For a small team building on LLM APIs, do the cheap, high-value controls first: keys on the server, spend limits, per-user limits and no prompt logging by default. Then handle vendor terms and outages. Save formal programs for later. This checklist orders the work across 90 days.
Days 1 to 30: stop the expensive mistakes
- Keys on the server only. No provider key in a browser or mobile app. See why keys never belong in client apps.
- Secrets in a manager, not in code or chat. Turn on push protection and scanning.
- Spend limits and alerts on every key or workspace, set below what you could not absorb.
- A backend that decides the model, output size and system prompt. See what a proxy must enforce.
- Input size caps and per-user limits. See per-user limits.
- Separate keys for development and production.
OWASP's list for unbounded consumption names input limits, rate limiting, timeouts and monitoring among its prevention measures, and OWASP's API guidance names spending limits with providers or billing alerts. These steps match both.
Days 31 to 60: logs, data and vendors
- Logging by design. Metadata for all requests, content only for samples, redaction before writing. See prompt logs for debugging.
- Read the provider's data terms. Training use, retention, regions. Note them in one internal page.
- Sign the data processing terms if you handle personal data. See the DPA checklist.
- Publish a sub-processor list if customers will ask.
- Tool and data access. If the model can call tools or read internal data, give it the least access that works, and require human approval for risky actions.
- A first abuse review. Look at heavy users and new-account patterns. See free trial abuse.
Days 61 to 90: resilience and proof
- Outage plan per feature: degrade, queue or fail over. See the outage guide.
- Retries and timeouts set deliberately. See retries and circuit breakers.
- Model deprecation calendar with owners. See the deprecation plan.
- Prompt injection smoke tests in CI.
- An acceptable use policy tied to real controls. See enforcement basics.
- Questionnaire answers written once and reviewed. See answering the training data question.
- A key leak drill. Rotate a test key end to end and time it.
What to leave for later
Dedicated tooling for every risk, formal certifications and complex multi-provider routing can wait until a customer or the numbers justify them. Do not claim certifications while they are in progress.
How to track it
Put the list in your tracker with owners and dates, and re-run it each quarter. A short list that is maintained beats a long one that is not.
Safeguard offers dependency and secret scanning, policy gates for pull requests and compliance evidence automation that can support several of these steps. The free scan at https://gold.safeguard.sh/scan is a low-effort first check.
Quick check
What is the single most valuable step?
A spend limit, together with keys on the server. They cap the worst financial outcome while you build the rest.
Sources
Last reviewed: 19 October 2026.
