Hey devs 👋— if you’re building an MVP or early SaaS product, security might feel like something you’ll “do later.” The problem? Hackers won’t wait.
Here’s a practical checklist you can apply today:
1. Hash + salt passwords (use bcrypt/argon2)
2. Always use HTTPS (TLS everywhere)
3. Enable 2FA for internal dashboards
4. Restrict DB access (IP whitelisting, VPCs)
5. Rotate API keys + secrets regularly
Common Mistakes in Early-Stage Products
Leaving .env files exposed in repos 😬
Using default DB creds (yes, it still happens)
No logging/monitoring = no idea when breaches happen
Over-trusting 3rd party SDKs without validation
Dev Tip:
Add security checks in CI/CD pipelines (linting, dependency scans). Tools like npm audit, snyk, or bandit can save you from nasty surprises.
Security ≠ slowdown. You can move fast and be secure. In fact, automating basics now saves a ton of future tech debt.
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