A SaaS Security Checklist for Small Teams

You don't need an enterprise security team to dramatically reduce your risk. Most breaches at small companies come from a handful of avoidable gaps. Work through this checklist.

1. Put every password in a manager

Shared spreadsheets and reused passwords are the number-one risk. A password manager like 1Password or Bitwarden generates unique credentials and shares them securely with your team.

2. Turn on two-factor authentication everywhere

Enable 2FA/MFA on email, your password manager, banking, and every critical SaaS tool. App-based or hardware keys beat SMS. This single step blocks the vast majority of account-takeover attacks.

3. Centralize access with SSO when you can

As you grow past ~10 people, single sign-on (via a tool like Okta) lets you grant and revoke access in one place — critical when someone leaves.

4. Review who has access

Quarterly, audit each tool's user list. Remove ex-contractors, downgrade over-privileged accounts, and delete shared logins.

5. Lock down your email

Email is the master key — it resets every other password. Use a strong unique password, hardware-key 2FA, and be ruthless about phishing.

6. Back up critical data

Don't assume your SaaS vendor backs up *your* data the way you'd want. Export or back up anything you can't afford to lose.

7. Keep software updated

Enable auto-updates on devices and browsers. Most exploits target known, already-patched vulnerabilities.

8. Limit what new tools can access

When connecting apps via OAuth, grant the narrowest scope that works, and revoke integrations you no longer use.

9. Train the team on phishing

A 20-minute session on spotting fake login pages and urgent-payment scams pays for itself. The human is the most-targeted layer.

10. Have an offboarding routine

When someone leaves, you should be able to cut their access in minutes. SSO and a password manager make this trivial; scattered logins make it impossible.

Knock out the first three this week — they cover most of your risk.