Checkout Crash Course: Making Your Online Storefront More Secure

Today, there is a growing concern over online data security, especially with the prevalence of data breaches among large companies. For e-commerce companies, owners have a responsibility to their customers to make sure they’re taking the necessary steps to keep customer data safe and secure. Fortunately, there are a few steps all online business owners can take on their own to increase security for any online storefront, boost customer confidence when shopping, and keep clients coming back time and time again.

Choose the Right Platform

E-commerce business owners should begin by making sure they’re utilizing the right platform to begin with, since not all of these platforms are created equally in terms of built-in security measures and features. Specifically, look for features, such as secondary authentication, internal network administration, and object-oriented programming language. These are all features most secure e-commerce platforms these days have to offer.

Don’t Store Customer Data

Generally, it’s best to shy away from giving customers the option of storing their payment data and other information in their personal accounts, though many online payment platforms allow users to do this. By storing this data, it is automatically more prone to attack by hackers and identity thieves, so by simply requiring users to re-enter their payment information each time they make a purchase, there is a much greater guarantee of keeping that information safe, even if it does take a few more minutes of their time. This is why many physical stores also do this with debit and credit purchases as well.

Require Strong Passwords

For e-commerce platforms that require the creation of an online account for each user, it’s also a good idea to have strict regulations in place when it comes to passwords. This is especially true for business owners who plan on allowing their customers to save their payment and other data on the platform. A strong password, according to How to Geek, should generally include at least 12 characters, including a mix of uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols. Big companies like Amazon and even smaller Etsy stores have come to rely on this method. Passwords shouldn’t include any words found in the dictionary. By requiring this of your users, the chances of an account being compromised are much lower. Another great tool to help you strengthen your passwords is Safety Detectives.

Use a Monitoring Service

There are many monitoring services available to e-commerce businesses, many are similar to having a security system set up in a physical storefront. They can alert business owners to potential security threats, so they can be addressed and resolved before a full-on security or data breach occurs. These kinds of monitoring systems are also good for checking the authenticity of payments and coupon codes. Retail businesses everywhere are starting to use this to check on everything from Nordstrom rack coupons to iTunes gift card codes. These are just a few ways to increase the security of any e-commerce storefront. These actions, combined with offering customers occasional promotions and coupons, will keep them coming back time and time again.