Security basics every growing product needs

Get access under control first

Shared admin accounts, former contractors who still have access and passwords without a second factor cause more incidents than sophisticated attacks. Give every person their own account, turn on two-factor authentication everywhere it is available, and remove access the day someone leaves.

Keep secrets out of the code

API keys, database passwords and tokens belong in a secrets manager or environment configuration, never in the repository. If a secret has ever been committed, treat it as exposed and rotate it.

Update dependencies on a schedule

Modern products are built mostly from open-source packages, and known vulnerabilities in them are a common way in. Automated dependency alerts and a regular update rhythm close most of that risk with little effort.

Back up and test the restore

A backup that has never been restored is a hope, not a plan. Schedule regular backups of data and configuration, keep a copy outside the main account, and run a restore test at least once a quarter.

Know when something goes wrong

Many breaches are discovered weeks after they start, by a customer or a third party. Central logs for sign-ins, admin actions and errors, with alerts on unusual activity, shorten that time from weeks to minutes.

Write a one-page incident plan as well: who is called first, how access is cut off, how customers are informed and where decisions are recorded. Deciding this in advance is far easier than in the middle of an incident.

Be ready to answer the questionnaire

Larger clients will ask how you protect their data. Prepare short, honest answers about:

• who can access production systems and how that access is granted;
• how data is encrypted in transit and at rest;
• how incidents are detected and who responds;
• how often backups run and when the restore was last tested.