Start-Up Secure

CHAPTER ONEMinimum Security Investment for Maximum Risk Reduction

An ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure.

– Benjamin Franklin

NO ONE PLANS ON THEIR START-UP not making it past a year of business, so you should also plan for your investment and planning in cybersecurity to scale into the future. While selecting the bare minimum may seem and feel counterintuitive and is certainly against the opinion of many cybersecurity professionals, it will ensure the continuation of the business.

Just as the heart is the first organ to receive oxygenated blood from the lungs, the continued operation of your start-up should be the number one priority. Security must enable the business to operate and find a balance as a requirement for the business. Cybersecurity is now a priority business function and no longer solely an IT issue.

When discussing cybersecurity many thoughts come to mind, all culminating with three important categories: people, processes, and technology. As a start-up, you won't always have the option of deploying all three. And even many mature organizations do not. This is why when we discuss cybersecurity we must also discuss risk and managing risk. The goal of your cybersecurity strategy should be to reduce, mitigate, and accept risk. No two organizations are the same, even within the same industry vertical. The risk of not being Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) certified could mean the loss of revenue for one organization and absolutely ...