Why Secure Your E-Commerce Site? Over 32% of annual cyber attacks target online stores. 6 months after the attacks, 60% of them are going out of business…
Credit card fraud, phishing, DDoS attacks, data hacking… E-commerce sites are a prime target for hackers because they collect your personal and financial data, as well as the data of your customers.
In the event of an attack, you not only lose money, but also the trust of the buyers. It hinders the stability of your business. Therefore it is necessary to strengthen the security of your e-commerce. Heed our advice for securing payments, data and your online store in general!
Securing Payments on Your Ecommerce
It is impossible to do without payment technologies on the online store. However, they are often subject to cyber attacks or hacks. The first area where you can strengthen the security of your e-commerce concerns payment solutions.
This way:
Enable multi-factor authentication
Multi-factor authentication helps limit hackers’ access to customer and payment information. This requires the customer to log in with more than just a username/email and password.
In general, the buyer will need to enter their email address or a verification code sent by SMS, or answer a security question, as with Vint here:
Although this process adds an extra step to the purchase process and potential friction, it allows you to secure your transaction and protect your customer.
The key is to warn the user, informing him that this additional procedure guarantees the security of his data. He’ll be more confident and encouraged to keep buying.
limit credit card fraud
Credit card fraud occurs when a cybercriminal uses stolen card data to purchase products from your online store. In this case, the delivery and billing addresses are different. You can detect and limit these activities at your store by setting up an Address Verification System (AVS).
AVS makes it possible to ensure that the billing address entered by the customer matches the address registered with the card issuing bank. This protection does not trigger the authentication process, but blocks transactions in the event of proven fraud, or creates monitoring alerts if there is any suspicion.
Install 3D Secure Authentication Protocol
Developed by Visa and Mastercard, 3D Secure System is a multi-factor authentication protocol that helps prevent non-payment and protect your customers’ bank details.
Before paying for his purchase, the customer is redirected to his bank’s authentication page. Depending on the installation, he or she will either have to enter a single-use code (received by SMS), or connect to his bank’s mobile application to validate the transaction, all within 5 minutes.
Example of MX Stickers
In case of wrong code or no connection to the app, 3 times in a row, the transaction gets blocked.
Advantage of 3D Secure: It remains customizable. You can set it to activate after a certain amount of purchases. This allows you to reduce the friction it can cause especially for small orders.
To reassure your visitors, remember to clearly display it on the shopping cart page, like here:
protecting personal information
Hackers are always on the lookout for the slightest loophole to steal your customers’ private data. To secure your e-commerce, including user information, here are some actions to take:
Switch to HTTPS Protocol
The HTTPS protocol secures your users’ sensitive data. This entitles you to an SSL certificate that encrypts the data exchanged between the server and your clients’ devices, preventing any interception. Without it, hackers can easily obtain passwords, usernames, credit card numbers and other confidential information.
In addition to providing an extra layer of security, SSL helps strengthen the credibility of your e-commerce. Your website URL displays the padlock symbol, a guarantee of security for browsers and Internet users. An element that reassures the most attentive Internet users (and there are more and more of them)!
HTTPS allows you to protect yourself from Man in the Middle (MITM) attacks, during which a hacker blocks communication between the client and the server. It can then access the data transmitted over the server, impersonate the IP identity and steal your location with the server.
Find an Expert Cyber ​​Security Consultant at Codeur.com
Prevent SQL Injection Attacks
An SQL injection attack is used by hackers to harvest your customers’ personal data, such as login or banking information. They attack your request submission form to access your backend database. Then they corrupt it with a code, collect the data and erase their trace.
Sometimes it takes months for a company to realize that it has become a victim of SQL injection.
Here are some best practices for securing your e-commerce from malicious SQL injections:
- Use parameterized queries
- Whitelist your data
- Choose an e-commerce platform that hides sensitive user information behind multiple layers of code
- Enable logging and engage artificial intelligence agents for intrusion detection
Avoid Cross-Site Scripting With CSP
Cross-site scripting involves installing malicious JavaScript code on your online store to target your visitors and customers. These codes can access cookies, modify pages visited and steal information.
To protect you from such attacks, set up a Content Security Policy (CSP) in the header of your site, or a Content Security Strategy in French. It can detect and mitigate attacks such as Cross Site Scripting (XSS) and data injection attacks.
Implementing a CSP to secure your e-commerce involves going into the .htaccess file and the following line of code:
<अगर मॉड्यूल mod_headers.c>
header set Content-Security-Policy “default-src ‘none’; frame-source ‘self’; object-source ‘none’; img-src ‘self’; connect-source ‘self’; script-source*; script-src-elem*; style-source*; style-src-elem*; »
Securing Your E-Commerce Site Against Web Skimming
Web skimming is a form of attack similar to XSS, but which targets only the payment card processing protocol. The injected code, called “majkart”, steals a lot of personal data such as login credentials, credit card information, account numbers…
Currently, it is impossible for customers to detect whether a website has been tampered with because malicious scripts get into the checkout page and show no sign. The compromised site appears normal to Internet users.
To protect your e-commerce site from this attack, it is recommended to:
- Update your security tools, plugins and software regularly.
- Deploy anti-malware software.
- Change the default login credentials on all systems (the famous WordPress “admin”, for example).
- Isolating and dividing network systems to limit the possibilities of switching from one to the other.
- Regularly check JavaScript code on sensitive e-commerce pages for changes.
Equip yourself with security plugins
Whether it’s analyzing your e-commerce site, detecting XSS attacks, avoiding web skimming, or protecting yourself from brute force attacks, there are plugins out there for WordPress, Joomla or Prestashop. An Overview of the Extensions You Need to Secure Your Ecommerce!
RSFirewall, a firewall to protect your e-commerce
If your online store runs on Joomla or WordPress, then RSFirewall is a plugin you can rely on. It scans your e-commerce for the presence of any malware, prevents brute force attacks, detects and removes dangerous files in real time.
In Prestashop, you will find the Defender module which provides similar functionality.
Badbot Protection, a plugin to block bad bots
Some hackers, sometimes working for competition, develop special bots to explore your e-commerce site in search of stock, prices, content information… These robots will intentionally interfere with the performance of your merchant site. can hinder. , inject automated spam codes or spot security vulnerabilities.
Joomla with Badbot Protection Plugin, You quickly detect and block these bots. On the WordPress side, there is a similar extension called Stop Bad Bots.
Wordfence Security, the all-in-one plugin to secure your e-commerce site
Wordfence Security is a popular plugin among WordPress users. Very comprehensive, this firewall regularly scans your online store to identify and block malware. It also has a spam filter and brute force attack protection feature.
There is a similar extension on Prestashop called Security Pro.
Hide My WP Ghost against SQL and XSS injection attacks
Hide My WP Ghost works as an intrusion detector and notifies you as soon as a threat is noticed. You also get the attacker’s IP address, username and date of attack.
Furthermore, the plugin adds layers of security to your e-commerce to prevent malicious scripts and brute force attacks.
Educate Your Customers About Phishing
One way to secure your e-commerce site is to make your customers aware of phishing. This practice, which includes sending fraudulent emails coming from your store, can quickly damage your reputation and trust on your site.
Where possible, launch awareness campaigns and:
- Inform your customers about the tone and style used in your emails
- Remind them of situations in which you send emails
- Raise awareness about what kind of links you shouldn’t click on and what kinds of information you never ask for
- Provide an address to contact in case of doubt
Also ask your customers to strengthen the security of their passwords by supporting phrases instead of simple words or anniversary dates.
Banks are often victims of phishing. To educate their customers, they do not hesitate to openly talk about it on the home page of their website:
This good practice can be used to secure your e-commerce site.
make frequent backups
Lastly, make sure to back up your essential data frequently. If your e-commerce site is hacked or targeted by hackers, you can get it back online quickly, without losing data
Keep in mind that most web hosts offer automatic and regular backups. Check if you have this option. You can also do them manually from FTP, or use a plugin. Multiple backups are always better than one!
Our tips for securing your e-commerce site
Securing your e-commerce site is essential to reassure your customers and ensure the sustainability of your business. If you want to reinforce the security elements seen in this article, consider contacting a cyber security expert at Codeur.com! He will be able to audit your online store and optimize its security.