5 Security Essentials for Ecommerce Sites

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ecommerce security

If you run a business online yourself, or you have a client who does, you’ll know that ecommerce sites are a major target for hackers and fraudsters. Just think about the thousands of credit card details and other personal information a typical ecommerce site stores. That’s what makes these sites, big and small, so attractive to criminals. Before embarking on an ecommerce project, you need to ensure that all the necessary systems are in place to cover up any holes in your security. This article, which is based on conversations with ecommerce and security specialists, will list five of the most important security essentials for anyone running an online business. These tips, while far from comprehensive, will outline the most commonly exploited vulnerabilities and the most effective way of safeguarding against them. Most of these are simple solutions anyone can implement and should be considering as part of a “basic” security check before opening any online retail environment.

Use SSL certificates and ensure PCI compliance

The Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI DSS) is a set of standards that the credit and debit card industry has set for merchants who process card payments. In order to be in compliance, you need to guarantee protection for cardholder data and implement strong access control measures, among other things. Even if you are using payment gateways, you’ll be handling customer data and should ensure PCI compliance. The same goes for using Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) authentication which is a must to ensure secure communication between your customers and your server. “Your customers are putting a great deal of trust in any transactions they undertake on your website,” explains Jeff Chandler, marketing executive at DigiCert, an SSL certification company. “Ensuring that every web page on your site that deals with secure data is SSL certified and your payment gateway is PCI compliant, is the minimum you can do to protect customers.”

Don’t hang on to customer data

Under most circumstances, there is no need to hold onto thousands of records on your customers, especially when it comes to credit card numbers, CVV2 numbers and expiration dates. In fact, under PCI standards, it’s forbidden. Security experts say you should regularly purge old customer records and keep a small amount of data on your servers to process refunds and charge-backs. “Of course, for email and marketing campaigns you’ll want a record of names, emails, phone numbers, and perhaps addresses of your customers,” says Carolyn Brackett, vice president at CyberSource, a company that helps process credit card payments for businesses. “But you need to think carefully about what and how much data you do store considering the risk you are putting your customers under.”

Have multiple layers of security

Layering security is an essential deterrent to cybercrime, according to internet security expert Allen Grayson, an engineer at Symantec. “This starts with firewalls which stop attackers gaining access to your network,” says Grayson. “From there you add layers of security on contact forms, secure passwords for logins, and search queries.” These various layers are some of the best ways to protect from application-level attacks such as cross-site scripting and SQL injections.

Ensure DDoS protection with cloud-based services

Distributed Denial of Service attacks have grown in frequency and are increasingly sophisticated. In response companies can sign up to cloud-based services that “scrub” any unwanted traffic. Some of the higher end services offer managed DNS services to provide transaction capacity and make it more difficult for DDoS attacks to be successful. “For cloud-based DDoS protection to work, you need to send your traffic through a good DDoS protection service that has scrubbing nodes that filter legitimate traffic back to your site.” explains Richard Elder, chief executive at SwitchVPN. “This move alone can eliminate a significant cost for companies which try to mitigate against this common attack on their own.” What’s more, a cloud approach can also help deliver to online business a 100% DNS resolution, which improves the availability of internet system as well as the communications between your site and your customers.

Install security patches on your system regularly

You shouldn’t wait even a day to install a security patch after its release. That covers everything from WordPress or Magento updates, to third-party code like Perl, Java and Python. “One thing that almost all breached sites have in common is that they are generally found running old versions of software and code,” says Susan Watkins, chief strategist at searchengineoptimisation.org.za. Watkins believes that you should install patches on all software, paying particular attention to WordPress, Joomla, and other web apps, like OSCommerce and ZenCart. These are particular targets of attackers and should be regularly checked for updates.

Conclusion

These are by no means the only steps you should take to make your ecommerce site as secure as possible for your customers, your clients and yourself. But they do offer a basic checklist: if you’re not taking these five steps, your ecommerce is simply not as secure as you think it is.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on E-commerce Site Security Essentials

What are the most common security threats to e-commerce sites?

E-commerce sites are often targeted by cybercriminals due to the wealth of sensitive data they hold. The most common threats include phishing attacks, where attackers trick users into revealing sensitive information, malware, which can be used to steal data or disrupt services, and DDoS attacks, which can take a site offline. Other threats include SQL injection and cross-site scripting, which exploit vulnerabilities in a site’s code to gain unauthorized access or manipulate data.

How can I protect my e-commerce site from phishing attacks?

Protecting your e-commerce site from phishing attacks involves a combination of technical measures and user education. Implementing SSL certificates, using secure payment gateways, and regularly updating and patching your systems can help protect against phishing. Additionally, educating your users about the dangers of phishing and how to spot phishing attempts can also be effective.

What is SSL and why is it important for e-commerce sites?

SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is a protocol that encrypts data transmitted between a user’s browser and a website, ensuring that any data exchanged is secure from interception. For e-commerce sites, SSL is crucial as it protects sensitive customer data such as credit card information and personal details.

How can I ensure that my e-commerce site is compliant with data protection regulations?

Compliance with data protection regulations involves implementing appropriate security measures, obtaining informed consent from users before collecting their data, and ensuring that data is stored and processed in a manner that respects user privacy. Regular audits and reviews can help ensure ongoing compliance.

What role does user education play in e-commerce site security?

User education is a crucial component of e-commerce site security. By educating users about the risks of online shopping and how to protect themselves, you can help reduce the likelihood of successful attacks. This can include information on how to spot phishing attempts, the importance of strong passwords, and the risks of sharing sensitive information.

How can I protect my e-commerce site from DDoS attacks?

Protecting your e-commerce site from DDoS attacks can involve a range of measures, including implementing a robust firewall, using a content delivery network (CDN) to distribute traffic, and employing DDoS protection services. Regular monitoring and analysis of traffic can also help detect and mitigate DDoS attacks.

What is a secure payment gateway and why is it important?

A secure payment gateway is a service that processes credit card payments for e-commerce sites. It encrypts sensitive information, ensuring that data transmitted between the user and the site is secure. This is crucial for protecting customer data and maintaining trust in your e-commerce site.

How can I protect my e-commerce site from SQL injection attacks?

Protecting your e-commerce site from SQL injection attacks involves securing your database and validating and sanitizing user input. Using parameterized queries or prepared statements can also help prevent SQL injection.

What is cross-site scripting and how can I protect my e-commerce site from it?

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a type of attack where malicious scripts are injected into trusted websites. To protect your e-commerce site from XSS attacks, you should validate and sanitize user input, implement a Content Security Policy (CSP), and regularly update and patch your systems.

How often should I review and update my e-commerce site’s security measures?

Security is not a one-time effort, but an ongoing process. You should regularly review and update your e-commerce site’s security measures to ensure they are effective against the latest threats. This includes regular system updates and patches, security audits, and user education.

Jai Paul is a programmer and tech writer. Besides his freelance writing, he spends his time running several online ventures. He consults on all things related to web development.

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