Cybersecurity Checklist for SaaS Companies: 47 Critical Items for 2025

SaaS companies face 3x more cyber attacks than traditional businesses. 60% of startups fail within 6 months of a major breach. This comprehensive cybersecurity checklist covers all 47 critical security controls every SaaS company must implement.

Based on protecting 75+ SaaS platforms achieving SOC 2 and ISO 27001 compliance, this checklist ensures your security posture is investor-grade.

Authentication & Access Control (10 Items)

☐ 1. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA) Enforced

Require MFA for all users, especially administrators. Use authenticator apps, not SMS.

☐ 2. Password Requirements

Minimum 12 characters, complexity rules, password expiration every 90 days, no password reuse.

☐ 3. Single Sign-On (SSO) Support

Implement SAML 2.0 or OAuth 2.0 SSO for enterprise clients.

☐ 4. Role-Based Access Control (RBAC)

Define roles with principle of least privilege. Regular access reviews quarterly.

☐ 5. Session Management

30-minute inactivity timeout, secure session tokens, HTTPS-only cookies.

☐ 6. Failed Login Protection

Account lockout after 5 failed attempts, CAPTCHA after 3 attempts, IP-based blocking.

☐ 7. API Key Management

Rotate API keys every 90 days, support key revocation, audit API usage.

☐ 8. Admin Access Logging

Log all administrative actions, immutable audit logs, real-time alerts for suspicious activity.

☐ 9. Third-Party Authentication

Support Google, Microsoft, GitHub OAuth for easier adoption.

☐ 10. Access Review Process

Quarterly reviews of user permissions, automated deprovisioning of inactive accounts.

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Data Protection (12 Items)

☐ 11. Encryption at Rest

AES-256 encryption for all databases, file storage, and backups.

☐ 12. Encryption in Transit

TLS 1.3 for all connections, HSTS headers, certificate pinning for mobile apps.

☐ 13. Database Security

Encrypted connections, parameterized queries (prevent SQL injection), least privilege database accounts.

☐ 14. PII/PHI Identification

Data discovery tools to identify sensitive data, classification labeling.

☐ 15. Data Retention Policy

Define retention periods by data type, automated deletion after retention period.

☐ 16. Backup Strategy

Daily encrypted backups, offsite storage, tested recovery procedures monthly.

☐ 17. Data Anonymization

Anonymize production data for dev/test environments, implement data masking.

☐ 18. Secure File Uploads

Antivirus scanning, file type validation, size limits, sandboxed storage.

☐ 19. Data Loss Prevention (DLP)

Monitor and block sensitive data exfiltration attempts.

☐ 20. Tokenization

Tokenize payment data, use payment processors (Stripe) for PCI compliance.

☐ 21. Right to Deletion

GDPR/CCPA compliant data deletion workflows, user self-service deletion.

☐ 22. Data Residency

Allow customers to choose data storage region for compliance.

Application Security (8 Items)

☐ 23. Input Validation

Sanitize all user inputs, prevent XSS, CSRF, SQL injection.

☐ 24. Security Headers

CSP, X-Frame-Options, X-Content-Type-Options, Referrer-Policy.

☐ 25. Dependency Scanning

Automated scanning for vulnerable npm/pip/gem packages, Dependabot integration.

☐ 26. Code Review Process

Mandatory peer reviews, security-focused code reviews for auth/payment flows.

☐ 27. SAST/DAST Tools

Static (SonarQube) and dynamic (OWASP ZAP) security testing in CI/CD.

☐ 28. API Rate Limiting

Prevent abuse with rate limits (100 req/min per user), DDoS protection.

☐ 29. Error Handling

Never expose stack traces or sensitive info in errors, generic error messages.

☐ 30. Security Testing

Quarterly penetration testing, bug bounty program for public-facing apps.

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Infrastructure & DevOps (9 Items)

☐ 31. Network Segmentation

Separate production/staging/dev networks, VPC isolation, private subnets for databases.

☐ 32. Firewall Rules

Allow-list only, block all unnecessary ports, regular firewall audits.

☐ 33. Container Security

Scan Docker images for vulnerabilities, use minimal base images, non-root containers.

☐ 34. Infrastructure as Code (IaC)

Terraform/CloudFormation with version control, code-reviewed infrastructure changes.

☐ 35. Secrets Management

Never commit secrets to git, use AWS Secrets Manager/HashiCorp Vault.

☐ 36. Patch Management

Automated OS patching weekly, critical patches within 24 hours.

☐ 37. WAF Implementation

Web Application Firewall (Cloudflare, AWS WAF) to block common attacks.

☐ 38. CDN Security

DDoS protection, origin server IP masking, bot management.

☐ 39. Monitoring & Alerting

Real-time security alerts, SIEM integration (Datadog, Splunk), 24/7 on-call.

Compliance & Governance (5 Items)

☐ 40. Privacy Policy

GDPR/CCPA compliant, clearly written, regularly updated.

☐ 41. Terms of Service

Data processing terms, SLA commitments, liability limitations.

☐ 42. Vendor Risk Management

Assess third-party vendors (Stripe, AWS, SendGrid), annual security questionnaires.

☐ 43. Security Training

Quarterly security awareness training for all employees, phishing simulations.

☐ 44. Compliance Certifications

SOC 2 Type II (annually), ISO 27001, HIPAA/GDPR as needed.

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Incident Response (3 Items)

☐ 45. Incident Response Plan

Documented procedures, contact tree, escalation matrix, tested annually.

☐ 46. Breach Notification Process

Legal requirements by jurisdiction, customer notification templates, PR response plan.

☐ 47. Forensics Capability

Preserve logs for 1+ year, incident investigation tools, post-mortem process.

Implementation Roadmap

Month 1-2: Foundation

• Items 1-10 (Authentication)
• Items 23-25 (Basic App Security)
• Items 31-32 (Network Security)

Month 3-4: Data Protection

• Items 11-22 (All Data Protection)
• Items 35-36 (Secrets & Patching)

Month 5-6: Advanced & Compliance

• Items 26-30, 33-34, 37-39 (Remaining Security)
• Items 40-47 (Compliance & Incident Response)

Security Assessment: Where Do You Stand?

Score your SaaS security:

• 0-15 items: 🔴 Critical Risk - Start immediately
• 16-30 items: 🟡 Moderate Risk - Prioritize gaps
• 31-42 items: 🟢 Good Security - Minor improvements
• 43-47 items: ✅ Excellent - Maintain & audit

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Why Security Matters for SaaS

Business impact of breaches:

• Average SaaS breach cost: $4.45M
• Customer churn: 65% after breach
• Revenue loss: 30-50% in first year
• Fundraising impact: 85% harder to raise capital

Benefits of strong security:

• Win enterprise deals (security requirements)
• Charge 25% premium pricing
• Faster sales cycles (security trust)
• Higher valuation multiples
• Lower insurance premiums

Get Expert Security Implementation

Our cybersecurity team has helped 75+ SaaS companies achieve: ✅ SOC 2 Type II certification (6-month avg) ✅ Zero breaches post-implementation ✅ 40% faster enterprise sales cycles ✅ 25% higher conversion rates

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