Best Ways to Protect Yourself as an
Ecommerce Business Owner
The biggest advantage of owning an E-commerce business over Brick and Mortar Store is that the robbers can't come and rob you at the gunpoint.
However, it doesn't mean that you are entirely safe. Though an e-commerce business is comparatively safer than the traditional physical retail businesses, yet they have their own insecurities.
Your business can never be completely safe from criminals, they are always looking for your weak points. So you have to ensure the security of your digital business just like you would do so for your physical one.
But before you move on to how you can secure your online business, it's important to first understand why the Security of E-commerce business is important. So let's begin.
What is an Ecommerce Security and Is It That Important?
Your e-commerce business site does not only contains your company's information but also your client's personal data. So when it comes to eCommerce business security, it's not just you who is in danger but also your client and your company's reputation.
The day the news breaks out that your company is not able to protect its customer's privacy, it will be the end of your career. Therefore it is always important to consider the security of your E-commerce business, not just for yourself but also for the sake of your clients, cause after all no business would want to lose its customers permanently.
Ecommerce security is your first step towards gaining your customers' trust and ensuring the safe future of your company. E-commerce security covers the protocols that safeguard all the online transactions of a business, It plays an integral part in the safe selling and buying of goods and services via the internet. In short, E-commerce security is a type of cybersecurity protocol that ensures the safety of online businesses.
How Your E-commerce Business Is in Danger
As for how youreCommerce business is in danger, or how your online business can be attacked, let us tell you that there are many ways and not just one that hackers opt to harm you and your business. Let's discuss the few of them that carries the major dominance:
Dos and DDoS Attacks
These attacks are the most dangerous ones, though every attack is dangerous, yet these are the major ones of them. The Dos and DDoS attacks cause the complete shutdown of your business websites by either flooding them with illegitimate traffic or completely clogging your site's traffic via malware-affected botnets.
SQL Injections
In SQL Injections, a hacker uses standard coding command language to access your data which may result in unauthorized access to the admin's panel, hence the hacker may retrieve, remove or infect your secret data with malware.
XSS Cross-Site Scripting
Cross-site scripting is a kind of attack that comes from your client which means that your client can input the malicious script in your website via any of the client portals such as comments, order bookings, complaints and contact form, etc.
How Can You Protect Your Ecommerce Business
Choose a Strong and Authentic E-commerce Platform
While forming an e-commerce website, don't just go for any random platform, but search well and then come up with a conclusion. Low-level and cheap E-commerce platforms work as an open door for hackers as they don't provide your website the security it needs.
But it doesn't mean that you shouldn't trust anybody and start developing your own platform from scratch as it can be even more dangerous. So it's always reliable to use some well-known e-commerce platforms that fulfill all the security requirements for your website.
Partners with the Best Web Hosting Providers
Web hosting companies matter a lot in setting up your website and making it ready to go. So while choosing the web hosting service providers, make sure to go for secure web hosting providers. The biggest benefit of hiring the best web hosting company in terms of security is that they always keep your site updated, thus ensuring there is no loophole left for the hackers. Moreover, they always keep a backup of your data for the security of your site.
Register Your Business and Form an LLC
Just like any physical brick and mortar store, your E-commerce business also needs registration. If your online business has not been registered it may be considered as an illegitimate one and might even get into the issues of double taxation.
So to avoid such circumstances make sure to form an LLC and register your business on the very first go. You can either do it yourself or if you are too busy for it, then hiring any of the top company formation services is also a good option to get the whole work done for you.
Apply for the Trademark for Your Name and Logo
Securing your E-commerce platform by means of a patent is also important to consider. There are lots of digital burglars out there who are looking for unique and trendy ideas for business names and logos to sell further. So if you don't apply for the copyright claim and patent on your business's name and logo, then yours might be next on the list. Though you’ll have to apply for the patent yourself, yet if you are already hiring a formation service like BetterLegal, then you don’t have to do the hassle as they will do it on their own.
Use Strong Encryption: HTTP Over SSL = HTTPS
Securing your site by implementing strongly encrypted codes is by far the best thing you can do to save your e-commerce business. Traditionally, the most common security protocol that is implemented to secure your sites is the SSL (Secure Sockets Layer). However, if a HyperText Transfer Protocol i.e. HTTP is implemented over it, making it HTTPS, the coding becomes even more secure and free of any loopholes.
Be Careful with Other Apps and Websites
Be careful while using other sites and apps, even the ones belonging to the big brands. Because hackers now have become even more cunning. They develop a site that looks the same as if it belongs to big brands, and thus your site becomes a victim. Therefore it is always suggested to 2-factor authentication as it ensures that you are providing your data to an authentic site only.