Digitization has led to a surge in the number of e-commerce websites being launched around the globe. With most people buying products and services online, such platforms have managed to cater to the varying needs of online users. However, right since the launch of the first e-commerce platform, users have been concerned about the security of their information – more so because they enter their credit/debit card details on the platform. Hence, if you are planning to launch an e-commerce website, then apart from buying a secure web hosting service, you can take some steps to boost web site security. Today, we will talk about these steps and introduce tools like SiteLock Security that can help you secure your e-commerce website.
Before we begin, here is a quick look at the kind of threats that e-commerce platforms have to face:
- Malware
- SQL injections
- DDoS attacks
- Brute-force attacks
- Vulnerabilities at the user’s end
- XSS or Cross-site scripting
- Zero-day exploits
How to secure your e-commerce website?
Here are some tips to help you secure your e-commerce website:
1. Pick the right e-commerce website platform
When you decide to build an e-commerce website using a builder provided by a hosting company, then you need to ensure that the platform offers optimum security for e-commerce sites. Remember, not all hosting plans and builders are the same. Hence, ensure that you pick the right combination of hosting server and builder to create a secure website.
2. Don’t forget SSL encryption
While most site owners worry about the security of the webserver, they tend to forget that hackers can also gain access to sensitive information while being exchanged between the user and the server. This can be protected by installing an SSL certificate on the server.
3. Avoid collecting and storing sensitive data as far as possible
A hacker cannot steal what you don’t have, right? Hence, one of the best ways to defend sensitive customer information is to not collect or store such data onsite. You can process credit card payments using an encrypted checkout tunnel, ensuring that your servers never store the credit card details.
4. Proactively scan for vulnerabilities
While regaining control is the only option after the site is attacked, prudence demands checking the site for vulnerabilities regularly before they get exploited. This can help keep cyberattacks at bay and make your e-commerce website secure. Use tools like SiteLock to run a website security scan regularly.
5. Urge your customers to create strong passwords
Many hackers try to gain access to individual customer accounts by cracking their passwords using different techniques. Most people keep easy-to-remember passwords that don’t follow the recommended strong password policies. Regularly urge your customers to create passwords that are difficult to guess, don’t have a proper English word, have no personal information, and are a combination of small/large caps, numbers, and special characters.
6. Keep your systems updated & take backups
Updates are time-consuming and boring. However, they are essential to the security of your e-commerce site. Ensure that you update the OS and apps regularly. A website backup is your last line of defense against data loss due to a security breach. Ensure that you take regular backups offsite too.
Use the latest security tools
SiteLock Security is one of the best security tools available that offer automatic vulnerability scans, firewall protection, web application scans, etc. It also displays a seal on your site, allowing visitors to feel secure that your site has been scanned by SiteLock.
The following video outlines the benefits of SiteLock Security for website security:
Summing Up
While choosing the right hosting service is important for the security of your website, the tips mentioned above should further help you secure your e-commerce site. Also, tools like SiteLock can help protect your site from such threats efficiently. Remember, online users have zero tolerance for sites that have security issues. Hence, ensure that you leave no stone unturned in boost your site’s security. Good Luck!