Cybersecurity Checklist for Startups

Security is not a feature you add later—it is a foundational business requirement. Startups are primary targets for hackers due to typically relaxed infrastructure controls.

Critical Startup Security Steps

1. **Mandate Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA)**: Enforce MFA across corporate email, cloud consoles, Slack, and code repositories.

1. **Implement Least Privilege Access**: Restrict employee database and infrastructure access to only what is needed for their daily tasks.

1. **Automate Dependency Auditing**: Integrate tools like `npm audit` or Dependabot into your CI/CD pipelines to catch vulnerabilities in packages.

1. **Encrypt Everything**:

• Encrypt data at rest (database levels).

• Encrypt data in transit (enforce HTTPS with HSTS headers).

1. **Establish Backups**: Automate daily backups of databases and file systems, testing restoration flows monthly.