E-commerce Security
When it comes to conducting transactions online, nothing is more important than security. As hackers techniques become more advanced websites with outdated e-commerce security may be exposing themselves and their customers to criminal activity. According to PC Mag, “Today’s consumer is confronted daily by a maze of different online commerce opportunities, choices, and decisions, none of which were available or even fathomable 20 years ago.
E-commerce is gaining momentum and acceptance; previously risky online activity such as banking is now considered safe and reliable, yet popular methods used to access sensitive information online present serious security risks. Most consumers too easily accept terms and conditions without a second thought, compromising online anonymity and privacy.” By learning how to increase the security of your e- commerce website, preventing a potential disaster should be achievable.
E-commerce Security Tip 1: Hire A Security Analyst
A security analyst can quickly determine the vulnerability of your website to attack by hacking it themselves. The results of their investigation will reveal weaknesses which could be exploited to either gain financial details of your customers or even your business. From this test it is typically possible to devise a strategy which ensures a more solid defense against hacking strategies.
E-commerce Security Tip 2: Don’t Keep Sensitive Information Stored on an Accessible Computer
Any computer connected to the internet is susceptible to hacking. Whether you have keylogger software maliciously installed or files directly stolen, it is necessary for an internet connection to be present for any cyber crime to occur. Avoid storing any information on a computer that is connected to the internet. If you must keep financial transaction records, use a USB device to transfer them from an online computer to another computer which is used solely for record keeping.
E-commerce Security Tip 3: Analyze the Security of the System Itself
Almost every month there is a story in the news about a bank or retailer that was hacked, revealing the financial information of thousands of customers. When choosing an e-commerce security system, investigate the track record of the system when it comes to previous attacks.
Best spyware destroyer we found is Malwarebytes Anti-Malware which is available for free download from http://download.cnet.com – make sure you ran it at least weekly on all workstations which login to your store’s backend.
As the value of the online e-commerce market increases due to more people shopping online, e-commerce security has become a primary concern for website owners. Hackers techniques evolve on a daily basis, which is why a security service that stays one step ahead is especially important.
One of the quickest ways to lose faithful customers is through the unintended theft of their personal data. Even major corporations and banks have recently fallen victim to massive data breaches. By learning how to enhance your e-commerce security, avoiding this issue should be possible.
E-commerce Security Tip 4: Avoid Storing Customer Credit Card Records
If you don’t have information to steal, then the chances of the majority of your customers data being stolen is severely decreased. According to CIO, “”There is no reason to store thousands of records on your customers, especially credit card numbers, expiration dates and CVV2 [card verification value] codes,” says Chris Pogue, director of Digital Forensics and Incident Response at Trustwave.”In fact, it is strictly forbidden by the PCI Standards,” Pogue says.
Chris recommends purging old records from your database and keeping a minimal amount of data, just enough for charge-backs and refunds. “The risk of a breach outweighs the convenience for your customers at checkout,” he says. Use tokenization – this allows you to charge customer credit card or issue refund without storing cardholder data.
E-commerce Security Tip 5: Ensure that Both Yourself and Your Host is Monitoring for Fraudulent Activity
Monitor how customers typically interact and use your website. With this information it is possible to both manually or automatically detect suspicious activity. With an automatic detection system, it is possible to be notified by phone or email immediately when a deviation is detected. Also, the security of your host should be paramount as well, since all of the data transmitted through your website will have to go through the host server. It may be well worth it to pay a higher monthly price for a web host which keeps up to date with its security.
For the owner of an e-commerce store, nothing is more important than e-commerce security. Cyber criminals will often specifically target and exploit weaknesses in e-commerce websites. Such a breach of security can quickly reduce the amount of trust that your customers place in your business. According to Business Commuting World, “The press often reports on businesses that have fallen victim to hacking and data breaches, due to insufficient security measures, leading to sometimes irreparable reputation and financial consequences. It also promotes sales, too, as consumers would naturally choose to make purchases from a website that they believe is totally secure.” By learning more about the importance of e-commerce security as well as how to improve it, ensuring the financial security of you and y our customers should be achievable.
E-commerce Security Tip 6: Make Use of Secure Socket Layers Certificates
In some instances, websites will attempt to replicate yours in order to steal financial information. Although similar website urls are a common tool, some thieves which are a bit more sly will directly interrupt the connection between the customer and your website and insert a redirect to a page which appears to be identical. An SSL certificate will prevent this from occurring.
E-commerce Security Tip 7: Pretend to be A Customer
Buy something from your online store and enter in your financial information such as in the form of a credit card or Paypal account information. Follow the information throughout the entire process and search for any issues.
If you have any questions about protecting your online customers with e-commerce security contact us at FinestShops Inc.
To your success!
Anton Pachkine
FinestShops E-Commerce Management
Hosting | Customizations | Design | Marketing
www.finestshops.com | 1-800-675-0162
