How much does an app security audit cost in Australia?

Focused production readiness reviews for SMB/founder apps often run $3,500–$8,000 fixed scope. Broad penetration tests start higher. Match scope to your stage — readiness before pen test.

Is Supabase or Firebase enough for security?

They provide strong primitives — RLS and rules must still be correct. Most vibe-coded gaps are application-layer: missing RLS policies, client-side trust, and weak admin routes.

When should I audit — before or after launch?

Before first paying customers or before handling sensitive health/financial data. Fixing auth and tenancy after launch is slower and reputational risk is higher.

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16 June 2026 · 8 min read

Vibe-coded app security audit: what Brisbane founders need before launch

Apps built quickly in Cursor, Lovable, or Bolt can reach customers fast — and leak data faster if auth, tenancy, and secrets were afterthoughts. A pre-launch audit checklist for Australian founders shipping AI-assisted software.

A vibe-coded app security audit answers one question: if a curious user or bot probes your production URL tomorrow, what breaks first?

Brisbane and remote-first AU founders increasingly ship MVPs built with AI coding tools — speed is real; so are OWASP Top 10 gaps in auth, IDOR, and secret handling.

What auditors check first

Authentication and session management — JWT in localStorage, missing refresh rotation, no MFA on admin.

Multi-tenant data isolation — can user A’s ID fetch user B’s records?

Secrets in repos or client bundles — API keys in frontend env vars.

Rate limiting and webhooks — payment and signup endpoints hammered.

Logging and PII — customer data in error traces.

Production readiness vs pen test

Production readiness (North Ark FC-04) is a fixed-scope review plus remediations checklist — ideal pre-launch or pre-seed diligence.

Full penetration testing is deeper and pricier — often after traction or when enterprise customers require it.

Start with readiness; graduate to pen test when revenue or contracts demand it.

Launch week smoke test

Run signup, pay, core workflow, password reset, and logout on production — not staging.

Verify backups and rollback for database migrations.

Turn on error alerting before marketing sends traffic.

Download our production readiness checklist (LM-01) for the full item list.

Frequently asked questions

How much does an app security audit cost in Australia?: Focused production readiness reviews for SMB/founder apps often run $3,500–$8,000 fixed scope. Broad penetration tests start higher. Match scope to your stage — readiness before pen test.
Is Supabase or Firebase enough for security?: They provide strong primitives — RLS and rules must still be correct. Most vibe-coded gaps are application-layer: missing RLS policies, client-side trust, and weak admin routes.
When should I audit — before or after launch?: Before first paying customers or before handling sensitive health/financial data. Fixing auth and tenancy after launch is slower and reputational risk is higher.

Next step

AI app security audit Brisbane — ready to act?

Production launch (FC-04)

Or book a free discovery call →