Launching a startup or already working with one? You’re probably focused on scaling, raising funds, and acquiring users. But guess what? Hackers are just as excited about your growth — because startups with weak security are goldmines for cybercriminals. One single data breach can cripple operations, damage trust (scary part: VCs will not invest), and burn cash on crisis management.

Before you hire a cybersecurity firm, let’s talk about what you can (and should) do RIGHT NOW to protect your startup from becoming the next headline. Think of this as your self-audit cybersecurity checklist — because security isn’t just about hiring experts; it starts with your foundational security practices. The good news? You don’t need a million-dollar budget to stay protected.

Let’s discuss the cyber threat landscape and checklist that you can refer to while you talk and discuss the plan with your co-founders!

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Secure Authentication and Access Controls

1. Enforce Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA): Every critical system (email, cloud, databases) should require MFA. It’s your first line of defense against cyber threats like credential-stuffing attacks. You can use Yubikeys for hardware-based MFA and Authy or Google Authenticator for app-based MFA.

2. Use a Password Manager: Encourage employees to generate and store unique & strong passwords securely. Reused passwords are a hacker’s playground. Use Bitwarden or 1Password — both are solid choices for secure, encrypted password management.

3. Follow the Least Privilege Principle (LPP): Not everyone in your startup needs admin privileges. Instead of just implementing Role-Based Access Control (RBAC), apply LPP — granting users only the access they need to do their job while preventing unauthorized access to sensitive systems.

4. Regular Employee Access Reviews: While RBAC limits access, periodic audits ensure that people still need the permissions they have. Employees switch roles, business operations change, and privileges should be updated accordingly to prevent unauthorized access.

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Secure Your Cloud & Infrastructure

5. Adopt a Zero Trust Approach: For small businesses and startups operating in cloud environments, trust nothing by default. Enforce strict authentication, continuous verification, and micro-segmentation to prevent lateral movement in your infrastructure.

6. Fix Misconfigurations: Publicly exposed AWS S3 buckets, unsecured databases, and weak IAM settings are gifts to hackers. Review and secure cloud configurations. One can refer to AWS Security Best Practices, Google Cloud Security Best Practices, and Resonance’s Cloud Security 101.

7. Enable Logging & Monitoring: Activate real-time monitoring on AWS, GCP, Azure, and all other cloud infrastructures to detect unusual network traffic and access attempts. Use CloudTrail, Azure Monitor, and Stackdriver Logging for better visibility.

8. Encrypt Data in Transit & at Rest: If an attacker does get in, encrypted data remains unreadable. Use HTTPS over HTTP to secure web traffic and TLS 1.2+ for data transmission security.

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Code & Application Security

9. Secure Coding Practices: Avoid hardcoded credentials, validate inputs, and sanitize data to prevent vulnerabilities like SQL injection, XSS, and many more.

10. Shift Left with DevSecOps: Integrate security early in the development lifecycle. Implement SAST (Static Application Security Testing) and DAST (Dynamic Application Security Testing) to catch vulnerabilities before deployment.

11. Conduct Regular Security Assessments: Run static/dynamic code analysis, vulnerability scans, and penetration testing to identify weaknesses before hackers do.

12. Harden Your CI/CD Pipelines: Ensure unverified or malicious code doesn’t make it to production. Automate security checks in your software deployment process.

13. Monitor for Outdated Components: Regularly check and update third-party libraries, frameworks, and dependencies to prevent security breaches caused by known vulnerabilities in unpatched components.

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Employee Awareness & Security Hygiene

14. Train Employees to Spot Phishing & Social Engineering Attacks: Your team is your biggest vulnerability (most of the time). Educate them on identifying and avoiding scams to protect sensitive information from being leaked.

15. Implement an Incident Response Plan: Have clear steps for dealing with security incidents. Everyone should know their role in a breach scenario. Basically you and your team should be well aware of the “Disaster Management Plan”.

16. Enforce Onboarding & Offboarding Security Procedures: Make sure your new hires don’t have admin access to everything. Broaden their access as they grow more experienced and earn trust. Also, former employees should not have lingering access to sensitive information or systems.

17. Promote a Security-First Culture: Encourage employees to report suspicious activity and make security awareness a part of daily operations.

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Data Protection & Compliance

18. Backups, Backups, and Backups: Implement automated data backups stored off-site to protect against ransomware attacks and hardware failures. Also, TEST RESTORES REGULARLY! Data loss is a reality — don’t find out too late that your backups are useless.

19. Implement Data Loss Prevention (DLP): Enforce DLP policies that prevent sensitive information from being leaked, copied, or transferred outside authorized channels.

20. Ensure Compliance with Regulations: Startups handling sensitive data should adhere to industry-specific standards like GDPR, HIPAA, SOC2, or PCI-DSS. Getting these certifications is hard for early-stage startups, but following their security practices puts you on the right track for when you grow.

21. Vendor Security Assessment: Evaluate third-party services that have access to your data. Weak vendor security is a weak link in your security chain.

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Hardware & Endpoint Security

22. Enforce Device Encryption & Remote Wipe: Company laptops and mobile devices should have full-disk encryption and remote wipe capabilities enabled.

23. Use Mobile Device Management (MDM): Implement MDM solutions to enforce security policies, manage device access, and remotely control company-owned devices.

24. Deploy Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR): Invest in antivirus software and real-time endpoint protection to prevent device-level breaches. If your team doesn’t have security expertise, consider using a Managed EDR Service (like Resonance’s) to monitor cyber threats 24/7.

25. Restrict USB & External Drive Access: Prevent unauthorized data transfers and potential malware infections.

26. Secure Physical Access to Devices: Ensure that servers and workstations in office spaces are locked and access-controlled.

Beyond everything on the cybersecurity checklist, there’s one crucial final step — once you’ve checked all the boxes, put your security to the test! Take a FREE cybersecurity assessment with PulseCheck to evaluate your security posture, identify gaps, and see where you stand.

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References

[1] https://databrackets.com/cybersecurity-checklist-for-startups/

About the Author

Rhythm Jain is the Marketing Development Manager at Resonance Security, bringing several years of experience in marketing and business development. As a cybersecurity enthusiast turned marketing professional, he specializes in crafting strategies that amplify brand presence and drive user engagement across web2 and web3 ecosystems.