Do you own an e-commerce store, or are you thinking of starting one? Well, I would like to congratulate you for making that decision, as an online business has numerous benefits compared to a brick-and-mortar store. You will be able to target a larger customer pool and avoid the initial expenses of renting, electricity bills, employing human resources, etc.
On the other side of the coin, you will be attracting many bad people, the thieves. These thieves operate online, which means they can potentially attack your online store worldwide. That being said, your e-commerce security game should be on point! This article covers all essential e-commerce security tips to keep your website safe. Read on!
E-commerce security tips
Your e-commerce business can be attacked in various ways; DoS, DDoS, phishing, spamming, financial frauds, attacks through other vulnerabilities, and whatnot! With constantly evolving technology, cyber attackers have also become more brutal and frequent than ever.
Therefore, it is better to prevent any attack than to address it when it ensues on your network.
Encryption and authentication
Google has made an HTTPS connection a ranking factor in its search engine algorithm. The user gets a clear warning on his screen if it is not an encrypted connection. The communication established over HTTP protocol is undoubtedly an insecure website inviting attackers to intercept communications and steal.
One solution to encryption and authentication is getting an SSL certificate for your e-commerce website. An SSL certificate, an extended validated one, would be the best choice for an online store. However, if you have budget constraints, you can also go with a less expensive Organization Validated SSL certificate. It is important to note that all SSL certificates offer the same level of encryption, whereas other authentication parameters are different.
In case of subdomains, we suggest to buy wildcard SSL, as it would let you use it for all subdomains and eliminate the need for buying certificates separately. For example, blog.yourwebsite.com, support.yourwebsite.com, etc., would be covered under one certificate, leaving no chance for unencrypted subdomains and URLs. RapidSSL wildcard, DigiCert wildcard, Thawte wildcard are few of the best choices in the market, being a leading global certificate authority.
Go with secure hosting servers.
The best choice for a server to host your website would be the one that is most economical, right. Well, of course, that is one of the prime factors. In addition to that, cyber security is another crucial factor you should consider.
A good hosting server would offer a 99.99% uptime guarantee. Moreover, it should come with a Cloudflare DNS firewall, DDoS protection, and malware detection. It will go a long way in protecting your e-commerce websites.
The hosting provider should facilitate scheduled and on-demand backups and quick restoration in case of a cyber-attack. Overall, compare all alternatives considering these factors along with price!
Ensure your website is updated
When we say updated, that means you should keep all the plugins, apps, and software updated to their latest version. It is crucial because each website update comes with security patches. If not updated, hackers can easily reach the database through vulnerabilities existing in the older versions of apps, themes, and plugins.
You can turn on auto-update as well. We would also advise you to remove unused data, plugins, and apps, as their older versions pose a considerable risk of cyber-attacks. In addition, there is no point in keeping unused apps, even if they are regularly updated since they potentially add to vulnerabilities.
Use anti-malware
The following e-commerce security tip for you is using premium anti-malware software. It can protect your online store from DoS, DDoS, spam, and phishing attacks. What is more? An anti-malware keeps away all sorts of malware like viruses, worms, Trojans, ransomware, bots, spyware, etc.
However, ensure that the anti-malware software protection is always on and that you are using its latest version.
Make online payments secure by setting up PCI compliance.
All e-commerce stores have to have a payment facility. If you decide to accept credit card payments, your online store must comply with the PCI security standards council. The compliance ensures excellent security, considering it involves 12 core requirements and more than 400 security checks.
Financial frauds have accounted for a total of USD 20 billion loss worldwide! Therefore, this move is imperative to provide the best security possible for your customers.
Use third-party payment gateways.
This e-commerce security tip will show you how to skip the PCI compliance hard work and keep transactions secure. At a checkout, facilitate popular third-party payment gateways to choose from—for example, PayPal or Stripe.
The customer is redirected to a third-party payment service website. This way, you are not saving any payment details of your customers and are using the security of those payment getaways.
Avail an option for two-factor authentication
2FA works both ways; it keeps bots from signing in by asking an OTP and builds trust in your customer base that you prioritize their security by asking for identity proof. Most e-commerce stores prefer their customers to make an account by signing up.
So while signing up, encourage the customers to fill in the correct email address and phone number by mandatory verification. Brute force attacks can also be stopped using two-factor authentication.
Another e-commerce security tip that goes with 2FA is creating strong passwords. Make it mandatory to use alphabets, numbers, and special characters.
Use firewalls
Firewalls are an additional layer to your cybersecurity defence. They prevent unauthorized access into or out of the network connection. That means the firewall will not let intruders, access the website even before your anti-malware software detects any problem on your network.
Conclusion
I hope you have found the e-commerce security tips discussed in this article helpful. You should consider these imperative factors. Bad people online are smart, too, and you may need advanced cyber protection.
In the case of an online store, DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) and DoS (Denial of Service) your competitors can even plan attacks. Those attacks do not let people visit your business website. Few brands like Spotify, Twitter, and GitHub have faced major DDoS attacks. Therefore, the takeaway is to stay vigilant and always keep your cybersecurity shield up!
