Bright Security for Seed-stage startups

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What middleBrick covers

  • Black-box scanning with under one minute turnaround
  • Covers OWASP API Top 10 (2023) and maps to PCI-DSS 4.0
  • Supports authenticated scans with Bearer and API key
  • Provides diff detection across scheduled rescans
  • Delivers branded compliance PDFs and dashboard trends
  • Integrates via CLI, GitHub Action, and MCP Server

API Security Posture for Seed-stage Products

Seed-stage teams face pressure to ship features quickly while maintaining a minimal security footprint. An API security scanner that operates without agents, SDKs, or code access reduces setup friction and avoids dependency risks. Black-box scanning against your public surface provides a fast indicator of exposure, focusing on authentication issues, IDOR patterns, and data exposure relevant to OWASP API Top 10 (2023).

Scan Methodology and Time-to-Value

Submissions are processed in under a minute using read-only methods (GET and HEAD) plus text-only POST for LLM probes. The scanner maps findings to three frameworks, including PCI-DSS 4.0, SOC 2 Type II, and OWASP API Top 10 (2023), without implying certification or compliance guarantees. OpenAPI 3.0, 3.1, and Swagger 2.0 specs are parsed with recursive $ref resolution, cross-referenced against runtime behavior to highlight undefined security schemes and deprecated operations.

Authenticated Scanning and Safe Coverage

Authenticated scans support Bearer, API key, Basic auth, and Cookie credentials, gated by domain verification to ensure only domain owners can scan with credentials. Header forwarding is limited to Authorization, X-API-Key, Cookie, and X-Custom-* to minimize exposure. The scanner enforces a read-only posture, blocks private IPs and cloud metadata endpoints, and never sends destructive payloads.

Findings, Monitoring, and Integration Options

Results are delivered through a web dashboard with trend tracking, branded compliance PDFs, and configurable email alerts. For CI/CD, a GitHub Action can fail builds when scores drop below a threshold, while the CLI supports JSON and text output for scripting. Pro tier includes scheduled rescans, diff detection across scans, and signed webhooks with auto-disable after repeated failures.

Limitations and Responsible Use

The tool does not fix, patch, or remediate findings; it provides detection and guidance. It does not perform active SQL injection or command injection testing, detect business logic vulnerabilities, or replace a human pentester for high-stakes audits. Organizations should treat scanner output as one input to a broader security program aligned with internal risk models.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does this scanner replace a penetration test?
No. It surfaces common API misconfigurations and supports evidence collection for frameworks such as SOC 2 Type II, but it does not replace a human pentester for high-stakes audits.
How are compliance claims handled?
The scanner maps findings to PCI-DSS 4.0, SOC 2 Type II, and OWASP API Top 10 (2023). For other regulations, it helps you prepare for audits and supports audit evidence without guaranteeing compliance.
What data is retained after cancellation?
Customer scan data is deletable on demand and purged within 30 days of cancellation. Data is never sold and is not used for model training.
Can authenticated scans be scheduled?
Yes. With credentials, you can schedule scans through the dashboard or Pro tier monitoring, with alerts rate-limited to one per hour per API.

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