All of us are aware of the level of breaches in the digital world these days. Hackers around the world are using different malware to pull up sensitive data of different government databases and people in general. Whilst running an e-commerce business, it’s common to face such kinds of attacks from many ends such as transactional fraud, customer-level fraud, unethical hacking, etc. So, how does one secure his e-commerce website from such activity?

One of the biggest areas hit by this unethical hacking and use of sensitive information without consent is the medium of online transactions. It is not just the big government deals or accounts that get hacked but also those of normal citizens. 

Hence, if you have an e-commerce website, it is natural that you would want to make your platform as secure as possible for your customers. It is not just about the possibility of them losing money during transactions; it is also about the loss of sensitive data belonging to you and your customers. 

The security you need to think about is not just about online transactions but ensuring that all of your data is safe and secure in general.

So, how can you do this? You just need to follow the following tips to ensure maximum security for your e-commerce website. 

Reliable web hosting service

This is the most important tip of all and hence, the first one. You have to make sure that the web host you choose is perfectly capable of meeting all your requirements. The web hosting service should be operational 24×7 and have maximum uptime, something to the tune of 99.9%. You may use something like a managed cloud hosting system that allows you to create additional security. With experienced engineers from all over the world, you can get the best security services. Furthermore, you being the admin of the panel can add further layers of security if you feel it’s necessary. 

HTTPS pages for your website

Using HTTPS pages is an obvious tip as it is a known fact for now that if you are looking for a secure connection, it has to be an HTTPS page. You must have an SSL certificate. Once you have this certification, Google recognises this and gives a higher SERP ranking, which in turn leads to more number of users and customers on your platform. Since you use HTTPS pages, the links formed are secure and allow you to make safer transactions and interactions. 

Secured e-commerce platform

When you create your website, you need to make sure that it is secure by all means. The payment gateway you use should be of the highest quality in terms of security of the sensitive data it receives. Your platform should release security patches and tell your customers about the shipping method extensions to improve your credibility. 

User-level security

One of the best tips you can take away is that you need to remind your customers every month about changing their passwords. This will improve the security manifold, deterring hackers. Advise your customers to use strong passwords by including numbers and characters along with the usual letters of the alphabet. 

Storing user data in a secure manner

This is a common mistake many e-commerce websites make. You should definitely not store any sensitive information regarding the bank or card on your website. In a situation where your system gets compromised, all the data of your customers gets sabotaged too and that is something you definitely do not want. Use the method of tokenisation to store fake details on your website instead of actual details. Furthermore, tokenisation is the key to ensure a drop in credit card frauds. 

Vulnerability and security tests

Running security and vulnerability tests from time to time is the most basic thing you can do to ensure that your e-commerce website is working the way it should. Doing Quality Assurance and Digital Testing tests on your website is the key to identify the flaws in it. You have to make sure that your website is not vulnerable at any. Choose tests that let you identify these issues and gives you solutions as well. 

PCI DSS compliance

Your website and payment gateway have to be PCI DSS Compliant to make sure that your customers feel secure while making online transactions. If your website follows the norms then it can detect any discrepancy made during the transactions that allow it to thus stop the transaction then and there.

Updating website 

Since hackers are up to date with the technologies involved, you need to do the same to outsmart them. Your website has to be up-to-date with the best possible security features. You should conduct constant software updates to prevent any bugs from affecting the website. Even a small malware can lead to the loss of you and your customers’ sensitive data. 

Regular data backups

Regular backups ensure that you can retrieve your data even if a hacking incident takes place. It is of utmost importance that you back up the contents of your e-commerce website frequently. This is where a good host comes into play. If your hosting service is good enough then it will have automatic backup. If a hacking incident takes place, you can easily restore the data from your host. 

Have a CDN

One of the most common malware e-commerce website portals interact with is the DDoS – a Distributed Denial of Services. It is a malicious way to disrupt the normal traffic on a network or portal by increasing the amount of useless information and thus delaying the loading of the relevant page. A Content Delivery Network (CDN) stores copies of the content on your website to identify malware and thus saves your website from any DDoS attack. 

Employing Machine Learning tools

Tools such as Razorpay Thirdwatch help to secure your e-commerce website from fraud and impulse purchases, thereby bringing down order cancellations significantly.

Thirdwatch operates on an advanced AI engine that helps detect risky orders by evaluating hundreds of parameters.

Catching digital frauds requires us to first gather the ‘Forensic Evidence’. Every user interaction leaves behind a subtle digital forensics trail like proxy IP, device ID, email address, time to order, etc. 

Machine learning models combine hundreds of such innocuous parameters, which are seemingly unrelated, to identify the patterns that indicate fraud. These patterns are later used to zero down on customers who perform a fraud across different websites and make it to the blacklist.

Data enrichment

This is a method utilised by Thirdwatch and other ML-based tools. Machine learning and natural language processing are used to differentiate between real and fake address. This is only the beginning. Transaction and user data can be enriched by adding context to it.

For example, by adding the price of the user’s phone device or categorizing an address as five stars or one star, Thirdwatch’s engine turns meaningless data (Phone Model) into actionable information that increases the accuracy of the red or green flag that the machine learning models generate for every transaction.

Now that you have an understanding of how to keep your e-commerce website secure, you must be able to secure your platform successfully. Use the tips to your advantage and enhance your presence in the e-commerce world. 

Meanwhile, if you would like to know more about how Razorpay Thirdwatch can help your business, get in touch with us here and we’ll be happy to help!

Here are a few more questions you may have about e-commerce security:

Q. Why is security important for your e-commerce website?

Website security is paramount in order to gain your customer’s trust, especially in the Indian landscape. It’s important to know that e-commerce websites handle a variety of sensitive data such as payment info, physical address and other personal information. Make sure to invest wisely to ensure that both your business and customer information are well-protected and free from unethical hackers.

Q. How do I know if my e-commerce site is secure?

The easiest way is to look at the URL of the website. If it begins with “https” instead of “HTTP” it means the site is secured using an SSL Certificate (the s stands for secure). SSL Certificates secure all of your data as it is passed from your browser to the website’s server. 

Q. What steps do e-commerce companies take to secure their website?

Here are a few methods that e-commerce websites use in order to protect their website and sensitive data:

  • Encrypting data
  • Secure Socket Layer (SSL) 
  • Secure Hypertext Transfer Protocol (S-HTTP)
  • Secure Electronic Transaction (SET)
  • Payment Card Industry (PCI) Compliance
  • Safe login screen
  • Digital signatures

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Writer. Payments enthusiast. The most curious person in the room.

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