Aikido’s 2024 SaaS CTO Security Checklist
Published: 2023-08-11 17:09:44

SaaS companies have a huge target painted on their backs when it comes to security, and that’s something that keeps their CTOs awake at night. The Cloud Security Alliance released its [State of SaaS Security: 2023 Survey Report](https://cloudsecurityalliance.org/artifacts/state-of-saas-security-2023-survey-report/) earlier this year and discovered that “55% of organizations report that they experienced an incident in the past two years”.

<figure><img src="https://d37oebn0w9ir6a.cloudfront.net/account_39169/image_b27c537ce0e805406ba416d08263148a.png" alt="Chart showing percentage of SaaS application security incidents from the Cloud Security Alliance State of SaaS Security: 2023 Survey Report"/><figcaption>_Chart from the Cloud Security Alliance State of SaaS Security: 2023 Survey Report_</figcaption></figure>

The importance of security is backed up by the results from Aikido’s recent [consultation with 15 SaaS CTOs](https://www.aikido.dev/blog/cloud-code-security-cto-consultation), in which “93% of CTOs ranked threat prevention importance 7 (out of 10) or higher.”

To help SaaS CTOs sleep better, we’ve created a comprehensive SaaS CTO Security Checklist. We’re confident that, if you follow it, _and keep going back to it_, you will make **both your company and application 10x more secure**.

## Real risks for SaaS companies

CI/CD tools like GitHub Actions and CircleCI are prime hacker targets. Their frequent breaches [grant access to clouds and lead to data exposure](https://www.aikido.dev/blog/prevent-fallout-when-cicd-platform-hacked). A 2023 CircleCI breach compromised customer secrets, while a 2022 GitHub Actions exploit hit open source projects.

A startup's entire AWS environment was [compromised via a basic contact form on their site](https://www.aikido.dev/blog/how-a-startups-cloud-got-taken-over-by-a-simple-form-that-sends-an-email). How? The form allowed SSRF attacks, granting access to IAM keys which were then emailed out. The attacker gained control of S3 buckets and environment variables.

These security breaches happened to real companies and had real effects. But they could have been prevented if they had invested more time and effort into improving their security practices.

## SaaS CTO Security Checklist: 40+ items to guide you

Our deceptively simple checklist covers over 40 ways to harden security across your people, processes, code, infrastructure, and more. It's organized by business growth stage - **bootstrap, startup, and scaleup** - so you can find the security best practices relevant to your current phase. As you grow, our checklist will become your trusted guide and constant companion on the journey to security best practices for your SaaS company.

Each item on the list is designed to make you and your team think about security in the first place, then give you clear, concise instructions on what you can do to deal with the vulnerability. And each item is tagged so that you can be sure it applies to your company’s current stage.

The checklist is also divided into sections so that you can consider the needs of different parts of your company. Your employees are vulnerable to different threats than your code or your infrastructure, so it makes sense to look at them separately.

As you go through the list, you’ll undoubtedly find that some items don’t apply to you yet. But we recommend that you revisit the checklist regularly so that you don’t encounter any nasty surprises. Security doesn’t have to be scary, as long as you act to become more secure _before_ something bad happens.

We’ve cherry-picked a few items to give you a sneak peek at the checklist. The final checklist contains over 40, so make sure you download your copy and get started on improving your security today.

## Back up, then back up again

The first applies to all stages of company growth, and it’s absolutely vital. But then again, we’re sure you already back up regularly, right? Right?!

<figure><img src="https://d37oebn0w9ir6a.cloudfront.net/account_39169/frame-36_97e3110e676f826d226f155ff1264ce1.png" alt="Image of SaaS CTO Security Checklist item: Back up, then back up again"/></figure>

## Hire an external penetration testing team

Our next item is crucial for companies that are starting to scale up. Growth is going well, you’ve dealt with all the issues that are risks on the way up, but are you sure that your infrastructure is secure at all levels? That’s when it’s time to [hire a penetration testing team](https://get.aikido.dev/pentesting-for-saas-companies-aikido-security)!

<figure><img src="https://d37oebn0w9ir6a.cloudfront.net/account_39169/frame-42-1_f3d495bceb88c574158342328e8bc759.png" alt="Image of SaaS CTO Security Checklist item: Hire an external penetration testing team"/></figure>

## Update your OS and Docker containers

This one is straightforward, but many developers cut corners here. Updating eats up sprint time while other tasks seem more urgent. But skipping updates leaves vital systems exposed to vulnerabilities. Stay diligent with patching and updating to avoid major headaches down the road.

<figure><img src="https://d37oebn0w9ir6a.cloudfront.net/account_39169/frame-39_ccfe5a1da40b4460f31fe5cb57f485b8.png" alt="Image of SaaS CTO Security Checklist item: Update your OS and Docker containers"/></figure>

## Get everyone accustomed to basic security practices

The last item is relevant at all stages and it’s part and parcel of our checklist: the need to get everyone accustomed to basic security practices. Humans make mistakes. It’s inevitable. But if you get everyone thinking about security, those mistakes can be mitigated.

<figure><img src="https://d37oebn0w9ir6a.cloudfront.net/account_39169/frame-36-1_f64dd7faf3758f3f21f9884ae8eb9231.png" alt="Image of SaaS CTO Security Checklist item: Get everyone accustomed to basic security practices"/></figure>

## Download your free SaaS CTO Security Checklist

That’s just a handful of the essential tips covered in the checklist. We’ll also give you guidance on code reviews, onboarding and offboarding,  DDoS attacks, database recovery plans, and much more.

Download Aikido’s 2024 SaaS CTO Security Checklist now and get started on hardening your app and getting your team thinking seriously about security. It’s never too late, or too early, no matter what stage your company is at.

**Download the full SaaS Security Checklist:**

[https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1HXOAHoTQQxGEKFLvZx7stAfiwyg](https://share-eu1.hsforms.com/1HXOAHoTQQxGEKFLvZx7stAfiwyg)