Developing and maintaining an e-commerce site for one’s business is a great way to reach demographics that are simply impossible for traditionally brick-and-mortar stores. While many owners may be excited about the prospect of increased traffic and sales, these sites also come with a number of potential security risks that must be addressed very early on. From credit card processing to secure methods for account monitoring, here is a look at the best practices for protecting these sites, clients, and the company in general.
Protecting a Customer’s Data
While a secure merchant account and encrypted company data should be a top priority, protecting customer information is just as important. Any theft or loss of customer data can lead to a huge settlement or lawsuit, and this is why every e-commerce site should have a thorough plan for securing accounts including strict password and account name requirements. An SSL, or secure socket layer, will also help to encrypt a customer’s information as it is transferred between their own device and the company’s server. Finally, as little information as possible should be kept about the customer including a quick turnaround time for all steps when purchasing goods and services including credit card processing, confirmation emails, receipts, and shipping.
Creating a System for Monitoring
Depending on the type of website that has been designed, the programs being used to control the site, and the servers that host the information, there are a number of tools available to business owners to carefully monitor activity. All business owners should have a relatively good idea on the amount of traffic to expect and what the average day of business will look like in terms of activity. The website should be manually monitored as much as possible, but alerts can also be set up which will notify the company of any unusual activity such as a DDoS attack.
Consider Outsourcing Security
While there are some very effective security tools designed to be used by business owners, some may want to consider an outside security firm to keep a closer eye on their business. These firms can help with an array of issues including encrypting information that is sent to and from merchant accounts, identifying potential lapses in security, manually updating security software, and creating scaling solutions for increased traffic and sales.