In today’s digital world, online businesses have become a convenient method of transacting. For business owners, operating online offers several benefits, such as low operating costs, access to a wider range of customers, and flexibility. However, online businesses, much like your traditional business space, also need security. According to Zippia, about 30,000 websites are attacked each day. Another report shows that common cyberattacks faced by ecommerce websites include distributed denial of service attacks (DDoS), phishing, malware, ransomware, and supply chain attacks. Therefore, it is vital to ensure your business carries out sufficient measures to ensure its protection against cybercriminals and their malicious activity. Below are five effective ways to protect your online store from cyber attacks.
1. Choose a reliable ecommerce platform
Your security measures are only as good as the hosting platform your online store operates from. The good thing is there are several ecommerce hosting services available today. However, this can also be harmful as that may mean that not all these platforms offer the security you need for your business. Therefore, it is important to conduct sufficient checks before you proceed to select a platform. To ensure you select a reliable service platform, consider the various security features they offer. You must ensure that your preferred hosting service is automated and allows regular website backups, retrieval mechanisms, and remote regular malware scanning and detection features. You should also ensure that the platform of choice allows for regular software updates, meaning it makes constant changes to ensure improvement and added reliability.
2. Conduct thorough security audits
Another way of protecting your online store is by conducting regular and thorough security audits. But what are security audits? Simply put, security audits systematically analyze and evaluate a company’s security systems and measures. As an ecommerce business owner, it is vital to conduct regular checks on your website to ensure it is safe and in compliance with various regulations. Security audits also help you identify weaknesses in your security structure and develop the right solutions for them. When conducting a security audit, be sure to consider the following: the cleanliness of the website’s IP address and domain, data cleansing, the strength of passwords, and website encryption. 2
Another way of protecting your online store is by conducting regular and thorough security audits. But what are security audits? Simply put, security audits systematically analyze and evaluate a company’s security systems and measures. As an ecommerce business owner, it is vital to conduct regular checks on your website to ensure it is safe and in compliance with various regulations. Security audits also help you identify weaknesses in your security structure and develop the right solutions for them. When conducting a security audit, be sure to consider the following: the cleanliness of the website’s IP address and domain, data cleansing, the strength of passwords, and website encryption.
3. Avoid storing user data
The main reason why cyber attackers target ecommerce websites for their malicious activities is that they are known to store a hub of sensitive data collected from their customers. You may collect sensitive customer data such as credit card details, addresses, or locations as an online store owner. This information is valuable to attackers, meaning they would stop at nothing to gain access to it! Therefore, the best way to avoid their antics is to give them nothing at all by not storing user data on your site. Fortunately, there are several ways you can do this. For instance, you can consider a hosted payment page, which helps your ecommerce website from storing your customers’ sensitive data. You can also consider storing sensitive data in an online storage facility,
4. Use a VPN
One of the benefits of an online store is its flexibility. Unlike traditional stores, you can operate your ecommerce website from any location. However, this also makes you open to various risks. A common one is a risk associated with the use of unsecured, public Wi-Fi connection. Attackers usually piggyback on such connections to access devices and the sensitive data they may hold. To avoid this, it is vital to ensure that you use a Virtual Private Network (VPN). A VPN is a software device that protects its users by encrypting data and masking their IP addresses, preventing them from being victims of cyberattacks. By installing a VPN, you ensure you can use your website confidently and securely in other areas, despite the internet connectivity.
5. Educate your customers on cybercrime and its prevention
The prevention of cybercrime is a joint effort, which means it is not just the responsibility of the business owner. Your employees can assist in your efforts and customers. Educating your customers on cybercrime and its prevention would prevent your business from being suspected of attacks that may be caused by customers’ actions and inactions. An effective way to get this education across to your customers is through your regular newsletters, hosting a webinar, or using your social media platforms to share this valuable information.
Your online business’s success doesn’t depend only on the number of sales you make or the size of your customer base. Its security goes a long way to ensuring you achieve your objectives and protects you from avoidable loss and dangers. Therefore, be sure to implement these security tips to watch your online store grow and succeed.
