How Secure is Your Online Store?
It doesn’t matter what kind of internet user you are, from someone who just checks the weather occasionally to a digital genius, there are plenty of risks for you every time you jump online.
That’s why there are plenty of basic security tips out there for maximum internet safety: don’t give out personal information to anyone, don’t open any suspicious emails, be careful what you download, use a VPN, and make sure you’re only using your credit card on trusted sites
For those who make their entire business online, there are even more security steps that must be taken in order to protect your business and website. For ecommerce businesses, top security is a must. Not only for you and your business, but for the safety and privacy of your customers.
You’ve gone through a lot to establish a successful business. Finding a great domain name and building a trusted brand is tough, so once you do, you must do whatever you can to keep it safe.
Using Payment Gateway Security
As an ecommerce site, you want to make things as easy and streamlined as possible for your consumers. Part of that is speeding up the process by storing their payment information in your database.
Even though it may take a few extra moments for payment information to be processed and confirmed, having stored on your database can be a security risk if that database is compromised. Fraud has gone down over the last few years, but is still a big threat.
Think of how many big name companies have faced lawsuits and PR hits when that information is compromised. You don’t have the clout of a Target or Amazon, so you might as well say adios to your company.
Look Out For Phishing and Spoofing
Once you purchase your domain, you are literally the ruler of your domain. Even though you may not sit on a giant throne with a beautiful crown and scepter, you still hold the keys to your kingdom.
That being said, those looking to steal information or take over your domain are going to come at you. They won’t be assaulting your walls with catapults or hacks, but coming to you as a noble duke offering aid.
Usually, this will be in an email asking you to reset your password or ID. It might look like a "we noticed you requested to reset your password, please click on this link below".
If you don’t remember requesting that, don’t click on it. While the email itself may look harmless, it might lead to your account and domain being compromised.
In the case your consumers are receiving such emails, make sure you’re sending out notifications to only open emails from X address with your company.
Two-Factor Authentication
Many, many apps and websites are turning towards two-factor authentication for a number of reasons. One, because it’s easier than typing out your 10 digit long password. Two, because it’s much safer and essentially guarantees that you are you when logging in.
This could be something you use for both yourself and your customers. The easiest way is to link your account with your phone number or a secondary email address. That way, if you’re locked out of one account you can use your second device or email address to easily access your information.
Google recently reported that their two-factor authentication system blocked 100% of automated bot hacks. Not bad!
The best thing about this chip is that it is backward compatible with most 300 and 400 AMD chipset series. All it takes is a simple BIOS setup and all is set.
Make the Switch to HTTPS
HTTP used to be the norm when it came to security protocols, but having an outdated HTTP makes you more likely to be attacked.
You might have noticed this HTTPS on various websites when browsing around the internet. Some browsers will bring up a huge warning sign, making sure you really want to proceed in case you head to a website that still uses HTTP. Google Chrome, for example, makes it pretty hard to even continue to said website.
That’s also why it’s another great idea to go with a managed domain name. Besides getting tons of support along the way, they’re bound to be more secure. Leave it to the experts instead of trying to figure it out on your own.
In addition, having HTTPS doesn’t go unnoticed by Google’s search rankings. Having that HTTPS protocol means you’re going to be ranked higher as it shows you’re a trusted site with good security.
Back Up Everything
“Oh, it would never happen to me!” is what everyone says before something happens to their data and they lose everything. It’s frustrating, annoying, and sad when it’s your phone’s data and pictures. It can be crippling when it’s your business.
Losing data usually occurs during a hardware malfunction, cyber-attack, or even a freak accident like a power surge. Even though backing up all your data may be a bit pricey, it’s well worth it.
Invest is a service that backs up your data automatically, so you’re not going to have to worry about doing it yourself every week.
