6 Ways to Make Your E-commerce Site More Secure
E-commerce security is a very serious business, and if you don’t do everything in your power to keep your site and customer information safe, not only could you end up losing a lot of money, but you could eventually face legal repercussions. Records being exposed by data breaches are increasing exponentially every year, rising from over 36 million in 2016 to a whopping 446.5 million files in 2018. No one is safe either, and hackers are targeting businesses big and small for valuable information.
This is why it’s important that you always look for new ways to improve your security and make sure that you protect your site against debilitating attacks, fraud, and breaches of documents. Let’s take a look at a few ways you can make your e-commerce site more secure.
Improve Your Sign-Up Process
The first thing you have to do is make sure that you’re able to know exactly who your users are when they sign up. This will allow you to solve a lot of chargeback issues, credit card fraud, and fraudulent claims. However, most verification systems are too cumbersome for users and can end up ruining the user experience.
If you want a robust verification process without risking losing clients during sign up, we suggest you check out something like Cognito Identity. Their system will allow you to verify the identity of users using nothing but their names and phone number. All you have to do is install their API, and their system will confirm identities by matching up phone numbers with trusted accounts or sources like the voters’ registry. Their system also allows you to verify users’ information by using an SMS passcode.
Consider Switching Your Hosting Service
The hosting service you choose will make a huge difference in how safe your site will be. Ideally, you want a hosting service that offers RAID data protection and is operational 24/7. RAID protection creates multiple backups to make sure that your site performs well and that data integrity is protected.
If you want the best option available at a reasonable price, we suggest you go for a managed cloud hosting plan. The security of your website will be taken care of by the engineers operating the platform and you’ll also be able to add some additional security layers yourself.
Use HTTPS
If you operate an online store and don’t have an HTTPS address, you’re opening yourself up for fraud. However, in order to get an HTTPS, you first have to get an SSL certificate. All you need is to get the certificate from your hosting company or a trusted SSL vendor, install it, then change the settings on your website.
Not only does HTTPS create a secure buffer zone between the user’s browser and your server, but is also used by Google as a ranking factor. So, if you want to get the maximum visibility on search results, you’ll have no choice but to get an SSL certificate.
Go for a Secure E-commerce Platform
You can avoid a lot of headaches by going for an e-commerce platform that is renowned for its security. You also want to go with a platform that offers great performance, features, and support. If you want to make sure that your site is safe at all times, choose a platform that regularly releases security patches, has secure payment gateways and has shipping method extensions.
Limit the Amount of Information Stored on your Website
There is no reason to have sensitive information like your users’ credit card information on your website. If your website becomes compromised, you could end up with a devastating security breach on your hands.
If you want to prevent that, use tokenization. Tokenization encrypts customer information, this way, hackers will only get a series of random numbers if they try to steal information. It’s also a great way to fight against credit card fraud.
Test Your Website for Vulnerabilities
You also have to make sure that your site is tested against any attacks. The best way to do so is to regularly run vulnerability scans. Most e-commerce platforms will have their own tools to perform scans. If your website is self-hosted, pick a program that will not only scan your website but your network as well. Good programs include OpenVAS, MBSA, and Retina CS Community.
Fighting against cyberattacks is a never-ending battle, and you have to be equipped with the best weapons if you want to win. You also have to make sure that you have a solid defense strategy, and not leave yourself open to attacks.
