Security Basics for Bootstrapped SaaS

You don't need a security team to build secure software. You need good practices.

What We Do

HTTPS Everywhere: All traffic encrypted. LetsEncrypt makes it free.

Password Hashing: Bcrypt with salt. Never store plaintext passwords.

JWT Tokens: Short-lived (24h). Refreshable. Stored in httpOnly cookies.

SQL Injection Prevention: Parameterized queries. Never string concatenation.

Input Validation: Server-side. Every field. Every request.

Rate Limiting: Prevent brute force attacks. 5 login attempts, then lock for 15 minutes.

Regular Updates: Dependencies, OS packages, frameworks. Automated where possible.

Backups: Encrypted at rest. Tested monthly.

What We Don't Do (Yet)

Penetration Testing: Can't afford external audit. DIY for now.

SOC 2 Compliance: Overkill at our stage. Maybe later.

Bug Bounty: No budget. Relying on responsible disclosure.

The Philosophy

Security is a process, not a product. Do the basics well. Improve continuously.

The Reality

We're probably not NSA-proof. But we're protecting against common attacks.

Good enough for now.