How to Secure Your eCommerce Website – Top Tips

Starting an online business and developing an eCommerce website can be intriguing and enjoyable challenges. As the market is growing, early retirement can be in your future if you play your cards right.

Yet, a factor that many new business owners ignore or even forget is the security of their eCommerce website.

Fortunately, there are lots of simple precautions you can take to protect your website. To use them, you don’t also have to be a computer genius.

The actions you may take to protect your website from external threats, prevent user data leaks, and prevent additional harm to your organisation will be covered in this article.

What Exactly is eCommerce security?

Security is, or should be, the most important factor in any eCommerce website. Lack of security on the part of online business owners exposes them to fraud and identity theft as well as their customers, their brand, and themselves. Not to mention that having your finances destroyed by stolen credit card information could result in significant losses for your business.
Don’t assume that simply because your company is now little, it is secure. The truth is that smaller companies are significantly more frequently targeted than bigger ones. Cybercriminals anticipate lax or nonexistent protection on eCommerce websites used by small enterprises.

And they’re not mistaken. Tiny eCommerce websites are constantly in danger. A online security company’s data shows that 29%, or over a third, of a website’s traffic, is made up of bots that are trying to damage it.
In addition to actual financial fraud, data or security breaches harm the reputation of your company. Why should you expect your consumers to feel secure making purchases from you if you yourself won’t do so on an unsecure website?
Also, it will be difficult to retain existing clients after a breach, let alone attract new ones.
So, the goal of eCommerce security is to ensure that both your company and your customers feel secure.

eCommerce website security tips for 2023

You might be asking what else you can do to safeguard your website, your users, and yourself now that you are aware of the most typical sorts of security dangers to your website. So we’ve put together a list of advice to help you protect an eCommerce website you manage.

#1. Choose a safe web server and online store platform

There are various eCommerce options available to meet your platform requirements, but for the best security, you must have both a secure platform and a best web host. There are security safeguards integrated into the majority of eCommerce website builders. Yet, not all platforms and hosts are alike or even comparable.

The best course of action is to compare hosts and platform providers to choose the one that works best for you, your company, and your clients. Look for a ecommerce hosting provider and platform that provides complete security against the most typical risks, such as malware and SQL injections.

#2. Purchase an SSL certificate

You desire to obtain an SSL certificate like a Wildcard SSL certificate in addition to finding providers with built-in security protocols and advantages.
Only you and the user will be able to decipher the data sent between your website and the user’s web browser thanks to encryption. All e-commerce websites are required to obtain an SSL certificate by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) Data Security Standard.
The PCI Security Standards must be followed by all merchants and eCommerce-based businesses. They are in a position to ensure that companies take steps to safeguard customers from fraud and identity theft.

#3. Run routine SQL checks

Each user input form on your website can be used to do a SQL injection, so routinely checking for these vulnerabilities is essential to the safety and security of your website.
There are a number of software alternatives that can assist in monitoring and safeguarding your website from these injections, depending on the platform you decide to employ. The same functions may be accomplished using free site scanners as well, but be sure to read reviews and only download from reputable sellers.
Configure the scanner of your choice to check the security of your website every day. If there are any vulnerabilities, they can be identified and fixed in this manner before someone exploits them.

#4. Let the Experts Handle Payment and data processing

Not having any customer data is the greatest method to ensure its safety! If it’s not absolutely required, avoid gathering or keeping any confidential information about your clients on your website.
It is usual practice for e-commerce sites to accept payments through a third-party, encrypted checkout tunnel. The majority of well-known payment gateways are 100 percent secure and are not renowned for disclosing any private customer information.
Choose a payment system that works with the web host and platform for your eCommerce website. You want something that will provide the greatest, most advanced fraud and identity theft protection available.

#5. Update and fix your website as necessary

App developers discover solutions to patch vulnerabilities as hackers discover them. Website software frequently receives new upgrades that contain vital security patches.
You should therefore pay special attention to updates as they are released. If your updates aren’t automatic, you must update them manually with extreme care. Therefore, it is a good idea to enable automatic updates for both your PC and website.

#6. Keep an eye on what you download and incorporate

It’s a terrific thing to be able to download and incorporate plugins, tools, apps, and more right into your website! So always pay attention to what you download and use. Some hackers will insert dangerous protocols on your website using these add-ons.
In certain cases, it’s not even deliberate. Certain plugins might not be fully compatible with your software, leaving your website open to assaults.
In general, you may safeguard your entire PC using the same security precautions you employ for your website. Use dependable security for all purposes, including business and professional ones.

#7. Regularly backup the data on your website

Although backing up your eCommerce website won’t completely thwart security threats, it will help to lessen their impact. Actually, it’s a tactic to prevent data from being destroyed, tampered with, or taken hostage.

Taking the time to regularly backup your website is a wise business decision. Always make a backup of the website before making an update. You should be backing up the website at least once every three days, but it is advised that you do it daily.

Of course, you may programme backups to begin automatically so that you won’t need to manually start them. Make sure to select the platform that can provide you with that assurance because the majority of website builders and web providers will include website backups as a standard function.

#8. Get a website application firewall and use it

Your eCommerce website’s security will improve thanks to a WAF, or website application firewall. Your website will be safeguarded against XSS, SQL injections, and forged requests.
Also, it ought to defend your website from brute force hacking efforts. Also, it ought to lessen the possibility of experiencing a DoS or DDoS attack.
There are several excellent providers of web application firewalls. Pick one that meets your requirements, is within your price range, and is reputable among eCommerce companies.

Conclusions Regarding Ensuring eCommerce Website Security

For both your brand and your customers, having a safe eCommerce website is crucial. Every website is a target, but you can protect yourself from dangerous people if you take the necessary safeguards.
The easiest approach to stay worry-free is to follow all of the aforementioned security precautions and keep your software up to date. Good luck protecting your website and attracting visitors!