{"id":10849,"date":"2017-08-16T09:59:48","date_gmt":"2017-08-16T08:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.repricerexpress.com\/?p=10849"},"modified":"2020-09-24T12:23:00","modified_gmt":"2020-09-24T11:23:00","slug":"secure-ecommerce-website","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.repricerexpress.com\/secure-ecommerce-website\/","title":{"rendered":"7 Ways to Secure Your Ecommerce Website"},"content":{"rendered":"

Securing your ecommerce website is probably something you never think about, especially when you\u2019re worried about coming up with the perfect product description and making sure items ship out quickly and safely. But making sure your website is secure can be just as important \u2014 if your website is compromised, then so is your business and the potential for your income. Learn how to do things the right way with RepricerExpress<\/a>.<\/strong><\/p>\n

1. Implement Best Practices From the Get-Go<\/h2>\n

If you\u2019re lazy about updating operating systems on your phone and\/or computer or installing patches, now\u2019s the time to break that habit. Your website needs to be secure both for your and your buyers\u2019 protection and for your own peace of mind and making sure you\u2019ve got the latest versions running is one of the most important things you can do. Turn on auto-updating to make it super easy on yourself.<\/p>\n

You\u2019ll also want to start using two-step authentication and strong passwords (a gibberish-y combination of upper- and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols) to make it more difficult for hackers to access.<\/p>\n

Lastly, secure your email system by using virus scans and spam guards, and double-checking attachments and links before you open them. Hackers<\/a> have gotten incredibly sophisticated in their techniques and it\u2019s up to you to stay one step ahead of them.<\/p>\n

2. Reduce the Odds of Malware Infections<\/h2>\n

Malware<\/a> is an umbrella term that includes things like viruses, worms, trojan horses, adware, screenware, spyware and more \u2014 pretty much anything hackers have at their disposal to break through your lines of defense. At the very least, you\u2019ll want to put in place strong anti-virus and anti-malware software, but you\u2019ll also want to run regular scans to see if any malware has penetrated them.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019re selling on a big-name site like Amazon<\/a> or using WordPress<\/a>, your worries are a little less, but that doesn\u2019t mean you can totally relax. Hackers can still target you in a number of different ways and having to pay a ransom means you left a door open somewhere. Speaking of which…<\/p>\n

3. Use a Well-Known and Secure Website to Sell On<\/h2>\n

Making your own website secure can feel like a daunting task if you don\u2019t know where to begin. But piggybacking onto a well-known platform, like WordPress or Amazon, can make things a lot easier while still letting you retain a great deal of control. They have strong security practices in place that you can use without worrying about having to figure out how they work, which leaves you free to put in the small finishing touches that work best for you.<\/p>\n

4. A Secure Socket Layer (SSL) Certificate is Mandatory, Not Optional<\/h2>\n

When you type in a URL into the address bar, check to see if it contains a padlock symbol and the word \u2018Secure\u2019 on the left side. You can click on that to see what security measures a site has put in place to keep information private and secure, and then use those for yourself on your own website.<\/p>\n

Another indication a website is secure if there is an \u2018s\u2019 at the end of \u2018http\u2019. This indicates that either an SSL or Transport Layer Security (TSL) protocol is in place. They are asymmetric Public Key Infrastructure systems, which means the site is using a public key and private key to encrypt information and keep it secure. And if you\u2019re using an Extended Validation Certificate, the part of the address bar that shows the security will be green in colour.<\/p>\n

5. Back-Up Regularly to Guard Against Data Loss<\/h2>\n

Let\u2019s say you\u2019ve put all these practices in place but a particularly crafty hacker has still managed to broach your defenses. If that happens, you\u2019ll want to recover data from a backup so you don\u2019t have to start from scratch. And don\u2019t think that sites will automatically provide backups for you, as you may have to use a third-party app to do so.<\/p>\n

Depending on the size of your business, you may have to back up hourly, daily or weekly. It really depends on how much information you\u2019re adding and subtracting from your site. Using scheduled backups is the easiest, but a good rule of thumb is any time you make a change, you should be backing up to save that change.<\/p>\n

6. Sign Up for Fraud Alerts<\/h2>\n

If a user orders products from you fraudulently, there are steps you can take to remedy the situation. But if the worst-case scenario happens and you can\u2019t, you\u2019re out a bunch of items and have a thinner profit margin. Some of the more common fraud practices include:<\/p>\n