Since the dawn of ecommerce, the industry has been a target of malicious elements on the internet ÔÇô viruses, malwares, data breaches, and so on. For this reason, business owners have been continuously trying to keep things safe and secure for them as well as for their customers.
Thing is, technology not only serves the productive and benevolent kinds, it also works with the maleficent entities with same capability. In fact, it is like energy, the one who is able to harness it better, can use it to its maximum potential. It all depends on who uses it, and how much they know about it. Technology can be both – a boon and a bane.
It all boils down to how effective your digital safekeeping methods are in order to keep your ecommerce business secure. So we decided to compile the most important security measures that will help ecommerce business owners run their operations in a safe and worry-free manner. But first, letÔÇÖs take a look at all the important elements an ecommerce business owner should provide to the customers to ensure a safe transaction:
Confidentiality: Any and all the information provided by the customers, be it the personal information such as address, email and phone number, or financial information such as credit card details should be kept away from attackersÔÇÖ reach.
Encryption: The information sent from the customer to the ecommerce website or vice versa should be encrypted so that any checkpoint station in between (read about computer terminal for details) is not able to read the information. The information should be accessible and comprehensible only by the involving parties.
Authenticity: Customers want the assurance that all the information available on an ecommerce website is authentic. From product description to privacy policy to end user agreement, they want the information to be correct. In the same way, ecommerce business owners also want to make sure the information entered by the customer is also correct and authentic. ItÔÇÖs not only about building trust, for authenticity is the foundation of successful business.
Integrity: The information sent from one point to another should not be altered in any way at any point of the transmission.
Non-repudiability: This is a clause that prevents a party or an individual from declining the validity of a statement made by them. For instance, a person after sending a message canÔÇÖt deny the fact that a message has been sent by them, nor can a message receiver claim he didnÔÇÖt receive a message.
Now, letÔÇÖs see how ecommerce businesses can meet the above mentioned requirements.
Choose Your Website Platform Carefully
It all begins with how robust and secure the platform is on which your website is built. What you need to understand here is the fact that ecommerce platforms are not ÔÇ£one size fits allÔÇØ caps that can suit everybodyÔÇÖs requirement just like that. Many readymade marketplace building solutions available today are developed keeping scalability in mind. The sturdier your marketplace platform is, the harder it will be for the hackers to crack the code and carry their malicious activities forward.
Also Read: Choosing the Right Ecommerce Platform for Optimal SEO
Use SSL and PCI
Secure Socket Layer, or simply SSL, is a widely used protocol in the ecommerce industry. The easiest way to know whether a website is secure is to check whether the URL says ÔÇ£httpÔÇØ or ÔÇ£https.ÔÇØ
Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, PCI DSS, or simply PCI compliance, is necessary for websites that allow their end users to make payment through plastic money. If your business requires you to use and store your customersÔÇÖ credit and /or debit card details and process it, make sure the data hosting service provider meets these standards.
Educate Your Customers
Customer education is one of the most important and yet underrated practices to ensure information security. Create a FAQ page where you address important tips and trick of ensuring a safe transaction.
In these FAQs, you can educate customers on:
- how to place an online order
- how to ensure information security
- what makes your ecommerce website secure
- how to keep credit card information secure
Apart from this, you can also prompt your customers to use virtual keyboard instead of the physical one to keep their information safe from keystroke recorders.
Related Read: Offer Unique Customer Experience to Succeed in Ecommerce
Conclusion
You can never be too sure of your ecommerce websiteÔÇÖs security. With continuously evolving technology, keeping your marketplace updated with latest tech is crucial, and so is keeping your system safe from attackers by updating your antivirus, anti-malware and anti-spyware software.
Information has to be kept safe at all times, and communication must be encrypted to make sure malicious tech users are not able to know whatÔÇÖs happening. Thing is, they are always on the move, and you got be one step ahead. Remember, itÔÇÖs not always about running a profitable business; itÔÇÖs also about securing customer information and keeping it safe.
