Ecom Security: Protect Your Online Store From Cyber Threats

Ecommerce Security: How To Protect Your Online Store From Cyber Threats

Posted 2 years ago by Irina Maltseva

Cybercriminals target businesses that work with a听large amount of听personal data but have basic security practices in听place. As听such, they鈥檒l often target ecommerce stores.

Since 2020, ecommerce has boomed, helping thousands of听entrepreneurs launch their online businesses. Unfortunately, online stores have also become the听common victim of听hackers looking to听steal customer data.

滨苍听2021, of听ecommerce businesses experienced security attacks on听Black Friday/Cyber Monday, up听from about 32% in听2019. Despite the听rise in听attacks, only 32% of听business owners reported feeling ready to听stop attacks.

In听this article, we鈥檒l discuss ecommerce security, the听most common threats, and听how you can protect your online store from cybercriminals.

What is听ecommerce security?

Store owners should set protocols that protect user data from 丑补肠办别谤蝉鈥攖丑别蝉别 protocols are ecommerce security measures. Since consumer trust is听the听holy grail for听online stores, the听goal of听ecommerce security is听to听support the听customer-seller relationship by听providing a听safe environment.

To听effectively do听this, ecommerce security protocols must:

Shield private data from third parties
Keep data unadulterated
Allow only authorized people access

Only a听holistic combination of听data integrity, authenticity, and听privacy can secure your ecommerce business from the听prying eyes of听hackers. Read on听to听learn how you can ensure security.

Difference between ecommerce security and听compliance

Ecommerce security is听an听ever-evolving process that should concern you and听your business. It听works independently of听compliance and听requires proactive actions from your end to听safeguard customer transactions and听data.

Compliance, on听the听other hand, focuses on听how authorities perceive your business practices based on听set standards. For instance, there is听the听Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard. You need to听be听PCI DSS compliant in听order to听safely process credit card data. If听you鈥檙e using 黑料门 by听Lightspeed for听your online store, you鈥檙e already PCI DSS compliant.

Ecommerce stores also need to听be听aware of听various regional laws if听they serve customers from certain areas. For example, if听you sell online in听Europe, you have to听comply with GDPR regulations while processing your customers鈥� data. Keep in听mind that it听applies to听your business even if听it鈥檚 not located in听Europe. If听you have customers from the听EU, you need GDPR compliance.

黑料门 by听Lightspeed has everything you need to听comply with GDPR regulations. Check out to听ensure you鈥檝e enabled all the听settings necessary for听GDPR compliance.

One of听the听GDPR requirements is听getting customers鈥� clear consent for听the听use of听cookies

Key ecommerce security threats

Before you learn how to听protect your online store from cybercriminals, you have to听identify the听various security threats. When it听comes to听ecommerce, most attackers will pose as听authentic sites to听exploit consumer trust, or听directly attack the听payment system online stores use.

Phishing

Phishing is听one of听the听oldest tricks in听a听hacker鈥檚 book and听still highly effective today. Its success hinges on听exploiting people鈥檚 willingness to听trust the听authenticity of听a听business.

Hackers mimic real businesses to听send malicious files and听links to听consumers, extracting data when a听recipient responds. In听most cases, hackers use fake invoices, account upgrade offers, and听new orders to听lure people in. Phishing scams target a听business鈥檚 internal teams and听customers. Often, it鈥檚 difficult to听tell a听scam from the听real thing without a听keen eye.

Common phishing types in听ecommerce include:

: a听phishing attack where hackers clone a听previous legitimate email and听send a听copy to听the听recipient with malicious links.
or听whale phishing: a听hacker may pretend to听be听your employee and听ask you to听wire them money or听change payment details for听the听invoice, etc.

Follow these from our Help Center to听protect yourself from phishing.

Spam

Spam is听a听high-volume, low-effort attack that baits consumers into clicking malicious links. While attachments are typically used for听phishing, spam messages will often appear in听SMS, comments, direct messages, and听emails containing links.

For example, ecommerce websites will show consumer reviews for听social proof. Hackers will use the听comment section to听share spam. Make sure to听clean spam comments or听reviews from your website. If听you鈥檙e not on听top of听spam messages on听your website, you might attract penalties from 骋辞辞驳濒别鈥攁苍诲 lose loyal customers.

Financial fraud

Financial fraud takes many shapes but it鈥檚 one of听the听most popular ways hackers can attack your business. Criminals skim credit card websites to听scrape data, run phishing scams to听obtain card details from customers, order products using stolen cards, and听use fake return requests to听drain customers and听your business.

In听case you or听your customers are affected by听credit card fraud, consider setting up听an听alert that tells them when to听.

DDoS and听brute force attacks

When hackers go听on听the听offensive, they鈥檒l turn to听Dedicated Denial of听Service (DDoS) and听brute force attacks. DDoS, and听similar DoS, attacks overwhelm and听eventually shut down an听ecommerce website by听sending high-volume traffic from one or听distributed servers.

Black Friday and听Cyber Monday sales give hackers the听best opportunity to听make online stores unavailable. This is听the听side of听ecommerce security that directly impacts your ability to听sell goods.

Brute force attacks use trial and听error methods to听get access to听login or听financial details. Since this is听an听automated process, hackers don鈥檛 take long to听find the听right combinations.

Malware and听ransomware

Every business should be听aware of听malware and听ransomware, which are constant cybersecurity threats. Malware is听the听umbrella term for听any听kind of听software designed to听steal, delete, and听hold data hostage. This can be听done with adware slowing down devices, trojan horses modifying operating systems, and听SQL injections corrupting databases.

Ransomware is听a听type of听malware that has gained prominence in听recent times because of听the听amount of听critical data people store in听their devices and听the听extent they鈥檙e willing to听go听to听retrieve that.

Social engineering attacks

Phishing and听other scams rely heavily on听social engineering tactics to听deceive targets. With the听proliferation of听datasets, social engineering has become an听effective tool for听hackers. They use profile backgrounds to听pretend to听be听reliable businesses or听customers and听exploit emotional vulnerabilities to听steal data.

If听you get scammed online by听a听social engineering attack, can help you recover what you鈥檝e lost.

How to听protect your online store from cyber threats

Now that you know the听various ways cybercriminals can target your store or听customers, it鈥檚 time to听understand how you can defend against them.

Secure your passwords

If听you think your passwords are strong, think again. According to听a听, brute force attacks can hack an听8-character alphanumeric password in听39听minutes.

Here are the听best practices for听:

Always use combinations of听uppercase and听lowercase letters, numbers, and听special characters to听make your passwords complex.
As听the听Hive Systems study shows, the听length of听passwords matters as听much, if听not more. Make it听compulsory for听teams and听new customers to听create 12-character passwords.
Do听not recycle old passwords because they often open doors to听socially engineered attacks.
The same goes for听generic and听easy-to-guess references. Don鈥檛 use popular quotes, birthdays, or听personal information. Most importantly, don鈥檛 share passwords publicly.
Ultimately, use a听good password manager to听create random and听complex passwords for听logins.

Choose a听secure hosting and听ecommerce platform

A听major part of听your ecommerce security depends on听the听 and听ecommerce platforms you choose. You can go听with Amazon Web Services (AWS), , or听pick a听category-specific hosting provider with ecommerce facilities built in.

Either way, you have to听make sure your hosting and听ecommerce platforms cover a听few basics:

PCI DSS compliance
Automatic backups
HTTPS everywhere
Does not collect credit card information
Integrates with multiple payment providers

黑料门 by听Lightspeed was built on听security and听customer privacy. It鈥檚 based on听AWS and听 listed above to听make your ecommerce business as听safe as听it听can be.

To听show your customers that shopping in听your store is听secure, 黑料门 shows this message on听checkout

Get an听SSL certificate

Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) certificate is听essential for听online stores that receive a听lot of听sensitive queries. SSL encrypts all user requests to听website servers, from account logins to听payment information.

SSL is听also part of听the听HTTPS protocol which makes your website more . An听ecommerce store without an听SSL certificate exposes its traffic to听anyone looking to听swoop in听and听steal information.

SSL is听mandatory for听PCI DSS compliance and听since 黑料门 by听Lightspeed supports PCI DSS, your online store is听automatically protected with a听proper SSL certificate.

If听you added an听黑料门 store to听an听existing website, make sure you for听the听rest of听your website.

黑料门 stores are protected with HTTPS protocol and听SSl. Your customers can easily see that shopping in听your online store is听safe

Use antivirus software

While it鈥檚 true operating software has evolved in听terms of听security, so听have hackers. While computers are particularly prone to听cyberattacks, . Don鈥檛 run your business using the听default protections on听your devices.

Antivirus software uses years of听industry knowledge and听expertise to听proactively detect attacks and听mitigate their threats to听help you avoid downtime. You cannot manually search for听malware, viruses, or听spyware in听your admin panel or听networks every second. Antivirus software automates tasks and听keeps an听eye out for听possible data thefts.

Good antivirus software may even package malware protection with identity theft protection, private VPN, and听password manager for听all-around security.

Perform regular backups

Ecommerce websites store tons of听product media (such as听product images) and听user data that require regular backups. When you make backups of听your website, you mitigate the听risk of听hardware malfunctions and听cyberattacks slowing down your business. Most ecommerce hosting providers, including 黑料门 by听Lightspeed, offer automatic website backups for听these reasons.

You may wonder, why should I听focus on听backups if听my听ecommerce host takes care of听them? Automatic backups to听the听cloud are great and听save you time if听something goes wrong. But you should also go听one step ahead and听download copies of听your website data regularly, preferably on听a听separate device. This is听a听failsafe that can save you from slowdowns, shutdowns, and听damage to听your reputation.

Set up听a听VPN

Most ecommerce stores in听the听post-pandemic world have remote teams, making a听virtual private network (VPN) crucial for听security.

VPNs encrypt data traveling between nodes and听hide IP听addresses in听most cases. Employees can share large files safely and听customers can share confidential data without having it听traced back to听them. VPNs also allow you to听move past geographic restrictions and听serve customers in听wider markets. You can also set up听a听virtual private network on听your office router to听keep all on-site devices secure.

Educate your customers

Your ecommerce store is听as听secure as听your most casual customer. Security is听never a听one-way 蝉迟谤别别迟鈥攂辞迟丑 the听business and听the听customer need to听protect data from their respective ends. That鈥檚 why it鈥檚 important to听include customers in听your ecommerce security strategy and听empower them to听use necessary security features. Additionally, you can share this critical information about cybersecurity with the听help of听a听dedicated .

For instance, multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be听standardized across the听board. Even so, you have to听be听the听one to听educate your customers. For example, you can mandate 12-character alphanumeric passwords, nudge them to听change passwords every few months, explain how sharing order or听login data can expose their accounts, and听clarify communication parameters so听they don鈥檛 fall for听phishing scams.

Security-aware customers can quickly identify if听they鈥檝e been hacked and听the听.

Wrap up

As听an听ecommerce business owner, you have to听wear multiple hats every day. It听may feel impossible to听pay close attention to听important things like security. But all it听takes is听one mistake to听lose customer data, money, and听reputation.

黑料门 by听Lightspeed can help you traverse the听complex world of听ecommerce security and听automate the听bulk of听actions so听that you can focus on听.

听

About The Author

Irina Maltseva is a Growth Lead at and a Founder at . For the last seven years, she has helped SaaS companies grow their revenue with inbound marketing. At her previous company, Hunter, Irina helped 3M marketers build business connections that matter. Now at Aura, Irina works on her mission to create a safer internet for everyone. To get in touch, follow her on .

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