Security, startups and leadership 🚀

The blog and podcast for tech leaders tasked with implementing a cyber resilience program.
Learn from others in tech as they navigate building a secure business.

Cyber Resilience Privacy Readiness Startups & SMEs Product Updates Podcast Episodes

Cyber resilience: The foundation of small business security

Cyber resilience refers to your ability to anticipate, withstand and recover from cyber threats and incidents, so that you can continue operating, ensure the integrity of your data, and maintain customer trust.

April 18, 2024

How MSPs and IT providers can easily implement security and privacy programs for clients: Case study with Brightly

Efficiency, scalability, business growth – these are just a few of the words Mike Carroll, Founder and Principal Consultant of B Corp certified IT solutions company Brightly, uses to describe Onwardly’s platform and partner program. This partnership sets a new standard for managed service providers and the SMEs they serve.

February 13, 2024

Product update: Set custom goals for your security and privacy programs

We're excited to share the latest update to Onwardly – Custom Goals. Your feedback has been invaluable in shaping this new feature and its enhanced customisation capabilities for your security and privacy program.

December 14, 2023

Onwardly and Parallo forge partnership to strengthen cyber resilience for New Zealand's SaaS community

We've joined forced with the folks over at Parallo, a cloud services provider for SaaS companies, to enhance the security and privacy maturity of the tech sector in New Zealand.

December 4, 2023

Product update: Improved security scoring

As we continue to enhance our security program, we’ve made an update that underscores our commitment to making cybersecurity a first-class concept. At Onwardly, we’re always striving to help our customers to build better outcomes and stronger resilience, and this update is a key step forward.

August 22, 2023

People-powered cyber resilience: 5 key strategies to strengthen your security and privacy maturity

Building cyber resilience in any organisation, regardless of size, hinges on recognising the role of people in the process. A people-centric approach to security and privacy is crucial to strengthen defences, mitigate risks, and respond effectively to cyber threats.

July 27, 2023

How the GDPR impacts NZ businesses in 2023

In this blog post, we’ll look into what NZ businesses need to consider regarding GDPR compliance and privacy practical insights to help navigate this often complex landscape.

July 4, 2023

Why ISO 27001 is important for startups and small businesses

ISO 27001 equips businesses with enhanced security measures, regulatory compliance, competitive advantage, and a foundation for growth and scalability in the digital era.

June 30, 2023

Cyber resilience vs. security compliance: What’s the difference?

The terms cyber resilience and security compliance are often misunderstood. While compliance focuses on meeting regulatory obligations, cyber resilience goes beyond this.

June 20, 2023

Cybersecurity trends and how to prioritise

Each cybersecurity trend brings unique benefits and challenges. While some trends may be more accessible with your organisation’s resources and capabilities, others may require careful consideration and investment.

June 20, 2023

The importance of effective security communications: An essential guide

Discover why security communications are crucial for startups. Learn how effective communication strategies can protect your business from threats, build trust with customers, and navigate crisis situations successfully.

June 8, 2023

A startup's guide to security compliance and building cyber resilience

The path to cybersecurity compliance can be daunting, that's why we've created this comprehensive guide to help you navigate the complexities and understand what it takes to build a (truly) resilient organisation.

June 7, 2023

Securing the future of business: Cybersecurity strategies every organisation should implement

Strengthen your defences against cyber threats and secure your future in business. Investing in cyber resilience today is a long-term strategy to ensure you’re here for years to come.

May 31, 2023

ChatGPT: Uncovering the opportunities and threats for cybersecurity

ChatGPT's emergence has captivated businesses and individuals, offering potential productivity enhancements. However, it also introduces new threats to cybersecurity.

May 30, 2023

Onwardly partners with industry leaders Brightly, SafeAdvisory and Theta to make cybersecurity accessible to NZ businesses

These partnerships showcase our dedication to democratising security and privacy, ensuring that businesses across New Zealand can navigate the digital landscape with confidence and peace of mind.

May 30, 2023

Personal Information: Understanding its importance and proven methods to safeguard it

As tech advances, so does the need to protect sensitive data from unauthorised access. In this blog post, we’re breaking down the concept of personal information, why it's important, and the proven steps to safeguard it.

May 25, 2023

GDPR Compliance: How your business can meet the requirements

The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) has been a topic of conversation for many businesses worldwide since its introduction in 2018. For businesses on the other side of the world, there has been even more confusion for how, why and if the requirements apply.

May 25, 2023

Introducing an enhanced security program view: Track progress and achieve higher security levels

Your security program has had an update that goes beyond look and feel. This update changes the way you communicate progress on security with your team, your board, and other leaders in the business. Get ready for a whole new level of cyber resilience.

May 23, 2023

Cyber Resilience 101: Build the foundations first

Cyber resilience is all about taking a proactive approach to security. In the event of a cyber attack or data breach, your organisation will be in the best position possible to respond, recover, and prevent any future attacks.

April 20, 2023

What is two-factor authentication (2FA) and how does it work?

Cybersecurity is no longer a focus of just the office environment; businesses need to mitigate security risks and add protection at the device and application level. And that's where 2FA comes in.

May 23, 2022

The new era of cybersecurity and Onwardly

Over the past few months, our team has worked collaboratively to revolutionise the Onwardly brand and move forward key elements that will define our mission towards security for every business.

October 7, 2022

What is the role of the privacy officer?

When getting started with privacy, it can be confusing to know what the privacy officer does, who will fulfil the role, and what needs to be done in line with the law.

August 29, 2022

Top 3 cybersecurity tips for protecting your startup

The crux of it all – especially for tech startups – is that you need the fundamental elements of cybersecurity best practice in place to grow.

June 28, 2022

Taking a people-centric approach to security

Security exists because of people, so it makes sense to solve security challenges with people at the centre.

August 10, 2022

Startups and privacy: How to build solid foundations from the beginning

It’s important to have a plan for privacy, not just to protect your reputation, but to ensure you can confidently operate globally with your customers front of mind.‍‍

August 3, 2022

SafeStack's Laura Bell joins Onwardly as advisor and investor

SafeStack is an exciting partner for SaaS Security service provider Onwardly. Investor Laura Bell will offer specialist security advice and governance for us.

July 11, 2021

SaaS Security Software Startup achieving $1m funding

We have some big news to share - Onwardly has successfully closed $1m in seed funding after our first year of growth! 🎉

December 6, 2021

Product update: Meet our new Slack bot for communications

This month I’m excited to share a few announcements with you including our latest update - our shiny new Slack integration.

November 19, 2021

Product update: Adopt a cybersecurity business model with your team

In the tech world, we talk about making consistent 1% improvements. Why don’t we apply this same thinking to security? Create your own Small Business Cybersecurity plan.

October 6, 2021

Patching: How to protect your company from cyber attacks

You need to patch systems, applications and third-party libraries used in your code. Patching is a foundational security task.

August 25, 2021

Crowdsourced security: How to run an effective bug bounty program

What if you could expand the way you found vulnerabilities in your application by tapping into a global community of security researchers?

November 1, 2022

Product update: New cybersecurity platform integration with Jira

Onwardly customers using Jira can now create and link issues directly to and from Onwardly, connecting important streams of security work and increasing productivity.

May 28, 2021

A cybersecurity services provider, Onwardly, featured in Stuff

Onwardly was recently featured on Stuff.co.nz in an article aimed at small to medium businesses.

March 8, 2021

Product update: Cybersecurity platform for startups

In the business world we like to talk about making progress - but how do we do this for security? Take a note from the CEO of Onwardly, a Cybersecurity Software

August 18, 2021

SaaS Security Software Onwardly launches

Launching today - ‍Onwardly is a web based platform with everything you need to rapidly establish and operate a professional security program.

February 9, 2021

Product update: Streamline your workflow with Microsoft Teams

It’s easier than ever to improve your security posture by integrating your Onwardly tasks with Microsoft Teams

December 14, 2022

How to communicate cybersecurity with your board

Cyber risk is one of the main challenges businesses face today. Yet, according to the World Economic Forum, cybersecurity failure is still perceived as a short-term risk⏤increasingly leaving many vulnerable due to a "lack of readiness."

November 9, 2022

Cybersecurity tips for onboarding and offboarding staff

Onwardly’s runbook feature provides a place to store, manage and action your runbooks in order to work more consistently and securely.

September 12, 2021

How to mitigate cybersecurity risks with awareness training

Regularly scheduling training for existing staff, and ensuring new staff are enrolled are both parts of continuing to run an effective security program.

October 12, 2021

4 startup myths that hold technical founders back

Growth is no doubt the main focus for early-stage startups. But growth isn’t always linear, nor does it come overnight.

September 29, 2022

Acceptable Use Policy: What is it?

Protect your company from common human mistakes with a personalised Use Policy and Data Security Policy. Create a cybersecurity policy for your small business with Onwardly.

September 8, 2021

4 non-technical skills of a great startup CTO

CTOs mostly come from very technical backgrounds. So when it comes to moving up into a leadership role, often there’s a misconception that a CTO is there to listen out for anything techy and report back. Instead, the CTO is a member of the leadership team and their primary responsibility (along with the rest of the C-suite) is to drive the business forward.

September 15, 2022

Unbeatable cyber resilience 🦹

Kendall Flutey Co-founder & CEO, Banqer

“Perhaps most importantly, Onwardly has supported our ability to foster an all-team culture of privacy and security resilience. Already, our roadmap has impacted the entire team and their day to day in some way. Given the vulnerability that we as people present, our ability to influence our company’s resilience is material."

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Winner of 2021 iSANZ Best Startup

A product image of Onwardly with the score breakdown of each security domain, to the left side is an image of our superhero mascot Jester with a laptop in her hands