“We’re Not Big Enough to Get Hacked”: AI, Data Privacy & Why That Excuse Just Expired
There’s a belief that runs through almost every early-stage founding team.
We’re not big enough to be a target yet. We’ll get compliant once we have the budget. We’ll deal with security after the raise.
It’s understandable. You’re moving fast, resources are tight, and a breach feels like something that happens to other companies.
Here’s what’s changed: AI has automated and accelerated the threat landscape in ways that have eliminated the timeline founders were counting on. Each employee who uses AI and each third party AI-enabled tool they use opens the door to increased cyber risk to the company.
Let’s look at the numbers:
89% Year-over-year increase in cyber attacks
An estimated 28 million AI-driven cyberattacks attempts globally per day in 2025
Credential phishing saw a 703% increase
Average breach cost in the US is expected to exceed $10.2 million - $12.5 million (Healthcare)
You don’t have to be important to be targeted. You just have to be findable, unprotected, and holding data that someone wants.
On May 20th at 9:00 AM PDT, ScaleSpark is hosting a live panel with four people who can tell you all about the other side of “not yet”. They’re here to show you exactly what the gap costs, what AI has changed, and most importantly, what to do before you find out the hard way.
The Panel:
Eric O'Neill, Founder of NeXasure, Author of Spies, Lies and Cybercrime, National Cyber Strategist
Morvareed Salehpour, Salehpour Legal, Privacy and Commercial contracts lawyer.
Abhishek Bansal, Founder of Autharva, Self-Driving Identity Security platform
Deniz Acay, CTO, Karibu.ai, Growth startup
What You’ll Leave With:
A clear picture of how AI has specifically accelerated the threat to early-stage companies
The real cost of deferring compliance and data privacy — in legal exposure, enterprise deals, and breach recovery
Concrete steps that don’t require a big budget or a security hire
Honest answers to the questions most founders are too embarrassed to ask out loud
The implications of new models such as Mythos
Who This Is For:
Pre-seed through Series A founders who know they have gaps and keep deciding they can wait.
Format: 60-minute live panel + audience Q&A
Date: May 20, 2026
Time: 9:00 AM PDT
Cost: Free