Startup Security Checklist: 50-Point Framework for SOC 2 Readiness
27 critical checks before your next audit or funding round. Used by 200+ engineering leaders.
Why Startups Fail Security Audits
Most failures come from a small set of repeated gaps: broken authorization, secrets in code or config, outdated dependencies, sensitive data in logs, and security left until the last moment. Our checklist addresses each with concrete, actionable items. For the full analysis, see We Analyzed 50 Startup Codebases and the Startup Security & SOC 2 pillar.
The 50-Point Checklist (Preview)
Below are the first 10 points. Enter your email to unlock the full 3-page checklist PDF.
- Define trust boundaries between customer-facing APIs and internal services.
- Validate secrets rotation cadence for production and staging environments.
- Enforce CI checks for dependency vulnerabilities before every deploy.
- Document and test authorization policy at API and domain layers.
- Ensure no secrets or PII in logs, traces, or error messages.
- Run lightweight threat modeling for new high-impact features.
- Assign ownership for dependency updates by service or module.
- Implement pre-commit or CI secret scanning.
- Verify cross-tenant and role-escalation test coverage.
- Establish incident response and communication playbooks.
How to Use This Framework
Run through the checklist before a fundraise, audit, or enterprise deal. Assign owners and target dates for each gap. Pair it with our SOC 2 Evidence Tracker for a full readiness workflow.
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