Safety First: Your Most Critical Element in E-Commerce
You shouldn’t need a read-back of recent hacking issues that have practically paralyzed both government entities and private corporations to see the writing on the wall. Cybersecurity may become one of the top dangers to all companies doing business online and offline in 2023, thanks to heightened abilities for nefarious players to do damage. It’s not pretty, and it’s the last thing you need.
So, what should ecommerce vendors (and their service providers) be looking at with respect to security? Much of it is out of your hands, but if you entrust a third party to handle payment transactions, you have the right and the obligation to observe best practices. Look at it this way: they are aware of their high burden, and your constant inquiries will keep them on their toes.
Smaller online merchants should build a rigid threshold of in-house and exterior policies and procedures, say cybersecurity experts. Irrespective of compromised customer or internal data, the more down time a small vendor experiences, the greater the hit they take.
So what exactly are the secrets to protecting your data to the best of your ability? How about tighter access control and data security software? Both will vest more confidence and safety in your business. Business News writer Jeremy Bender reminds merchants that the big kids such as top-tier credit reporting agencies have fallen victim to mass data breaches, but they aren’t alone. The idea is to limit who may have a path to reaching your data using UTM (Unified Threat Management). Here’s a useful read on steps to take to protect your treasured business.
Whether you go all in with a deep dive, or just take cursory steps to ensure your security, your first priority is to be prepared for a cyberattack, however unlikely that is. Ransomware – the pernicious method of a nefarious party blackmailing your very access to your own data in exchange for a payoff – is not common among small sellers, but never say never. Develop an incident response plan to be ready for whatever comes. That means keep whatever backup data you can on a separate server. Your customers will love you for this, and your business may experience less costly down time.
It's a New, Scary World.
Easy to think your slight presence in the ecommerce field will work against being targeted, but all they need is a domain and a back door. Make sure your firewall is robust. It’s your first line of protection. If you are one of thousands who use a third-party sales platform, investigate and press them to supply specific detail of their firewall stability. If you’re working on your own, shore up your firewall. Check out entities such as Cloudflare, a highly rated platform with a tight network and advanced preparation to combat hacks.
It sounds simple, but it’s often overlooked. Make sure you know who has physical access to your business computers, creating separate, trackable user accounts for each employee and especially each service contractor.
Wi-Fi networks are a vast part of the cybersecurity equation. They trip up home users often and that makes them a big target for bad guys. Contact your provider and conduct an up-to-date security check.
Make sure the banks used in processing your payments are as up to speed on cyber issues as you need them to be.
Finally, consult a useful litany of great info from the government itself, which is as vulnerable to attacks as anyone and typically at the forefront of aggressive efforts. The Federal Communications Commission is a good place to start as you navigate the unfortunate reality of making sure your hard work is not sabotaged by criminals.