As a result of the Coronavirus pandemic, the number of companies that started running businesses online has increased. Prosperous eCommerce sites have always been a target for cybercriminals. Thus, the question of security has only gained relevance. This page is for those entrepreneurs interested in securing their online business.
Why Companies Ignore eCommerce Security?
- They Don’t Believe Their Company Could Be a Target;
- They Don’t Realize the Threat;
- They’re Afraid of Additional Expenses.
10 Effective Ways to Secure Your eCommerce Site
#1 Choose a Secure eCommerce Hosting Service
A secure eCommerce hosting service is essential. Apart from keeping cybercriminals away and shielding your site from attacks, your hosting service must have a good backup service so your platform could be easily restored from any security invasion.
#2 Use HTTPS
HTTPS or HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure ensures data security over the network – mainly public networks like Wi-Fi. This is one of the easiest ways to secure your eCommerce from malicious attacks. Besides, HTTPS websites are more trusted and known as authentic and secure because they’re certified. Security is not the main advantage of using HTTPS, though. Did you know that Google ranks certified websites to the top of the search results and, otherwise, marks not encrypted platforms as “not secure”? HTTPS security measures can also help to attract clients to your site. The 2018 Global Fraud and Identity Report by the Experian stated that 27 percent of online shoppers had abandoned a transaction due to a lack of visible security.
Source: Business2Community.com
#3 Don’t Store Sensitive Users’ Data
Customers’ safety should be a top priority for any eCommerce organization. Hackers and thieves can’t steal what you don’t have. You must be sure you don’t store any users’ data that may be a target by hackers (f.i. credit card information or any other private data). Storing delicate information may be risky because if your security system is easy to crack, then you will completely lose customers’ trust. Avoiding the collection of users’ personal information may prevent your business from becoming a target of malicious attacks. If you, after all, decide (or have) to store certain data, stringent access controls, regular audits, and total data encryption can’t be compromised.
#4 Promote Password Hygiene
Passwords and logins are standard access keys to most software. We need passwords for any service we log in. While the majority of users don’t comprehend the necessity of a reliable password and use one password to sign in multiple platforms, once it has been taken by hackers, it can be applied to various services. Patrick Sullivan from Akamai Technologies states that even if the site’s e-commerce site has perfect security, its weakest link could be the customers ». When users register on the site, set up strict requirements for their passwords (min 8-10 characters, min 2 numbers, and capital letters).
Source: responsentry.com
#5 Keep Your eCommerce Website Updated
You never know when the next attack will begin and what vulnerable side hackers have found in your site. Remember that cybercriminals who want to steal information or simply do harm to your eCommerce site will be constantly looking for imperfections. It’s always better if these vulnerabilities are discovered by developers because they release new software updates and be prepared for the attack.
#6 Conduct Vulnerability Tests On Your Site
Performing regular vulnerability tests leaves no chances for hackers. The thing is when you perform a self-security assessment in order to detect weaknesses in your own application, you fix the vulnerabilities before being hit by real attackers. No need to wait for hackers’ attack to know your site’s weaknesses.
#7 Choose the Best eCommerce Software
Choosing an eCommerce software is actually one of the most important decisions that you make very early on in your eCommerce journey. An eCommerce platform is the backbone of an online retail enterprise. Before making a choice, security must be given a top priority. To select truly the best eCommerce service, also consider vendor experience and expertise, support, mobile, and SEO- friendliness.
#8 Get Access to Vpn
Technolac.com states that having access to VPN is an indispensable tool for remote work. VPN creates a secure connection from one network to another over the WEB. In case you want to get top VPNs for your commerce, there’re a lot of extended reviews to check on the Internet. How does VPN work to ensure your security? Advanced VPN systems use encryption and other protocols designed to enhance security. An additional benefit of encryption is that even in case of unauthorized invasion, your connections cannot be used by thieves.
#9 Pay Attention to What You Download and Integrate
Modern website builders allow you to download new plugins and tools and use them in combination with your site. The problem is that hackers can use these as bait to implant a malicious script on your site. Malware on your device could spy on your keystrokes, obtaining your eCommerce website password. To avoid the threat, never download an attachment or file from a user or site you don’t trust. Always verify the identity of plugin developers, and check reviews before installing.
#10 Proactively Monitor Your Website Activity
Google Analytics and a variety of other apps and tools can help you monitor how users are accessing your website. For example, GoDaddy’s Website Security offers daily scans for threats including malware, DDoS, cross-site scripting, and many others. Proactive monitoring will help you to prevent some threats and respond to other ones as they unfold. You will fight back the DDoS attack on its start, stop brute force attacks, respond to attacks related to malware, cross-site scripting, and some zero-day infiltrations.
Final Thoughts
In the modern online world, security is crucial. By following these 10 steps you can ensure your eCommerce site’s safety and minimize the risks of malicious attacks and help your website become credible and attractive.
Image credit: Johny Vino
The post How to Secure Your eCommerce Site: 10 Best Tips appeared first on ECN | E-Commerce Nation.
July 30, 2020 at 03:06AM
via https//www.brucedayne.com/
Haley Osborne, Khareem Sudlow
