// EXPERT PROFILE //
How start-ups should think
ABOUT SECURITY FROM DAY ONE
Early in the life of most start-ups , many significant elements are overlooked , such as cybersecurity and Zero Trust adoption . Here , Alonso Bustamante , Senior Director , Strategy & M & A at Cloudflare , talks about what start-ups need to consider in order to build a reliable and scalable business .
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THE BEAUTY OF A ZERO TRUST
APPROACH IS THAT IT SECURES YOUR ORGANISATION ’ S ENTIRE RISK LANDSCAPE .
EW START-UPS ARE
N emerging at a rapid pace . Companies House reported that almost half a million new businesses were registered in the UK from 2020 to 2021 . From AI tools that hope to combat environmental concerns , to digital platforms to help people struggling with burnout and innovations in the crypto economy and metaverse – start-ups are set to change things as we know it .
At the beginning of a business ’ growth journey there is incredible hustle , creative problem-solving and making the impossible possible . But even the best new ideas won ’ t get far without establishing the right foundations . To get to each next stage of growth it ’ s crucial that any Internet applications ( domains , social media accounts etc .) are secure and high-performing .
You wouldn ’ t build a house without considering anti-flood or fire risks from the beginning . Not considering security from day one of your start-up is the equivalent .
Start-ups that are digital-native should also be cloud security-first . Security savviness , attitude and culture have to come from the CEO – living and breathing it from the topdown , from the start .
As a start-up , what do I need to do ?
Know your assets . Begin by mapping all the business , employee and customer information you have and your Internetfacing assets , such as your website , email , servers , SaaS applications , databases and mobile applications .
This is the only way you ’ ll have a true understanding of all possible security risk exposures ( your attack surface area ) and then go on to be able to protect your brand , customers , product , supply chain , services etc .
All known assets can then be monitored , analysed , patched and updated as necessary , regardless of whether some are on-premises and some are in the cloud . And you can continually add to your map as your network expands . This unrivalled visibility of your infrastructure will set you apart early on and , with this foundation , you can ensure that security is hardwired into every aspect of your business ’ operations .
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