Over the past few years it has become easier and easier to set up an ecommerce store, particularly as platforms like WooCommerce and Magento have evolved so security for eCommerce is essential.
Unfortunately, over the same period, cybercrime has become increasingly familiar, with more people and companies falling victim every day.
While it is now possible to set up a store online in literally a matter of minutes, it is essential that you invest the necessary time and effort to ensure the security of your platform.
Failure to address security for eCommerce can have disastrous consequences for all involved.
Align your security needs to your eCommerce platform
Two of the most popular platforms for setting up an eCommerce business are WooCommerce and Magento, but as each of these are different they will have unique security challenges.
WooCommerce runs as a plugin on the WordPress platform, and therefore is also exposed to the security vulnerabilities of WordPress. Magento, on the other hand, is a dedicated eCommerce CMS and offers specialist security patches, making it arguably slightly more secure.
Security Considerations to keep in mind
Security for eCommerce is a broad field and there are several things you need to keep in mind to protect your customers’ data and the reputation of your business. This ranges from very simple tactical security changes, to more advanced, strategic options.
- Platform updates – Whichever eCommerce platform you decide to use you should take the time to regularly check for updates and make sure that these are installed. Cybercriminals will look to exploit known security flaws, and the software developers regularly publish updates that seek to fix them.
- Password strength – Ensuring that all your employees that have access to the platform use sufficiently strong passwords, with a mix of alphanumeric and special characters are a simple way to make it more difficult for hackers to break into your site. Similarly, when you ask customers to sign up you can request that they also use strong passwords.
- SSL certificates – Installing the correct security certificates on your site is a really important step, not only to make your site more secure, but also to demonstrate to your customers that you are trustworthy. Google has started giving preference to sites with SSL certificates, so this could also improve your ranking with the search engines.
- Data protection – Aside from the task of securing your site and customer data, you should also think more broadly about what data you are collecting about people and what you plan to do with it. You also need to be able to demonstrate that you’ve deleted private data about people if they so wish. Making the effort to consider these scenarios will help to inform your site security initiatives and could save you time further down the road.
Don’t underestimate the implications of getting this wrong
While some of these steps might seem simple, crafting an effective data protection and eCommerce security strategy that stays relevant as your business grows can be a real challenge.
Failing to properly consider these points can lead to security breaches, resulting in loss of customer data, fines, and damage to your business reputation.
At AsOne we’ve worked with businesses of all sizes, whether thinking about security from the very start or retrospectively implementing security improvements to their sites.
Spending time consulting experts will ultimately reap rewards in the long run, allowing you to focus on marketing and growing your business, safe in the knowledge that the security of the platform is taken care of.
For more information about how we can help, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
