There is no denying that ecommerce websites and stores have been a hot target for hackers and cybercriminals. Ecommerce websites will continue to be a hot target, which is why most customers prefer to buy products and services from a reliable and secure ecommerce store.
Online shoppers will not prefer to do business with ecommerce websites and stores that look less secure, reliable, or trustworthy. The good news is that there are several cybersecurity preventions measures that you can implement to increase the security of your ecommerce store.
According to the VMWare Carbon Black 2020 Cybersecurity Outlook Report, nearly 77 per cent of surveyed businesses had already completed the purchase of the latest security products. The report also revealed that approximately 69 per cent of businesses have already increased the number of security staff.
Everything You Should Know About E-Commerce Security
Ecommerce security greatly focuses on ensuring safe and secure online transactions for the selling and buying of products and services over the internet.
Several safety measures are implemented by ecommerce businesses to ensure the safety of the ones making an online purchase.
Suppose you want to guarantee the safety of your customers and prevent the chances of hacking and other types of cyberattacks.
In that case, you will need to implement several ecommerce store security measures. If you wonder how to get started, do not worry because we have got you covered.
opt For A Secure Web Host And Ecommerce Platform
You will need to consider several factors when you are selecting a hosting plan for your ecommerce store. For example, it is integral to consider factors like services offered, storage capacity, security patches, uptime, hardware specifications, and more.
When choosing an ecommerce platform, most business owners focus on functionality, range of design, and storefront-building convenience. However, you should also consider security features before opting for a certain ecommerce platform.
Get An SSL Certificate
Most of you would have probably noticed the grey lock, which appears before the URL of some websites. The grey lock indicates that your ecommerce website has been secured with an SSL certificate.
If your website is still running on HTTP, then you should buy SSL certificate and install it asap.
Ecommerce business owners should also note that SSL certification on websites is considered one way to improve website ranking on Google. This is because it secures the in-transit communication between the web browser and the client-server by encrypting it.
Choosing the right kind of SSL certificate for your website might seem like an uphill task, but fret not; we have got you covered.
For ecommerce owners, investing in a premium yet cheap wildcard SSL certificate is recommended. We assume that you must have multiple first-level subdomains such as store, blog, mail, news pages etc., under one main domain.
With a single wildcard SSL cert, you can secure not just the chosen primary domain but also an unlimited number of first-level subdomains under it.
There are several benefits your company or organization will be able to enjoy by investing in a Wildcard SSL certificate, and some of them are listed below.
- Secure unlimited number of sub-domains
- Easy SSL management
- Affordable price
- SEO boost
Secure Your Admin Area
Protecting the admin area of your ecommerce website or online store is one of the most effective ways to improve website or ecommerce store security.
If you are using WooCommerce, Magento, or a common ecommerce platform, you will be able to find a default admin area.
All you now need to do is change the admin settings as required, as it will help you prevent the chances of unauthorized individuals gaining access.
It is crucial to change the default admin username because cybercriminals are on the lookout for easy targets. So, if you continue to use the same default username, you are at a higher risk of getting hacked. Fortunately, you can avoid this by changing the default login credentials.
Keep Your Website Updated and Patched
Most hackers and cybercriminals are on the lookout for vulnerabilities. This is because they will be able to easily exploit the vulnerabilities and hack your system.
Therefore, software and app developers are regularly releasing new and improved updates to fix vulnerabilities.
This means that new software updates are something you do not want to miss if you want to ensure the security of your ecommerce website or store.
In addition, latest software updates come with important security patches, which is why you should always keep your website updated and patched without any delays.
Backup Your Data Regularly
It is true that regularly backing up website data will not help you to prevent any cyberattacks or hacks. However, businesses that backup website data regularly will be able to considerably reduce or minimize the risk of data loss due to cyber-attacks and data breaches.
In other words, regularly backing up websites and sensitive business data is an effective strategy, which will protect the information from being corrupted, held hostage, or lost. Therefore, backing up data whenever possible is a solid business practice.
Several experts in the field of cybersecurity recommend businesses backup data daily. However, if you cannot do that, you should try to back up data at least once every three days.
Use A Website Application Firewall
A WAF or Website Application Firewall will offer additional security to your ecommerce store or website. For example, a Website Application Firewall will protect your ecommerce website from forgery requests, SQL injections, and XSS.
In addition to that, it will also offer protection to your ecommerce store or website from hacking attempts. Ecommerce websites using a WAF are at a lower risk of being victim to DDoS or DoS attacks.
There are several WAF vendors out there, which means that you can easily find one that suits your budget and needs.
Wrapping Up
Having a secure ecommerce online store or website has become an essential requirement for your brand and your customers.
Unfortunately, there is not any single solution for making an ecommerce store secure or sound. That said, you will be able to increase the security of your ecommerce store by implementing the security measures mentioned above.
