Running an online store comes with great opportunities, but also risks. As an ecommerce business owner, you handle sensitive customer and payment data that cybercriminals want to steal. This makes ecommerce sites prime targets for hacking attempts and malware infections. Failing to properly secure your ecommerce website can lead to data breaches, loss of customer trust, financial penalties, and lasting damage to your brand’s reputation.
Fortunately, you can take steps to lock down your site and protect against common cyber threats. This guide covers key security strategies and best practices to help fortify your online store from attacks.
Perform Security Audits
The first step is taking a close look at your existing ecommerce site setup and identifying any vulnerabilities. You can either audit the site yourself or hire a security firm to conduct professional penetration testing.
Areas to examine include:
- Web application security – Scan for bugs like cross-site scripting (XSS), SQL injection, cross-site request forgery (CSRF), etc. These are entry points for hackers.
- Network and infrastructure – Check for misconfigurations, unpatched servers, default passwords, and other weaknesses.
- Payment systems – Verify PCI compliance, encrypt data, and adopt secure payment gateways.
- User access controls – Set up strong password policies and limit employee/admin privileges.
Address any holes or lapses revealed during audits to close off opportunities for intrusion. Perform regular audits every 6-12 months to catch new threats.
Install Security Plugins and Firewalls
Your ecommerce platform and servers should run key security software to filter traffic and block attacks:
- Web application firewall (WAF) – Monitors HTTP requests and filters malicious payloads. Prevents code injections, XSS, and other web attacks.
- Antivirus software – Scans for malware, viruses, and suspicious files on servers and endpoints. Also filters emails and downloads.
- File integrity monitoring – Watches system and file changes to catch intrusions and unauthorized access.
- Intrusion detection and prevention systems (IDS/IPS) – Uses signatures and machine learning to spot network intrusions and botnet traffic.
Keep all software updated with security patches as new threats emerge. Disable unused extensions, plugins, and surface areas prone to exploitation.
Update CMS and Ecommerce Software
The content management system (CMS), ecommerce platform, and any installed plugins/extensions should run the latest software versions. Updates often contain vital security fixes for vulnerabilities commonly targeted by hackers.
- For WordPress sites, update WordPress core, all plugins and themes to newest releases. Turn on auto-updates if available.
- For Magento sites, install security patches through Magento Marketplace and perform full version upgrades.
- For Shopify sites, stay current on new Shopify releases. Install apps only from trusted sources.
Review release notes for each update to understand the security improvements. Outdated software leaves you open to hacks.
Implement Strong Passwords
Enforce secure password policies across the board:
- Length – Require minimum 12 character passwords
- Complexity – Mix upper/lowercase, numbers, symbols
- Expiration – Force password changes every 90 days
- Multi-factor authentication (MFA) – Add secondary login via phone/email confirmations
- Password manager – Use randomized, unique passwords for all accounts
- No reuse – Each account should have a distinct password
Educate staff on creating strong passwords. Do not allow easy to guess passwords like password123 or reuse credentials across sites.
Follow Secure Development Practices
Building secure code from the start prevents bugs that hackers can exploit:
- Input validation and sanitization – Scrub all user input on front and back end before use
- Parameterized queries – Prevent SQL injection by using query parameters instead of string concatenation
- Access controls – Restrict access to data and APIs only to authorized users
- Secure data handling – Encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest
- Code audits – Review code for vulnerabilities before deploying to production
Conduct thorough in-house testing and hire third-party auditors to identify flaws early on. Follow OWASP secure development guidelines for your language and frameworks.
Monitor Traffic and Activity
Installing web application firewalls and IDS systems provides passive monitoring against attacks. You should also actively inspect traffic and system activity for red flags:
- Access logs – Regularly review logs for spikes in errors, traffic from suspicious IPs, etc.
- File change monitoring – Get alerts on unexpected modifications to critical files or data.
- Network traffic – Inspect patterns for signs of data exfiltration or command and control activity.
- Integrity checks – Perform checksums on files routinely to catch unauthorized tampering.
Catching an intrusion early allows you to quickly take steps to evict attackers before major damage occurs.
Plan Incident Response
Despite best efforts, some attacks may still slip through. Develop incident response plans so you are ready to act at the first sign of intrusion:
- Response team – Designate staff roles and duties during cyber incidents
- Communication – Define internal and external comms plans to notify affected parties
- Containment – Have steps to isolate, shutdown access, or deactivate compromised accounts
- Eradication – Procedures to clean infected systems and close breached access points
- Recovery – Steps to restore systems from backups and verify fixes
Quick reaction can hugely minimize harm from successful attacks. Practice response plans regularly with fire drills.
Partner with Managed Security Providers
You may benefit from added protection by partnering with experienced security firms for:
- Managed firewalls and WAF – Route traffic through provider firewalls to filter attacks
- 24/7 threat monitoring – Security pros inspect traffic around the clock for threats
- Vulnerability assessments – Receive expert audits and penetration testing
- DDoS mitigation – Partner protects and absorbs traffic from DDoS attacks
- Incident response – Get help investigating and responding to attacks
This transfers security workload to dedicated specialists. Weigh costs against risk reduction benefits.
Train Employees
Your team is your last line of defense. Teach employees secure practices:
- Spotting phishing emails and avoiding malware downloads
- Creating strong passwords and using password managers
- Recognizing social engineering and unauthorized access attempts
- Only installing trusted software on company devices
- Reporting suspicious activity like malware and unauthorized logins
Conduct awareness training upon hiring and annually after. Educated staff with security top of mind offer protection against threats.
Back Up Your Website
Maintain regular offsite backups of your site files, database, media, and code:
- Full site backups – Save a complete snapshot of the live site
- Incremental backups – Capture changes since the last backup
- Versioning – Retain multiple backup versions over time
Backups let you rapidly restore data, code, and configurations after an attack compromises your site. Test restoration routinely to verify backups are valid and current.
Summary
- Perform security audits and penetration testing to find weaknesses
- Install essential security software like WAFs, antivirus, IDS/IPS
- Keep software updated with latest security patches
- Enforce strong passwords and multi-factor authentication
- Follow secure coding practices during development
- Monitor systems and traffic closely for signs of intrusion
- Create and practice cyber incident response plans
- Partner with managed security providers for added protection
- Train employees on secure practices and threat awareness
- Maintain recent backups of all website files and data
Diligently following these best practices will help keep your ecommerce site locked down tight against the majority of cyber attacks and intrusion attempts. As threats evolve, continuously assess your defenses and prioritize security. With proper precautions, you can confidently operate your online store knowing customer data and your business are protected.
