s a place where you know your neighbors, wave at cars passing by, and bump into people you know at the grocery store.

The census is about 3,800 people. It is not the kind of place most people imagine when they picture a target for cyber criminals. Last month, Golf Manor was hit with a cyberattack that disrupted government operations and made headlines across the region.

If a community as small as Golf Manor is a target, anyone is. And that is exactly the point.

Let’s break down why “too small to be attacked” is not just a misconception. A misconception that can lead to critical cybersecurity vulnerabilities. We will talk about how small communities like Golf Manor can become victims.

The Myth of Being Too Small

There is something comforting about believing that attackers only focus on larger companies with enormous budgets and complex systems. After all, why would a criminal waste time trying to break into a business with ten employees? Why would criminals care about a local government with a staff of twenty?

Here is the short answer: because it is an easy way to make money.

Cyber criminals commonly run their attacks like a numbers game. Imagine a spammer with a fishing net instead of a fishing pole. They are not aiming for a single giant fish. They are dragging the net along the ocean floor to scoop up anything they can get, big or small.

Hackers often automate their attacks, scanning the internet for vulnerabilities instead of picking specific victims. That means they do not start by looking for Fortune 500 companies. They start by looking for open ports, outdated software, weak passwords, or exposed data. If your systems match what their tools are looking for, you are now a target.

That is how thousands of small businesses are hit by cyber criminals every year.

AI-powered Phishing and Scanning

Artificial intelligence is transforming every industry, including cybersecurity. Unfortunately, criminals have learned to use AI just as quickly as businesses have. This means attacks are faster, more automated, and easier to launch than ever before.

Hackers can now generate convincing emails omitting spelling errors, weird spacing, or urgent messages typed in all caps. AI can produce customized phishing emails that look like they came from your bank, your boss, or your payroll provider.

AI tools crawl the internet, identifying weaknesses in small organizations that would be too tedious for a human attacker to look for individually. These tools can find outdated systems, improperly configured firewalls, or weak login portals in minutes.

AI-assisted Ransomware

Modern ransomware campaigns use AI to spread more quickly inside networks and identify valuable data faster. The smaller your team and the fewer your defenses, the easier it is for attackers to move around undetected.

All this paints a very clear picture. AI is making cyberattacks more scalable, more automated, and more likely to impact small organizations. You are not off the radar. You are directly in the path of an increasingly powerful wave of cybercrime.

What Golf Manor Can Teach Us

Golf Manor is not alone. Across the United States, towns, school districts, medical offices, nonprofits, churches, and local shops are facing the same issue. Criminals have realized that smaller organizations often lack the cybersecurity budget and staff that larger ones have.

Golf Manor did not get attacked because they were a high-profile target. They were attacked because they were simply on the internet. That is, it. That is all it takes.

When the attack occurred, it caused operational delays, forced systems offline, and required external support to recover. The cost of downtime alone far exceeded what proactive cybersecurity measures would have cost. This is typical of attacks on small organizations.

Preventing cyber incidents is not just safer. It is cheaper.

Why Criminals Love Small Targets

If you run a business with fewer than fifty employees or manage a small local government department, here is the truth:

You are not too small to be attacked. You are exactly the right size.

Criminals like targets that:

• Have valuable data
• Have limited cybersecurity staff
• Use older systems
• Lack strong authentication
• Have employees who wear many hats
• Cannot afford long periods of downtime
• Are more likely to pay a ransom to get back online quickly

This describes thousands of small businesses and communities. And that is what makes them appealing. Many municipalities and small organizations fit that profile because they have limited budgets and outdated technology.

How You Can Protect Your Organization

The good news is that cybersecurity does not have to be overwhelming. You do not need enterprise-level budgets or a room full of analysts watching your network 24 hours a day. You do need the right protection in place.

Here are the essentials:

1. Strong passwords and multi-factor authentication. This is the easiest way to stop most attacks. No more password123 or using the same password for every login. Municipal cybersecurity guides point out that lack of multifactor authentication is a common vulnerability.
2. Regular software updates and patching. Many attacks exploit outdated systems. Keeping software up to date closes those gaps.
3. Backups (stored securely and offline). If ransomware hits, a clean backup can save your business or organization. Ensure backups are secure and tested regularly. Far too often, we meet companies who assume they have a good data backup.
4. Use of security tools ideally with AI and automation. If criminals use AI, your defense should use AI too. Tools like managed detection and response (MDR), intrusion detection, and behavioral monitoring can recognize unusual behavior and stop threats.
5. Employee training and awareness. Humans remain the most common entry point for attackers. Training helps your team spot phishing attempts and other social engineering tricks.
6. Incident response planning. Have a plan ready of what steps to take if the worst happens. Consider who to call, how to isolate systems, how to restore backups, and how to communicate with stakeholders.

Final Thoughts

The idea that you are “too small to be attacked” might feel comforting, but it is a dangerous misconception.

Golf Manor is proof that even the smallest communities can be impacted. Don’t wait for a cyber incident to make you take cybersecurity seriously. Protect your organization now, save money in the long run, and stay one step ahead of increasingly intelligent threats.

After all, when it comes to cybersecurity, size does not matter. Preparation does. Do you have questions about how to get started? Contact us, today.