If you are someone who locks your door and then checks it before leaving the house, you are already aware of the importance of security. That’s why we think you’ll appreciate the tips we’re about to share. If you want to know how to maintain good cybersecurity hygiene for your business, keep reading.
What is a cyber attack?
E-commerce fraud/malicious attack is any deliberate deception carried out on an online store with the aim of obtaining financial, data or personal gain from cybercriminals or fraudsters.
There are several ways an account can be compromised in a cyberattack, including phishing attacks, malware infections, weak passwords, and social engineering tactics. Once an account has been compromised, it can be difficult to regain control and avoid further damage. This is why it’s important to take steps to prevent account compromise in the first place.
6 Common Types of Cyberattacks
- Account takeovers (ATO/compromised accounts): A compromised account is one that has been accessed or taken over by an unauthorized user, usually through a security breach or other form of cyberattack. When an account is compromised, the attacker may be able to access sensitive information, such as personal data, financial information, or login credentials, and use it for malicious purposes, such as theft identity or fraud.
- Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks: This involves overloading a website’s servers with traffic in an attempt to knock the site offline or disrupt its operations.
- Cross-site scripting XSS attacks: This involves injecting malicious code such as JavaScript into website pages to steal customer information or redirect users to a malicious site.
- Mage Cart Attacks: This involves injecting malicious code such as JavaScript into a website’s payment page to steal customers’ payment card details.
- Phishing, vishing and smishing: This involves sending fraudulent emails, text messages and, in some cases, phone calls that appear to come from a legitimate source, such as a bank or online store, with the aim of tricking users to reveal sensitive information or click on a malicious link. .
- SQL injection attacks: This involves exploiting vulnerabilities in a website’s (in this case the merchant’s admin) database to gain unauthorized access to sensitive information, such as payment card details client.
What is cybersecurity?
Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computer systems, business accounts, networks, and sensitive information from unauthorized access, theft, damage, or other malicious attacks. This involves implementing a range of security measures to prevent cyber threats and minimize the risk of data breaches and other security incidents. Cybersecurity is essential for businesses, governments, and individuals because cyberattacks can lead to significant financial losses, data compromises, damage to buyers’ brand reputation, and other negative consequences.
E-commerce fraud/malicious attack is any deliberate deception committed during an online transaction with the aim of providing financial or personal gain to cybercriminals or fraudsters, even if it harms the merchant.
If you own or help run an online store, the sad reality is that fraudsters and cybercriminals can target you and your business. This not only affects your profits and wastes your time, but can also negatively impact your brand reputation and potential customer experience.
By being informed about current/common cyber threats and taking active steps to operate your business securely, you can implement security hygiene practices that best protect your business. Take a look at this guide where we cover the different types of malicious cyberattacks that merchants can face, as well as tips on how to combat them.
10 Simple Ecommerce Cybersecurity Practices That Work
There are several good cybersecurity measures that businesses can implement to protect their systems, finances and data from cyber threats. Here are some of the most effective measures:
- Enable multi-factor authentication wherever possible to add an extra layer of security. You may see multi-factor authentication called: MFA, 2FA and/or 2SA. Hint: Visit the Shopify Help Center page at Multi-factor authentication.
- Encourage employees to use complex passwords.
- Avoid sharing login information between employees. Advice: Do not communicate them via email or social messaging services.
- Use a secure password manager such as 1Password.
- Limit access to sensitive data to only those employees who need it. Hint: Visit the Shopify Help Center page at Setting staff permissions.
- Use real human names when defining your account owner (AO) in case verification is required.
- Regularly update the software with the latest security patches and updates to address known vulnerabilities.
- Encrypt sensitive data in transit and at rest to prevent unauthorized access.
- Back up data to a secure location to ensure it can be restored in the event of a security breach.
- Use firewalls and antivirus software to protect your network and devices from malware and other cyber threats.
Key points to remember:
🔥 Tip: Train employees in good cybersecurity practices
Teach your employees how to identify and avoid phishing, vishing, and smishing scams, how to create strong passwords, and how to securely manage sensitive data. Regular training and reminders can help your team stay vigilant and aware of potential threats.
🔥 Tip: Build a robust incident response plan for your business
In the event of a security breach, having a plan in place can help you respond quickly and effectively. This should include steps to contain the breach, notify affected parties, and restore systems and data. Regular testing and updates of the plan can ensure that it remains effective and relevant over time.
By implementing these cybersecurity measures, businesses can help protect their systems and data from cyber threats and minimize the risk of data breaches and other security incidents.
Please ensure that you always operate within the Shopify Terms of Service.