Concerned about the security of your eCommerce website? Unsure of how to keep it up-to-date with the latest techniques? Look no further! In this blog post, we cover seven steps for designing a secure eCommerce site. Read on to learn how to use eCommerce to its full potential safely.
1. Limit Internal Access to Systems
One of the most important ways to design a secure eCommerce site is to limit internal access to systems. By controlling who has access to the internal information on your servers, you’ll be able to mitigate the risk of remote access attacks better. For example, hackers often steal credit card information by gaining access through remote users that access websites with non-secured software. Manage internal access by incorporating multi-factor authentication, running vulnerability scans, and implementing unique passwords and usernames.
Additionally, don’t store credit card information on computers that are accessible from outside your company. Following these steps will also help you secure your website, email, and other forms of communication.
2. Implement Strong Authentication
Strong authentication is another option to consider when designing a secure eCommerce site. Strong authentication, such as multi-factor authentication (MFA), increases security by confirming who users are. Multi-factor authentication requires that people identify themselves using two of three different types of information: something they know, something they have, and something they are. With MFA, a password, token device, and biometric identifier will all be required to confirm an individual’s identity.
3. Regularly Monitor Your Systems
Another important step in protecting your eCommerce site is to monitor your system regularly. Do this by watching for any unauthorized changes like recently uploaded scripts or attempts to redirect users to malicious sites. In addition, regularly monitor your site using intrusion detection systems and installing backup systems to continue operations during outages.
As you make an effort to monitor your systems regularly, be sure that to keep all of your software up-to-date with security patches and regularly test backup procedures and emergency response plans.
4. Keep Security Up-to-Date
Just as you should regularly monitor your system for changes, make sure to update your security as well. Your security should be updated at least once every three months, and fixes should be applied as soon as possible as an outdated system is easily hackable by determined criminals. Adding regularly scheduled updates to your company calendar will ensure that your security upgrades never fall through the cracks.
5. Use SSL Certificates on Public Sites
As you strengthen your eCommerce’s security, don’t forget to use SSL certificates. If you’re building an e-commerce site that will be accessible to external visitors, it’s essential to have SSL certificates installed. While small businesses may be tempted to skip this tip, doing so can cause serious problems in the long run. Remember, visitors will feel more secure knowing their personal information and payment data are protected. If you’re currently setting up an eCommerce site, use a website builder like Squarespace or Wix to ensure that your site already includes an SSL certificate.
6. Use CAPTCHA Codes
CAPTCHA codes often seem like a hassle, but they’re an extra step in better protecting your website. While some users may find them annoying, they can make your site significantly less vulnerable to spambots. In addition, CAPTCHA codes generally involve straightforward tasks (typically completing a simple image distortion question), relatively easy for humans but difficult or impossible for computers. So including this extra step will help to protect against would-be hackers.
7. Harden Customer Data
Many eCommerce websites store customer data that can be mined to uncover personal information about individuals, friends, and family. This information can then be used in social engineering attacks to trick individuals into divulging their personal information (i.e., SSN). Quadrant Information Security managed SIEM services recommend protecting your customers from these types of cyberattacks by hardening your customer data.
Harden your customer data by protecting it by reducing exposure and increasing entropy so that hackers cannot easily decrypt or make sense of it. This process also involves removing duplicate records and sensitive fields from public-facing pages and reducing their accessibility so that only authorized employees can access them.
With more and more customers shopping online, it’s important to ensure that your website is secure and easy to use. Keep these six tips in mind to make sure your eCommerce site is safe.
