Security for Startups: Exceptions Noted

2 years ago
Written by
Fouad Matin
@fouadmatin

As your startup begins to scale, it's important to keep security controls in mind in order to maintain compliance. Here are eight key considerations for implementing security controls as you scale:

  1. Define your security strategy and governance framework.
  2. Implement security controls at each stage of the development process.
  3. Foster a culture of security and awareness among employees.
  4. Automate security controls and monitoring.
  5. Conduct regular security audits and risk assessments.
  6. Stay up-to-date on security threats and vulnerabilities.
  7. Partner with a trusted security provider.

By following these best practices, you can ensure that your startup's security controls are effective and up-to-date as you scale.

1. Define your security strategy and governance framework

A startup's security strategy should be designed to protect the company's information assets and infrastructure from unauthorized access or theft. The strategy should also ensure compliance with any applicable laws and regulations.

The governance framework should define the roles and responsibilities of those responsible for security, as well as the procedures for implementing and monitoring the security strategy. The framework should also address any security risks and vulnerabilities, and how they will be managed.

2. Securing the Software Development Lifecycle (SDLC)

Teams face increasing pressure to ensure their software development processes are secure and compliant. This is especially true for companies that develop software for critical infrastructure, such as healthcare, finance, and energy.

There are a number of security and compliance risks that need to be considered during the software development lifecycle. These include:

  1. Insecure coding practices: Poorly written code can introduce security vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers.
  2. Lack of security testing: Security testing should be an integral part of the software development process to identify and fix potential security issues.
  3. Insufficient change management: Uncontrolled changes to code and configurations can introduce new security vulnerabilities.
  4. Poorly managed third-party components: Third-party components, such as libraries and frameworks, can introduce security vulnerabilities if they are not properly managed.
  5. Insecure deployments: Incorrectly configured servers and applications can leave them exposed to attack.

To address these risks, organizations need to implement security controls throughout the software development lifecycle. This includes secure coding practices, security testing, change management, and secure deployments.

3. Culture of Security

A culture of security is essential for any startup. It should be ingrained in the company from the very beginning, and all employees should be aware of the importance of security. There are a few key things that a startup can do to develop a culture of security:

  1. Make security a priority: Security should be one of the top priorities for the company, and should be reflected in its policies and procedures.

  2. Educate employees: All employees should be educated on the importance of security and what they can do to help keep the company safe.

  3. Encourage a security-minded culture: Employees should feel comfortable reporting any security concerns they have, and the company should encourage a culture of security by rewarding employees who identify potential risks.

Ultimately, security is everyone's job. It's not something that can be done by a single person. It's a team effort.

4. Automate security controls

As a startup, it is important to have security controls and monitoring in place to protect your business from potential threats. There are a number of ways to automate security controls and monitoring, which can help save time and resources.

One way to automate security controls and monitoring is to use a security information and event management (SIEM) system. This type of system can help you collect, monitor, and analyze data from a variety of sources, including your network, servers, applications, and user activity. By using a SIEM system, you can more easily identify potential security threats and take steps to mitigate them.

Another way to automate security controls and monitoring is to use a vulnerability management system. This type of system can help you identify and track potential vulnerabilities in your systems and applications. By using a vulnerability management system, you can more easily identify and fix potential security issues before they become major problems.

Finally, you can also use a security orchestration automation and response (SOAR) platform to automate security controls and monitoring. A SAO platform can help you automate various security tasks, such as patch management, incident response, and compliance management. By using a SAO platform, you can more easily manage your security posture and reduce the risk of potential security vulnerabilities.

5. Conduct regular security audits

As your startup grows, it becomes increasingly important to ensure that your systems are secure. One way to do this is to conduct regular security audits and penetration tests.

A security audit is a review of your systems to identify potential security risks. A penetration test, also known as a pen test, is a simulation of an attack on your system to test its security.

Conducting regular security audits and penetration tests can help you find and fix potential security risks before they are exploited. They can also help you assess the effectiveness of your security measures and identify areas that need improvement.

Regular security audits and penetration tests are an important part of keeping your startup safe from hacking and other security threats.

There are a lot of great resources for conducting your first pen test — we recommend using HackerOne to open up your environment to cast a wide net of potential testers to identify vulnerabilities in your platform.

6. Keep your software up-to-date

It's no secret that software needs to be kept up-to-date to be secure. But for startups, with limited resources and a fast-paced environment, it can be difficult to prioritize security updates. Here are a few tips for keeping your software up-to-date and patching software supply chain vulnerabilities:

  1. Make security a priority: Don't wait until there's a security breach to start thinking about updates. Make security a priority from the start, and build it into your development process.

  2. Automate updates: If possible, automate updates so that they're released as soon as they're available. This way, you can be sure that your software is always up-to-date.

  3. Keep an eye on the supply chain: Vulnerabilities in the software supply chain can be just as dangerous as vulnerabilities in the code itself. So, it's important to keep an eye on both. Be sure to vet your third-party providers and stay up-to-date on security threats.

7. Partner with trusted security vendors

When it comes to data security, startups can't afford to cut corners. Partnering with a trusted security vendor is a essential for keeping sensitive information safe. Not only will a good security vendor have the latest and greatest tools to protect your data, but they will also have the experience and expertise to help you implement a comprehensive security strategy.

A good security vendor will work with you to understand your specific needs and tailor a security solution that meets them. They will also keep up with the latest security threats and vulnerabilities, and provide you with timely updates and advice on how to protect your data. In short, partnering with a trusted security vendor is the best way to keep your startup's data safe.

Interested in learning more or have questions? Feel free to reach out to our team and we're happy to help you figure it out. You can either schedule a demo or contact us.

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