Start with a Risk-Based Mindset
- Identify what matters: customer data, financial data, IP, sensitive systems, etc.
- Conduct a basic risk assessment and consider the industry regulatory and compliance requirements (can be informal)
- Focus on high-impact, likely threats
- Balance protection with startup agility
Lock Down the Basics
- Use MFA everywhere: email, cloud, code repos
- Go passwordless if possible
- Strong passwords + password managers otherwise
- Encrypt laptops & sensitive data
- Apply security patches consistently
Build Secure Development Habits
- Use version control (e.g., Git) with access controls
- Scan code for vulnerabilities (SAST tools)
- Keep dependencies up-to-date from trusted repositories
- Avoid hardcoded credentials
Manage Access Wisely
Least Privilege
Grant least privilege: no more than neededRole Based Access
Use role-based access for SaaS & InfrastructureOffboarding
Terminate former employee access immediatelyAdmin Access
Monitor Admin access and API Keys
Train the Team (Without Overkill)
- Do a 30-minute annual security training
- Teach phishing & safe data handling
- Make security a part of onboarding
- Encourage a “see something, say something” culture
Prepare for Incidents Now
- Have a simple incident response plan
- Know who to call: legal, cloud support, communications
- Backups: test restore regularly
- Document and improve after incidents
Invest Gradually in Security Maturity
- Don’t try to be perfect on day one
- Add internal controls, policies, tools, and audits as you grow
- Align to a lightweight framework (like CIS Controls v8) and mature over time
- Security is a journey – not a checkbox
Contact GrowthPoint
We are here to help. Reach out to GrowthPoint for help – we are always ready to have a call and discuss your unique situation and needs.