eCommerce businesses are being subjected to various cyber-attacks on a daily basis. Keeping track of the latest security measures and tips to prevent them can be tricky for small retail outlets that don’t have a dedicated information technology team. Cyber criminals keep coming up with new methods of compromising eCommerce websites, apps, and other digital properties every day. This includes phishing attacks, brute force attacks, DDoS attacks, and more. These cyber criminals are looking for weak spots in your system so they can steal your customers’ data or sell your users’ information to third parties for malicious purposes. Thankfully there are many simple but effective ways that you can protect your store from cyber-attacks right now. Keep reading to find out how you can protect your store from the growing threat of cyber attacks.
1. Use SSL to protect your websites and apps from cyber attacks
SSL (or Secure Sockets Layer) is a security protocol that is primarily used to keep sensitive data safe from prying eyes when it is being transmitted to or from a website or app. It can also be used to protect your entire eCommerce store from cyber-attacks. Whenever SSL is implemented on a website or app, it will generate a special code for your website.
This code is designed to look different than the rest of the website. This triggers a warning in the user’s browser that shows them that the website is using SSL and therefore the information they enter while on the website is safe from third parties. Using SSL Certificate or Wildcard SSL (Unlimited Subdomain) to protect your website against cyber-attacks is one of the easiest and most effective ways of doing so. It will let your customers know that you are serious about their privacy and security. They will then be more likely to shop with you again in the future. In fact, 90% of customers expect their online stores to use SSL. So, if you don’t currently have SSL implemented on your sites, it is time to get it done.
2. Strong passwords for everyone
Password strength is something that we come back to again and again when discussing best practices for keeping data secure online. It’s the biggest problem in computer security, and it makes all other efforts to protect your eCommerce business almost worthless. In fact, a recent study found that the majority of people use the same password for most of their online accounts.
This puts your customers’ data at risk since if someone gets hold of that password, they’ll have access to all of your customers’ information. Strong passwords include a combination of letters, numbers, and symbols. You should also change your passwords every 3-6 months. Make sure that everyone on your team follows these rules when choosing their passwords. If you have a team of remote workers, you can use a password manager to securely share passwords between everyone.
3. DDoS protection for your store
A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack is when a malicious individual or group floods your store’s website or app with thousands of data requests. This forces your internet service provider to shut down your site since they are being flooded by too much traffic. This is done either to extort money from you or to disrupt your business for other malicious purposes.
Fortunately, DDoS protection services such as Cloudflare Home and others are relatively inexpensive. They also prevent your website from going down in the event of a DDoS attack against your website. You should also be keeping a close eye on your website’s traffic.
You can use a service such as Google Analytics to keep track of the traffic to your website as well as its sources. You can also set up website alerts to notify you when there are sudden changes in your website’s traffic. This will help you identify DDoS attacks as soon as they happen. It will also help you find out where the attack is coming from so that you can report it to the right authorities.
4. Firewalls to block malicious traffic
Another great way to protect your eCommerce store from cyber-attacks is by using a top-notch firewall. Firewalls are computer systems that keep out unwanted visitors by blocking malicious traffic. Firewalls are very helpful in protecting your site from being hacked and experiencing downtime. They can also protect your site from Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks.
Firewalls keep track of every IP address that accesses your website. If they find an IP address that is malicious, they will block it from accessing your website. This is a great way to prevent cyber-attacks. You should make sure that the firewall that you choose to install on your website is always up to date. This will help ensure that the firewall can detect new threats as soon as they hit the internet. You can also install a firewall on your computer system. This will protect your computer from malicious code and stop it from joining a botnet that could be used to attack other websites.
5. Communication with your team and customers
One of the easiest ways to protect your eCommerce business from cyber-attacks is by staying in touch with your team members. Communication is crucial when it comes to protecting your data. Make sure that all of your employees follow appropriate security practices while on the job. This includes using strong passwords, having a secure computer system, and installing antivirus software.
You should also make sure that your team members are communicating with one another. This will help prevent mistakes from being made and your team members from falling for phishing scams. You should also regularly communicate with your customers.
This will help you find out if your customers have experienced any security issues while shopping on your site. You should also let your customers know that you are doing everything in your power to protect their information. This will help reassure your customers that your business is serious about protecting their privacy and data. It will also make them more likely to shop with you again in the future.
Conclusion
The world of eCommerce is growing every year, with more and more people making purchases online. Unfortunately, this also means that eCommerce websites are increasingly being targeted by cyber criminals. It’s important, therefore, for eCommerce businesses to take appropriate steps to protect themselves and their customers from attacks. There are many simple but effective ways that you can protect your store from cyber-attacks, such as by using SSL to protect your websites and apps, by creating strong passwords for everyone, by installing DDoS protection, and by blocking malicious traffic through firewalls and installing communication tools.