Security Budget Planner
Plan your security investments by growth stage. Check items as you implement them and track your progress.
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Schedule a Free ConsultationFrequently Asked Questions
Common questions about security budget planning
How much should startups spend on security?
Pre-seed companies typically spend $0-5K annually on security basics. Seed stage companies spend $5-25K building foundations. Series A companies invest $50-150K for compliance and scaling. Series B+ companies budget $150-400K+ for enterprise-grade security.
When should a startup hire a security person?
Most startups should hire their first dedicated security resource (full-time or vCISO) at Series A, typically when pursuing SOC 2 or other compliance certifications and when customer security requirements become more demanding.
What security investments have the highest ROI?
At early stages: MFA, password managers, and basic policies provide immediate risk reduction at minimal cost. At growth stages: SOC 2 certification, penetration testing, and security awareness training directly enable sales and reduce incident risk.
How does security spending scale with company growth?
Security budgets typically represent 3-10% of IT budget or 1-3% of revenue for startups. Spending increases as compliance requirements grow, customer demands intensify, and the attack surface expands with more systems and data.