Ship fast without getting hacked. The practical guide to security for founders who need to move fast but can't afford a breach.
You're caught between two startup-killing scenarios:
The solution: Minimum Viable Security—the smallest set of security measures that protects you from catastrophic risk while letting you move fast.
Don't build auth yourself. Use Auth0, Clerk, Supabase Auth, or Firebase Auth. These handle password hashing, session management, and OAuth correctly.
// Rolling your own auth
const hash = md5(password)
if (user.password === hash) {
session.user = user
}// Use a proven auth provider
import { auth } from '@clerk/nextjs'
const { userId } = auth()
if (!userId) redirect('/sign-in')Never commit API keys, database passwords, or secrets to git. Use environment variables and .env files (gitignored).
# Search for hardcoded secrets
grep -r "sk_live" --include="*.ts" .
grep -r "AKIA" --include="*.ts" . # AWS keys
grep -r "password" --include="*.ts" . | grep -v "test"The #1 cause of startup data breaches: database rules that allow public access. Configure RLS (Supabase) or Security Rules (Firebase) properly.
Enforce HTTPS on all connections. Most modern platforms do this automatically, but verify.
Automated scanners catch the obvious stuff you missed. Run one before launch and fix critical issues.
Run Free Security ScanThese are important, but won't kill your MVP if missing on day one:
Time to implement Minimum Viable Security
Average cost of a startup data breach
of small businesses close within 6 months of a breach
Yes, but minimal. Bots scan for vulnerabilities automatically—your empty database won't stop them from finding exposed endpoints. Implement the basics before sharing any public URLs.
Security debt compounds. Fixing auth architecture after you have users is 10x harder than doing it right initially. The Minimum Viable Security items take 4 hours now vs. weeks later.
Have a response plan: 1) Take affected systems offline, 2) Identify what was accessed, 3) Notify affected users, 4) Fix the vulnerability, 5) Document what happened. Speed matters—don't figure this out during an incident.
SOC 2 is for enterprise sales. If you're pre-PMF, it's premature optimization. Focus on basic security now, SOC 2 when you're closing enterprise deals that require it.
Check your MVP for critical security issues in 2 minutes. Fix problems before they become incidents.
Scan Your MVP FreeLast updated: January 2025