The Biggest Cybersecurity Myth for Startups

At Rex Cyber Solutions, we regularly speak with founders and CTOs who confidently say:

1. We don’t need dedicated cybersecurity
2. We’ve got everything covered
3. We run on AWS or Azure or Google Cloud, so our infrastructure is safe
4. Our code is on GitHub — it’s secure and backed up.

If you’re thinking the same, you’re not alone. But here’s the hard truth:

Cloud and Platforms Are Not Synonyms for Security

Platforms like AWS, Azure, and Google Cloud offer world-class infrastructure security; however, security is a shared responsibility. Cloud providers secure the infrastructure they manage — but you must secure your applications, code repositories, access controls, and operational processes. Simply relying on the cloud or your dev team’s manual controls is not enough.

The Wake-Up Call: What Happened at KiranaPro?

KiranaPro, a promising quick-commerce startup, faced a catastrophic cyberattack recently. Their AWS servers and GitHub repositories — the very backbone of their product — were deleted, wiping out production systems and code.

Initial assumptions blamed external hackers, but investigations pointed to something even more alarming: A former employee with privileged access was able to cause this destruction because of poor offboarding and weak access management.

This wasn’t a high-tech intrusion. This was a failure of basic cybersecurity hygiene.

Why Do Founders and CTOs Get It Wrong?

• Confusing platform security with business security: The cloud protects the platform, but your data, users, and code are your responsibility.
• Viewing security as a cost, not a critical business function: It’s not “just IT.” Cybersecurity is core to trust, compliance, and continuity.
• Overestimating internal controls and informal processes: Without formalised policies like offboarding, access audits, and backup strategies, your startup is vulnerable.

What Startups Must Do Now

1. Implement Zero Trust Access Controls. Never assume any user or device is inherently safe.
2. Enforce Strict Offboarding Procedures: Remove all access the moment an employee or contractor leaves.
3. Maintain Immutable and Offline Backups. Backups should be tamper-proof and stored separately from live systems.
4. Monitor and Audit. Continuous logging and anomaly detection must be built into everyday operations.
5. Plan for Incident Response and Forensic Readiness. Be ready not just to prevent but to respond and recover fast.

Closing Thoughts

If you think, “We’ll get serious about security once we grow bigger,” think again. Cyber threats don’t wait for your startup to scale.

Security is a muscle you build from Day 1. Your reputation, your customers, and your business depend on it.

At Rex Cyber Solutions, we help startups and tech companies build that muscle — securing their cloud environments, code, and operations so they can grow confidently and sustainably.

Are you ready to treat cybersecurity as a business enabler, not an afterthought? Let’s talk.

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