In recent years we have witnessed an exponential growth of e-commerce, a situation confirmed by many sector researchers, which have all compactly highlighted the strong drive of this sector, also – and inevitably – in future projections.
Hand in hand, however, has also been the birth of many new methods devised by hackers to take advantage of them, especially from the many electronic money transactions connected to online shops, through malware capable of detecting our sensitive data. For this reason, the watchword is never to let your guard down. In this article, we will therefore see 5 useful tips on protecting your online store’s web host from possible information theft.
Keep The System Updated
A breach in e-commerce security can harm the owner company. In fact, the theft of sensitive data affects the organization and its customers and, therefore, inevitably compromises trust in the brand. Furthermore, we must remember that customers, in addition to losing confidence in the company in extreme situations, could also decide to take legal action against it.
The first useful step to avoid this is to resort to open-source software. This software has the advantage of being constantly updated by the community and, therefore, having protection tools that are always up to date with the multitude of new threats that appear daily online. Problems and possible security cracks are usually identified and resolved very quickly.
To take advantage of this benefit, however, it is advisable to keep the system updated to the latest release. In some CMS solutions, these updates are performed automatically through plug-ins. You must check that these plug-ins, and any other extensions installed, are also updated. The same also applies to websites created without the use of CMS. An always up-to-date system minimizes the risk of possible cyber attacks.
The Importance Of Regular Backups
If, despite regular updates and all the precautions taken, a hacker could enter a system, this could cause serious damage, perhaps by deleting or overwriting entire databases to mask his tracks. For this precise reason, regular backups must be performed (which is also advisable in many other fields of information technology). Nothing will be lost by doing so because you can always recover the last available save.
Furthermore, these backups should not only be considered preventive protection against hackers. An update, or the installation of plug-ins or extensions, can cause malfunctions in the system. Also in this case, therefore, before proceeding with any operation, you must always make a backup.
Protection Of Login Data
It may seem trivial to underline this, but the access data must be secure. Although this concept is known to all, the importance of a well-structured password still needs to be considered. Many users resort to completely trivial sequences that potential criminals can violate. A secure password consists of an alphanumeric sequence mixed with special symbols, possibly long.
The same speech on the password can also be applied to the username. Many people use the one proposed by the system, such as “admin” or “administrator.” In this way, the risk that the hacker can identify the login credentials grows exponentially. In other words, you must pay attention to these two elements to avoid leaving the system doors open. Therefore, although remembering complicated credentials is less agile, this method effectively fights network bad guys.
Stay Informed
Running a website is a significant responsibility, especially when customers’ payment details are kept. Nothing must be left to chance, and every mistake can cost a lot, even for the company’s reputation. For this reason, to optimally protect yourself from hacker attacks, you should always stay informed about newly discovered security holes and directive updates. In this task, the many forums on the Web dedicated precisely to security can help you.
HTTPS And SSL Certificates
You’ll need to use the HTTPS markup language to transfer sensitive data securely. Through SSL, the transmission of this data between client and server is encrypted. In this way, hackers cannot read or intercept sensitive information. This certificate can be acquired from more than one website.
Some providers include it directly in the hosting package purchased, while others provide it optional for a fee. An overview of these reliable services can be found on this page. Furthermore, we must remember that the famous padlock placed before the web address to testify the presence of the certificate has a psychological importance for the potential customer: it generates trust.
In Conclusion
At this point, it will be clearer how we shouldn’t leave any glimmer to hackers, who are always ready to infiltrate even the smallest leaks. A security scan is a good start, but more is needed. Web criminals are increasingly prepared and good at achieving their goals. The only solution to the problem is always to stay one step ahead of everyone and never take the matter lightly. The risks of unauthorized access only decrease if the utmost attention is paid to verifying and updating the system.
The best thing to do in these situations, provided you need to gain the right skills, is to consult an IT expert who can provide the right advice for a secure site configuration. Secondly, a team of people manages the Web pages. In that case, it is also advisable to make all the team members aware of the measures described because an inexperienced person can constitute a security risk at any time.
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