Security - HoseaCodes/PropFlow-UI GitHub Wiki

Why You Need Security & Compliance

1. You’re storing sensitive operational data

  • Hosts may input real guest reviews (which can contain personal data)

  • You store occupancy, booking, and pricing details

2. You're using third-party APIs

  • OpenAI: Sends user text to an external system (data privacy concern)

  • Email services: Handling outbound notifications to hosts

3. You may monetize (subscriptions/payments)

  • If you integrate Stripe, you'll need basic PCI compliance and secure endpoints

4. You could eventually face legal obligations

  • GDPR/CCPA: If any European/Californian users use your product

  • Terms of Service & Privacy Policy: Required for even basic SaaS operations

Minimum Security & Compliance Requirements (MVP-Friendly)

Area What to Do Tools / Notes
Data Protection Encrypt MongoDB at rest MongoDB Atlas has this built-in
API Security Rate-limit and require API keys or JWT auth Use express-rate-limit + HTTPS
Secrets Management Store OpenAI & Email API keys securely Use .env files, GitHub Secrets, or EC2 IAM roles
Email Compliance Include unsubscribe link in emails Mailgun/SES makes this easy
Access Control Ensure role-based access to reports Add user roles later if needed
Terms of Service Add link to site footer Can use free SaaS legal templates
Privacy Policy Describe how data is collected, stored, shared Must mention OpenAI and email providers
GDPR/CCPA Prep Allow user data deletion requests Add /delete-my-data endpoint (later phase)
OpenAI Usage Policy Ensure compliance with their data-use terms Link

Security Must-Haves at Launch

  • HTTPS enforced (Vercel and EC2 config)

  • Secure .env usage for all secrets

  • No storing of sensitive PII (Personally Identifiable Info)

  • Terms of Service + Privacy Policy

  • Rate limiting on API routes

Compliance Enhancements (Post-Launch)

  • Data deletion request handler (/request-deletion)

  • Stripe integration with webhook verification

  • Audit logging (user actions on backend)

  • Admin-only routes for reports or jobs

Summary: Is It Needed?

Yes — You need basic security and compliance from Day 1 to:

  • Build trust with hosts

  • Stay compliant with OpenAI + GDPR/CCPA

  • Scale into premium users without rewriting the system

Would you like:

  • A starter Privacy Policy and Terms of Service template?

  • A checklist for GDPR compliance for small SaaS apps?

  • A Node.js security hardening guide for your EC2 server?

Let me know what you'd like generated next.

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