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Blog · Cloud and security

Cloud and security

Cloud architecture and security guides for small and newly registered companies, with real numbers and sources.

42 articles · updated 7 Nov 2026

Cloud & Security · 7 Nov 2026

AWS vs Azure vs Google Cloud for Indian Startups (2026)

Credits, India regions and Mumbai and Pune prices for the three big clouds, compared for small and newly registered Indian companies.

XDQ Editors7 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 9 Nov 2026

Startup Cloud Credits 2026: AWS, Google and Microsoft Compared

What AWS Activate, Google for Startups Cloud and Microsoft for Startups really offer in 2026, who qualifies, and how long credits last.

XDQ Editors9 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

Cloud Architecture for a New Company: A Starter Blueprint (2026)

A practical first cloud setup for a newly registered company: accounts, network, compute, data, backups and cost controls with real prices.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 12 min read

Cloud & Security · 7 Nov 2026

How Much It Costs to Host a SaaS MVP in 2026 (Real Prices)

Real monthly hosting costs for a SaaS MVP on AWS Mumbai and Azure Central India, from a $5 server to a production-ready setup.

XDQ Editors7 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 9 Nov 2026

Serverless vs Containers vs VMs for Small Companies (2026)

When functions, containers or plain virtual machines make sense for a small team, with real Lambda, Fargate, Azure and EC2 prices.

XDQ Editors9 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

Choosing a Database: Postgres, MySQL, MongoDB or DynamoDB (2026)

How to pick the first database for a new product, with the trade-offs of each and real managed-service prices in India.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 12 Nov 2026

Cybersecurity Checklist for a New Company in India (2026)

What a newly registered Indian company should secure first, from accounts and email to logs, backups, CERT-In reporting and DPDP Rules duties.

XDQ Editors12 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 12 Nov 2026

Securing Google Workspace for Small Businesses (2026 Guide)

The Google Workspace settings that matter most for a small team: admin accounts, 2-Step Verification, Gmail protection, sharing controls and the right edition.

XDQ Editors12 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 12 Nov 2026

Securing Microsoft 365 for Small Businesses (2026 Guide)

How a small company should secure its Microsoft 365 tenant: security defaults, admin MFA, passkeys, email protection, device management and the right plan.

XDQ Editors12 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

SPF, DKIM and DMARC Setup and the Gmail and Yahoo Sender Rules

How to set up SPF, DKIM and DMARC on a new domain, and what Gmail, Yahoo and Outlook.com now require before they accept your mail.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 12 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

Multi-Factor Authentication for Small Companies: What the Data Says

What the research says about MFA, where it still fails, which methods resist phishing and how a small company can roll it out without lock-outs.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 12 Nov 2026

Password Managers for Small Teams: How to Choose and Roll Out

A practical guide to choosing a business password manager for a small team, the security questions to ask, and how to roll it out so people actually use it.

XDQ Editors12 Nov 2026 · 9 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

Cyber Attack Statistics in India 2026: CERT-In, Fraud and Breach Data

The latest official and research figures on cyber incidents, cyber fraud and data breach costs in India, and what they mean for Indian companies.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

Ransomware Statistics 2026 and What Small Companies Should Do

Ransomware figures from Verizon, Sophos, IBM and the FBI for 2026, with a practical defence plan sized for small companies.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 7 Nov 2026

Phishing and Business Email Compromise Statistics 2026

The 2026 numbers on phishing volume, BEC losses, SMS and voice scams, and the controls that stop payment fraud.

XDQ Editors7 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

Cost of a Data Breach 2026: What IBM's Report Means for Small Firms

IBM's 2026 study puts the global average breach at $4.99 million. Here is what drives that cost and which findings a small company can act on.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 9 Nov 2026

Deepfake and AI Fraud Statistics 2026, and Defences for Businesses

What the FBI, IBM and Deloitte data says about deepfake and AI-enabled fraud, and the verification steps that stop it reaching your bank account.

XDQ Editors9 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

Website Security Checklist for Small Businesses (2026)

A practical, defensive checklist for keeping a small business website patched, encrypted, backed up and monitored, based on 2026 data.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

DPDP Act 2023 for Startups: Obligations, Rules and Penalties (2026)

What India's DPDP Act and the 2025 Rules ask of startups, when each duty starts, and how the penalty schedule works.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 7 Nov 2026

CERT-In 6-Hour Incident Reporting Rules for Small Companies (2026)

A plain guide to CERT-In's 2022 Directions: which incidents to report within six hours, how to report, and the log and clock rules behind them.

XDQ Editors7 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

RBI Digital Lending Guidelines: A Technology Checklist (2026)

The app, data, display and reporting controls that RBI's Digital Lending Directions, 2025 expect from banks, NBFCs and their lending partners.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

ISO 27001 Certification Cost and Timeline in India (2026)

What ISO 27001 certification costs an Indian company in year one and over three years, how long it takes, and what drives the price.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

SOC 2 for Indian SaaS Companies: Cost, Timeline and Steps (2026)

How Indian SaaS teams get a SOC 2 report for US buyers: Type 1 versus Type 2, who can sign it, what it costs and how long it takes.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

GDPR for Indian SaaS Companies Selling to Europe (2026 Guide)

When GDPR reaches an Indian SaaS business, what processors must sign, how transfers work without an adequacy decision, and what the fines look like.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

HIPAA for Indian Vendors Serving US Healthcare Clients (2026)

What a business associate agreement commits an Indian vendor to, the breach clocks, current penalty amounts and the proposed Security Rule changes.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

US State Privacy Laws for Indian SaaS Exporters (2026 Guide)

Which US state privacy laws an Indian SaaS company may meet, the thresholds and penalties that matter, and the new 2026 and 2027 dates.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

PCI DSS 4.0 for Startups Taking Card Payments (2026 Guide)

What PCI DSS v4.0.1 asks of a startup, how SAQ A changed for iframes and redirects, and the payment page script rules now in force.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

Vendor Security Questionnaires: How Small Vendors Pass (2026)

Why enterprise buyers send long security questionnaires, what SIG, CAIQ, SOC 2 and ISO 27001 cover, and how a small team can answer well.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 9 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

EU AI Act Timeline: What Indian AI Startups Need to Know (2026)

The EU AI Act dates after the 2026 AI Omnibus, who the law reaches outside Europe, the fine ceilings and what an Indian startup should do now.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

OWASP Top 10 Explained for Founders: The 2025 List in Plain English

What each OWASP Top 10:2025 risk means for a startup product, what changed from 2021, and which fixes to fund first.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 7 Nov 2026

API Security for Small SaaS Teams: A Practical 2026 Guide

The OWASP API Top 10 mapped to the controls a five to twenty person SaaS team can actually build, test and maintain.

XDQ Editors7 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

Secrets Management for Startups: A Practical Guide for 2026

How startups leak API keys and passwords, and the vault, scanning, rotation and CI/CD habits that stop it.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 10 Nov 2026

Security Logging and Monitoring on a Small Budget (2026 Guide)

What to log, where to send it, what it costs on common platforms and which alerts a small team should set first.

XDQ Editors10 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

Incident Response Plan for a 10-Person Company: 2026 Template

A one-page incident response plan a small team can write in an afternoon, built on NIST SP 800-61 Rev. 3 and CERT-In rules.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

Securing CI/CD Pipelines and GitHub for Startups (2026 Guide)

The OWASP CI/CD risks, the tj-actions lesson and the GitHub settings that stop a pipeline becoming the way in.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 11 Nov 2026

Laptop and Device Security for Remote Teams: 2026 Guide

How small remote teams can lock down laptops and phones: ownership model, baseline settings, patching, sign-in, lost devices and incident duties.

XDQ Editors11 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 12 Nov 2026

Zero Trust for Small Businesses Explained (2026 Guide)

What zero trust means in plain terms, how the CISA and NIST frameworks are built, and a realistic first year for a small company.

XDQ Editors12 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 9 Nov 2026

Cloudflare and CDN Security for Small Business Websites (2026)

What a CDN such as Cloudflare protects on a small business website, what the free plan includes, and the gaps it will not close.

XDQ Editors9 Nov 2026 · 9 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

WordPress Security in 2026: Risks, Data and a Hardening Checklist

What 2025 vulnerability data says about WordPress risk, how fast flaws are exploited, and the hardening settings that matter most in 2026.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 11 min read

Cloud & Security · 8 Nov 2026

AI Usage Policy for Small Companies: What to Include (2026)

The clauses a small company's AI usage policy needs in 2026, mapped to NIST's generative AI risks, India's AI guidelines and DPDP duties.

XDQ Editors8 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 7 Nov 2026

Securing WhatsApp Business and Customer Data for SMBs (2026)

How small businesses can secure WhatsApp Business accounts, follow Meta's data rules and meet DPDP and CERT-In duties for customer chats.

XDQ Editors7 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

Cloud & Security · 12 Nov 2026

AI Agent Security and DPDP Checklist for SaaS Teams (2026)

A practical checklist for Indian SaaS teams shipping AI agents: OWASP LLM risks, access controls, logs, breach reporting and DPDP duties.

XDQ Editors12 Nov 2026 · 10 min read

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