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Clarity

Roberto Arias

Berlin, Germany

IT Security expert. International experience across four continents. Giving expert advice in matter of information security and privacy: Ethical Hacking, Cybersecurity, Vulnerability Assessments, Penetration Testing, Disaster Recovery Plans, Data Breaches, Cloud Security (AWS/GCP), GDPR compliance and other related topics.

$2.50/min

10 Calls

7 Reviews

30 minutes
Avg. call

Privacy Information Technology Information Security Information Architecture Cloud Security Security Data Privacy Security Audits Security Management Internet Security

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IT Security for Startups | on-Demand Chief Information Security Officer

IT Security for startups including: baseline security, cloud security, vulnerability assessments, penetration testing, hiring IT security staff and awareness training.

Planning and executing an effective IT security policy is vital for the success of a startup. When there is no CISO within the organisation bringing an expert can effectively cover that gap.

* Please describe your topic ahead of the call to make the best use of your time on the phone.

Answers 10
Reviews 7

Answers

Roberto Arias answered

I have a great app idea, and I need help bringing it to life.

I agree with the previous suggestions. You need to be sure your idea is profitable. There are myriad of applications nowadays and many of them don't generate a good business. Once you move to the execution time, get a good team to build a quality app, your testers are your friends.

Be sure to get your IT security strategy in place since the beginning, at least a basic one, when it's easier (and cheaper) to establish. Remember that in the rush to go live many startups lack security mechanisms and a single data breach in early stages can trash all your good work in a minute.

Call me if you need further assistance with the last topic.

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Start-ups

Mobile applications

Software Development

Roberto Arias answered

Are there different rules/regulations when marketing/selling to a consumer in healthcare compared to other industries?

Data security and privacy controls are things to consider carefully. Depending on the jurisdiction you fall in, there can even be legislation that you need to follow (e.g. HIPAA).

Having a strong data protection and a clear privacy statement is not only good for your peace of mind, it also demonstrates that you care about your customers data and set you apart from other healthcare businesses. Here in the Europe there are strong directives for protecting private identifiable personal data and especially anything related to healthcare.

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Healthcare

Marketing Strategy

Regulatory Strategy

Roberto Arias answered

As a solo founder, how do I build a team without money to outlay for a team? Are there places to look for folks who entertain equity projects?

That's definitely a possible. Networking with other startups can help you point out in the right direction. You might as well offer internships (at least here in Germany most of them are unpaid) and advertise for co-founders who can join you, even part-time.

There's a lot of people waiting for an opportunity to improve their skills. Of course you need to have such a great pitch and offer realistic expectation when they might get paid.

Some websites that come to my mind:
www.workinstartups.com
www.f6s.com/jobs
www.cofounderslab.com

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Startups

Early-stage Startups

Marketing

Roberto Arias answered

What specialty compliance/regulatory legal services are available for a healthcare marketplace startup (e.g. RocketLawyer)?

Hi,

I work in the security and privacy business in Europe and I can tell you a bit more about point d. You need to make sure you're bringing also an expert in compliance depending on your jurisdiction (e.g. HIPAA). You might need expert advice to know if you're doing enough to protect private information from patients. A lawyer might have a good knowledge of the regulations, however, a technical expert will also tell you if your measures are enough or if you're falling short and possibly liable.

If you're going to do business with Europe in any length, remember that we do have quite strict guidelines about privacy and is your responsibility to adequately protect patient's information.

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Healthcare

Healthcare Information Technology

Legal Advice

Roberto Arias answered

Where can I find a software development expert with experience in growing a technology company?

After working quite a few years in engineering, definitely I can recommend bringing an expert that acts as you CTO which will help you grow a reliable team. She/he will be able to advise you the best option for you about growing a team. Make sure this person has the correct balance of experience in a similar project and is someone who can understand your business requirements.

This expert will help you to also find some other experts you might need to get you where you want to be, or hire permanent employees if that's the best option. When you're ready to get your IT security policy as well, then drop me a line, we work with a variety of small-medium businesses with very little knowledge, sometimes, of this area.

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Growth Strategies

Operational Efficiency

Process Improvement

Roberto Arias answered

Is go daddy a good hosting option if I want to start small and scale to hundreds of thousands of users?

GoDaddy is definitely not the best option for hosting, not even for keeping your domain!

I'd recommend to get a reputable hosting company, preferrable not using a shared hosting. You can check out Google Cloud Platform or Amazon Web Services that will scale up with your needs.

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Web Hosting

Information Security

Corporate Websites

Roberto Arias answered

What do you look for when selecting technical/solution architect for a cross-platform mobile app?

Please also consider if the solutions architect have good knowledge of best security practices (or at least some working knowledge and he's able to find what's needed). The least thing you want is to have security gaps that might kill your startup with a security breach. Cross-platform apps might be tricky and interacting with external third-parties might leave you exposed to unwanted threats. Correctly managed these potential security breaches might be greatly reduced.

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Mobile applications

Mobile Technology

Technical Architecture

Roberto Arias answered

As a B2B video agency, what adjustments need to be done for GDPR?

Of course, the first part of the process is to identify which personal information are you holding and for what purpose.

Based on that you'll have to do an impact assessment and map where all that info is going (I assume you use third parties like Google Apps or Dropbox). You need to collect Data Protection Agreements which should cover GDPR and of course update your privacy policy.

On the technical side, you need to have appropriate security for protecting such information (such using encryption in your laptop, or making sure you have "https" on you site when submitting information).

The process if of course, longer than that but that gives you an idea. Depending on your size it would be a good idea to bring an external consultant to help you with the process. The UK ICO has good information about you have to do.

https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/guide-to-the-general-data-protection-regulation-gdpr/

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Legal Advice

Legal Research

Legal Compliance

Roberto Arias answered

who should I ask for help? What kind of person can help me and where could I find it?

Of course Stack Overflow, what would be the modern programming without it?

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Developers

Roberto Arias answered

What challenges will I face with security and scalability using wordpress for a marketplace product?

For a small/medium-sized project WordPress might be acceptable. However, if you plan to scale up and expect a lot of traffic it will be quite difficult to keep up.

Security of WP has improved in recent years, however, it still relies in PHP one of the languages that historically has suffered of prevalent security issues.

Scalability will be difficult at some point, you will need professional infrastructure to get a lot of transactions and other operations smooth. I would recommend research dedicated eCommerce platforms, remember Wordpress was originally conceived as a blogging platform.

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WordPress

eCommerce

Scalability

Reviews

Very helpful about GDPR compliance questions!

Michael Weiss Source: Clarity

Roberto is knowledgeable, tactical, to the point, and easy to talk to. We were able to have a fruitful meeting with actionable items from my end as well as walking away much better informed than before. Recommend Roberto if you have GDPR questions.

Tomás Gutiérrez Source: Clarity

Another great talk with Roberto. In 30 minutes he gave useful insights in data encryption options on AWS. Thanks Roberto!

Maurice van Leeuwen Source: Clarity

I got a lot of useful pointers from Roberto, he really crammed up the hour phone call with great information! He is experienced and skilled. I really recommend him if you need actionable security advice!

Maurice van Leeuwen Source: Clarity

To the point, very knowledgable, and a pleasure to talk to! He had good references for start ups and was very helpful in guiding us regarding best practices, new solutions and tools, and overall tips and suggestions.

Nia V Source: Clarity

Roberto was very knowledgeable about the IT Security landscape. He was eager to share his understanding in a straightforward and accessible way. Thank you, Roberto!

Henry Prince Source: Clarity

Roberto's understanding of IT security is top class. His experience with startups was quite useful to point us into the right direction, since we are still on the very early stages. He understands the business aspects of IT security which was an eye-opener for our future plans. No doubt I will be calling him again for further advice.

Jan Sokolski Source: Clarity

Member since July 2015