Security as a requirement, not a luxury
Evaluating certifications and encryption before signing prevents crises. What to look for in the technical architecture.
Key ideas
- Ask for SOC2 reports.
- Check encryption at rest.
- Audit user permissions.
Structural prevention
A data breach costs infinitely more than any vendor's "Enterprise" plan. Security architecture is no longer negotiable, no matter the size of your startup.
Asking for SOC Type II or ISO 27001 reports should be the first filter, not a last-minute detail before signing.
Encryption and data location
Make sure you understand exactly where your data physically lives (AWS, GCP, in which region) and how it's protected both in transit (TLS) and at rest (AES-256).
If the tool can't clearly explain its data retention policy or how it permanently deletes your information when you cancel, look for another option.
Granular permissions
Internal security is as important as external security. A business platform must allow strict Roles and Permissions (RBAC).
Not everyone in the company needs to see customer billing or have the power to delete databases. The principle of "least privilege" should be easy to configure.