Five essential steps you should take today to protect your e-commerce website

​The world of commerce has changed massively in recent years. With the incessant rise of online shopping and the seemingly unstoppable decline of the traditional high street, more and more firms are looking to the internet as their primary source of revenue.
 
With such an increased reliance on online shopping for their trade, e-commerce websites have become an essential tool for many modern businesses. However, with this growing dependence also comes the significant risks posed by online criminals.
 
It’s an unfortunate truth that any sector which generates money will likely end up becoming a target for criminals and e-commerce is no exception.
 
As with so many other areas of life, prevention is always the best cure and there are multiple steps you can take today to help increase the protection of your online store.

1) Always keep your software and plug-ins up to date

New threats appear online every day and software developers are always attempting to stay one step ahead of hackers and online criminals. If you notice a plug-in or, more importantly, your content management system (CMS) has a new update, you should install it immediately. For example, WordPress is one of the most commonly used CMSs on the planet and the developers constantly update the platform when they discover any potential problems. 

​2) Choose a secure web hosting company

Hosting companies come in varying levels of professionalism so choose your company wisely. SQL injection attacks are sadly very common but a well-protected host will do everything in its power to protect you. Many people ask “What is SQL injection?“ So, as a brief overview, SQL attacks isolate and exploit vulnerabilities in the database that powers your site. If a hacker uses this method of attack, they will be able to add, edit, or delete the data stored in your back-end database, potentially bringing your site down.  

3) Use a secure password – and change it regularly

When you select the password for your CMS, be sure to use a complicated combination that is difficult to guess. Most modern CMSs these days will suggest a password for you when you’re setting up your site, but if not, be sure to choose an alphanumeric combination. Also, be sure to never use the same password across multiple accounts (for example, for your email and website) and, for the greatest security, remember to regularly change it. 

4) Use HTTPS and install an SSL certificate

​Hypertext transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) provides security over the internet by preventing interceptions or interruptions to data while it’s being transferred. Secure socket l(SSL) also encrypts your customers’ private data while it’s in transit. As a responsible e-commerce trader, you need both. 

5) Take a regular backup of your site

​No matter how much protection you employ, issues can arise, and no site is 100% secure from hackers. To give yourself complete peace of mind, be sure to backup your site regularly so you have a fallback copy if the worst happens and you need to reinstall a working version following an attack. There are multiple products available online which can automate this task for you.