25-Point Pre-Launch Security Checklist for SaaS Founders

You've spent months building your SaaS. The marketing site is up, the waitlist is full, and you're ready to launch on Product Hunt. But before you flip the switch, you need to ensure your application is secure.

A data breach in your first week can permanently destroy user trust. This 25-point checklist covers the essential security measures every SaaS founder must verify before launch.

Authentication & Authorization

Enforce Strong Passwords: Require a minimum of 8-12 characters. Do not enforce arbitrary complexity rules (like "must contain a special character"); length is more important.

Implement Rate Limiting: Apply strict rate limits to /login, /register, and /forgot-password endpoints to prevent brute-force attacks.

Use Secure Password Hashing: Ensure passwords are hashed using bcrypt or Argon2. Never store plaintext passwords or use outdated algorithms like MD5.

Secure Session Management: If using cookies, ensure they have the HttpOnly, Secure, and SameSite=Lax (or Strict) flags enabled.

Verify Ownership (No IDORs): Every API endpoint that fetches, modifies, or deletes a resource must verify that the currently authenticated user owns that resource.

Database & Data Security

Enable Row-Level Security (RLS): If using a BaaS like Supabase or Firebase, ensure RLS is enabled on all tables and strict policies are enforced.

Use Parameterized Queries: Prevent SQL injection by never concatenating user input directly into SQL queries. Rely on your ORM or parameterized bindings.

Encrypt Sensitive Data at Rest: Ensure your database provider encrypts data at rest. For highly sensitive user data (like social security numbers), implement application-level encryption.

Backups: Verify that automated, daily database backups are running and test the restoration process.

Principle of Least Privilege: Your application's database user should only have the permissions it strictly needs. It should not be a superuser.

Want CodeAudit to check your repo for this automatically? Join the waitlist.

Application Architecture

Sanitize User Input: Prevent Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) by sanitizing all user-generated content before rendering it in the browser. Avoid dangerouslySetInnerHTML in React.

Configure CORS Properly: Do not use Access-Control-Allow-Origin: *. Explicitly list your frontend domains.

Remove Development Configurations: Ensure DEBUG=False in Django, avoid exposing stack traces in Node.js/Next.js, and disable verbose logging in production.

Implement CSRF Protection: If using cookie-based authentication, ensure CSRF tokens are implemented on all state-changing requests.

Set Security Headers: Implement Helmet.js (or equivalent) to set headers like Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and Strict-Transport-Security.

Dependencies & Infrastructure

Scan for Vulnerable Dependencies: Run npm audit or use a dedicated tool to check for known CVEs in your open-source packages.

Check for Hardcoded Secrets: Thoroughly scan your repository history to ensure no API keys or database credentials were accidentally committed.

Secure Environment Variables: Ensure your production environment variables are stored securely in your hosting provider (Vercel, Render, AWS) and are never exposed to the client bundle (e.g., watch out for NEXT_PUBLIC_ leaks).

Protect Cloud Storage: Ensure your S3 buckets or Supabase Storage containers are private by default. Only allow public access to specific, non-sensitive assets.

Lock Down APIs: Ensure all internal or admin APIs are completely isolated from public access.

Operations & Monitoring

Implement Logging: Log all critical security events (logins, password changes, permission modifications) but ensure you do not log passwords or session tokens.

Set up Alerts: Configure monitoring tools to alert you of spikes in 500 errors, failed login attempts, or unusual traffic patterns.

Prepare an Incident Response Plan: Know exactly what steps you will take if a breach occurs (how to shut down the app, rotate keys, and notify users).

Enforce 2FA for Admin Accounts: Require Two-Factor Authentication on your AWS, Vercel, Stripe, and GitHub accounts.

Run a Full Code Audit: Use an automated tool to perform a comprehensive security, architecture, and performance review.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Do I really need all 25 points for a small MVP? A: Yes. Attackers do not care if you are an MVP. Automated bots scan the entire internet looking for exposed env files, disabled RLS, and missing rate limits.

Q: How can I check all of this quickly? A: CodeAudit.dev automates the majority of this checklist by analyzing your GitHub repository directly.

Want CodeAudit to check your repo for this automatically? Join the waitlist.