Online stores and services are a common target for cybercriminals. This is because such companies often have access to sensitive information such as customer credit card details and personal addresses. Fortunately, there are many reliable ways in which you can fend off cyberattacks. Below are some of the different ways in which you can defend your ecommerce business against the threat of a cyberattack.
Secure your website
A website that looks vulnerable is more likely to be targeted. Make sure to invest in security measures such as obtaining an SSL certificate (allowing you to enable HTTPS encryption) and deploying a WAF (Web Application Firewall). Make sure to check that any plug-ins or themes you’re using are also secure and have not expired – these can be a common way in which hackers can infiltrate websites.
Strengthen passwords
While there are many modern hacking methods, the old fashioned approach of cracking passwords is still one of the most popular routes. It’s important that all admin accounts on your site and all email accounts are protected with strong passwords. These should consist of a mixture of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. Changing passwords every so often will help to keep them secure. Multi-factor authentication is also a great way to keep accounts secure – this includes using a password and a second form of authentication (such as a code sent to a phone number or facial recognition).
Back up data
If a cybercriminal manages to get hold of your data, it could be essential that you have all your information backed up. This is particularly important against ransomware attacks in which cybercriminals can hold your data hostage in exchange for a ransom. Having everything backed up on a secure cloud server could allow you to continue business as usual. It’s worth taking the time to compare cloud backup options online.
Insure yourself
Getting hacked can be incredibly costly. You may have money stolen from you in the process and customers may sue you if their personal details have been stolen. If other cybersecurity measures have failed and you do get hacked, cyber insurance can help greatly reduce the negative financial impact. It’s worth taking the time to shop around for business insurance providers that offer cyber insurance and getting your business insured as soon as you can.
Train your team
If you have a team of employees, it could be important to introduce a cybersecurity protocol. This includes making sure that employees use strong passwords, as well as knowing how to avoid threats such as not clicking on suspicious emails or links. It could also be important to train your employees how to react in the event of a cyberattack in order to minimise the damage. This could include severing the connection to cloud backup files, quickly changing passwords and knowing when to notify customers. There are cybersecurity courses that you may be able to enrol your staff on. Alternatively, you could outsource cybersecurity services or hire IT experts to advise you on what to do.
