Startups are attractive targets for cyberattacks: they often have valuable data, limited security resources, and immature infrastructure. A single breach can destroy customer trust, trigger regulatory fines, and even kill the company. The good news is that basic security hygiene prevents the vast majority of attacks.
The Security Baseline
Every startup should implement: Multi-factor authentication (MFA) on all accounts, especially email and cloud services. A password manager for the entire team. Encrypted communications (HTTPS everywhere, encrypted messaging). Regular software updates and patching. Access controls based on the principle of least privilege.
Securing Your Application
Follow the OWASP Top 10 as your security checklist: input validation and parameterized queries (prevent injection attacks), proper authentication and session management, encryption of sensitive data at rest and in transit, secure API design with rate limiting and authentication, and dependency scanning for known vulnerabilities.
Incident Response Plan
Have a plan before you need it: Who is responsible for security incidents? How will you detect a breach? What is the communication plan (internal and external)? What are your legal obligations for breach notification? Practice your incident response process at least once per year.
SOC 2 and Compliance Certifications
If you sell to enterprises, SOC 2 compliance will eventually be required. Start early: implement the controls described above, document your policies, and begin the audit process when you start closing enterprise deals. SOC 2 Type I takes 3-6 months; Type II takes an additional 6-12 months.
Security Culture
The biggest security vulnerability is human behavior. Train your team on: recognizing phishing emails, secure handling of credentials and sensitive data, reporting security concerns without fear of blame, and the importance of security in customer trust.
