Online stores are only as secure as the merchants making them. Meaning, if you’re not taking security seriously, it’s likely someone else will. And that means hackers and scammers could be targeting your site with malicious intent to steal private information or, worse–money!
The truth is, not many hackers go after small businesses, especially big corporations. The reason is they’re typically backed by antivirus software that would typically block the hack before it occurs.
You have to ask yourself what makes your business more or less attractive than other online stores? Is it because you are a smaller company with little to no security? Or is it because you have a strong presence on the web and just as much security as those big businesses?
Here are some tips to help remove that worry from your mind.
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Make sure you have a secure web host.
What do I mean by that? It’s important to go with a company that has strong security measures built into not only their software but also hardware. This way, if your site is hacked, they’ll be able to handle the threat accordingly and keep it from spreading to other sites or customers. This is extremely important for businesses that deal with services like online auto loans.
Additionally, choose a hosting provider that offers protection from DDoS attacks because they can be costly to recover from.
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Use strong passwords
It’s not enough to have a password on your site; you need one that is secure and can’t be easily hacked or guessed. For example, if you use “password” as your password, it may take the hackers only minutes to get in.
It would be best if you always used a combination of letters, numbers, and special characters to ensure it’s difficult to guess. Additionally, don’t write your password down anywhere; use a secure master list that you can’t access from your computer.
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Beware of phishing emails.
Phishing emails can be tricky, but if you know what you’re looking for, they shouldn’t pose a threat to your online store or business in general. The problem with these scams is that businesses don’t know they’re scams until it’s too late.
For example, when you receive an email claiming to be from your bank with instructions on how to verify information–don’t send any personal info in response. It’s likely a phishing scam designed to collect information for identity theft or other malicious reasons.
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Always use HTTPS
Have you ever noticed when you land on a site like bankofamerica.com or paypal.com, the URL in your browser begins with HTTPS.
That’s because websites that collect critical information–like banking and payment details–use encryption (HTTPS) to protect pages containing sensitive data. This ensures only the intended recipient can read the information sent.
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Think before clicking
Finally, one of the best ways to protect your online store is avoiding suspicious links or email attachments at all costs! Hackers are known for using social engineering to trick users into giving them the information they need to break through security measures and access your site’s files, which could result in a data breach.
Hackers can use phishing emails to get around whatever security measures you have in place by fooling unsuspecting users into clicking links or downloading files from untrusted sources–meaning they could steal your information and sell it!
To avoid this, always think before you click and never open attachments you weren’t expecting to receive from a known contact. Remember, hackers can easily send an email from a fake account and make it look like someone you trust is sending the message.
The Importance of Protecting Your Online Store
Online merchants have to be just as vigilant as their customers when it comes to protecting their personal information. After all, it’s not only the customer’s data that’s at risk when they’re shopping on an unsecured website.
Hackers go after small businesses because they’re typically less protected and don’t have the same resources as big corporations. This can be costly for the business, both financially and reputationally.
That’s why online merchants need to take the necessary precautions to protect their stores and customers. It’s also why you need to know what best practices are most important.
Bottom Line
To protect your online store and customers, you need a strategy that includes security measures like strong passwords, DDoS protection, HTTPS encryption for critical pages containing sensitive data. It would be best if you also were cautious of phishing scams or suspicious links in email attachments from untrusted sources because they may result in a data breach.
Using best practices can help prevent hackers from accessing any customer’s private information–which is the last thing you want happening on your watch!
