The minimum security your MVP needs before launch—and what can wait until later.
Users can only access their own accounts. Password reset doesn't expose accounts. Sessions expire.
Users can only read/write their own data. No IDOR vulnerabilities. Roles enforced server-side.
No API keys in code. No credentials in public repos. .gitignore configured properly.
All traffic encrypted. No mixed content. Secure cookies flag set.
Prevent SQL injection, XSS, and command injection. Validate and sanitize all inputs.
Prevent brute force on login. Limit API abuse. Protect against DoS.
Only needed when enterprise customers require it
Makes sense at scale, not for early MVPs
More valuable after you've built more features
Founders can handle basics; hire after Series A
Basic logging is enough for MVPs
Use existing solutions; build later if needed
Run a quick security scan to catch the obvious issues before your MVP goes live.
Free Pre-Launch ScanEnough to not get breached and not lose user trust. This means: working authentication, proper authorization (users only see their own data), no exposed secrets, HTTPS, and basic input validation. You don't need enterprise-grade security, but you need the basics.
Only if you have critical vulnerabilities. Missing SOC 2? Launch anyway. Missing basic auth? Don't launch. The core security items (auth, authorization, secrets) can be built in a day. If those are done, ship it.
Same as any MVP, but with extra scrutiny. AI-generated code often has auth gaps. Run a security scan, manually test that users can't access each other's data, and verify there are no hardcoded credentials. This takes an hour and can save you from disaster.
When any of these happen: enterprise customers require it, you're handling sensitive data (health, finance), you've raised significant funding, or you've experienced a security incident. Until then, maintain basics and add incrementally.
Assuming 'small' means 'safe.' Automated attacks don't care about your company size. The most common MVP breaches come from exposed API keys, missing authorization (users seeing others' data), and admin panels without authentication.
Last updated: January 16, 2026