Security

The security checklist every small software team can finish this week

Five practical controls reduce common risks without requiring a dedicated security department or a six-month project.

Small teams often postpone security because the complete version feels unaffordable. A shorter list, completed well, is more useful than a perfect program that never begins.

Start with access

  • Require multi-factor authentication for critical services.
  • Remove dormant accounts every month.
  • Store production secrets outside source code.
  • Test backups by restoring one.
  • Assign an owner for dependency updates.

These controls are not a complete security program. They are a reliable floor on which a better one can be built.

Mara Okafor
About the writer

Mara Okafor

Security editor

A Chronicle contributor. Update this biography and portrait in the author profile.

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