When it comes to ecommerce, protecting a website from malware is as important as growing the business itself. Unfortunately, ecommerce websites are at the front of the queue regarding cyberattacks. It is particularly disturbing to note that 50% of these malware attacks are aimed at small businesses.
Cybersecurity risks are on the rise as we upload more and more of our data online. Hence, 66% of small businesses are vested in keeping their sites safe. With good security measures, you can protect your ecommerce site from malicious software.
Build Your Website Using an SSL Certificate
Building and maintaining a high level of trust is one of the most challenging business goals. Hence, you should let customers feel comfortable enough to store their data and perform different forms of transactions on your platform.
To this end, you need to build your website using an SSL certificate. This way, your customers’ data is encrypted and shared through a secure link between the server and the browser. A website with SSL certificate begins with “https://” as opposed to http://.
SSL certificate protects vital and personal information from being leaked out throughout the buying process. For more security, you could employ the use of HTTP Strict Transport Security known as HSTS. HSTS prevents site users from overriding invalid certificate warnings. Also, they automatically redirect HTTP requests to HTTPS.
Use the Right Web Hosting Provider
This is an essential part of building a website free from malicious attacks. You should ensure that your web hosting provider is capable of protecting your sites from cyberattacks. You have two options when it comes to web hosting. You could either go by dedicated server hosting or shared server hosting.
For shared hosting, one server is shared between several users. In this case, there is usually a high risk of cyberattacks as an attack on one website is an attack on several others connected to the same server. Dedicated server hosting, on the other hand, is more secure. Here, you have your server to yourself. This is the ideal solution for ecommerce websites.
Ensure Regular Website Monitoring
It is expedient that you do a routine check on your website. Real-time tracking of your website gives you an idea of where your visitors are coming from and the various interactions they have with your platform. By doing so, you can get ahead of visitors who have fraudulent motives.
With constant checks on your website, you are kept abreast of any malware attacks, whether it be through content or third party advertisements. Real-time monitoring will save you from the financial implications of a breach, a figure 83% of small and medium businesses cannot cope with.
Make Sure Your Site Is PCI DSS Compliant
This is one of the holy grail of ecommerce sites. As an ecommerce site owner, it is imperative that you make sure your website is PCI compliant. This is particularly true if your website accepts credit and debit cards like most of the modern ecommerce sites.
If you are not confident about keeping such vital information on your website, you can use trusted payment integrators. Reliable and trusted payment integrators you can patronize are Stripe and Braintree.
Keep Your Site Updated
For the most part, your ecommerce site becomes an easy target if it maintains unpatched extensions and applications. Hackers are always on the lookout for such websites, and you might fall a victim if yours isn’t regularly updated. These cyber geeks search out websites with unpatched applications using automated web crawlers.
If your site and its backend software are regularly updated with the latest security patches, you can be saving yourself a catastrophic attack.
Use Two-factor Authentication
One of the sure-fire ways of protecting your website from malware attacks is via two-factor authentication. This password system protects the site from bots and individual attackers.
Bottom Line
It is scary to see your ecommerce website overrun by malware. It’s almost the same as seeing your physical store robbed and getting gutted by fire. Luckily for you, you do not have to leave any of this happening to chance.
With the above-listed security measures, you can protect the trust customers have put in your brand.
