Lots of people have taken to starting new businesses online because it means that their services are available to a wider audience, and because there’s a comparatively low barrier to entry. But just like out in meat space, there is a criminal element that would try to profit off of others’ hard work. So if you have an eCommerce site or you’re thinking of starting a business on the net you have to think about the full spectrum of it, both its opportunities as well as downfalls; you can check over here for examples. Anyway, here are a few essentials to ponder on for now.
Don’t Store Sensitive Information
The most common danger in online transactions is to your customers; one of the most common cybercrimes is identity theft through the acquisition of credit card details. One of the best ways to keep this information safe is simply to not retain it for longer than it’s needed.
In fact, holding onto information like card verification values is against the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard, and it reflects poorly on an online business to lack their certification.
Get a HTTPS Address and SSL Certificate
Using Transport Layer Security keeps data safe while it is being transmitted from one system to another thanks to the creation of an encryption and decryption key that cannot be altered nor spied on by third parties at the beginning of any transfer, which is used by both systems. It also features measures to protect against data loss and authenticate the identities of the parties involved in any communication.
This makes it ideal for ecommerce and if you use a secure server with an HTTPS protocol and have an up-to-date SSL certificate confirming that this protection is in place, this will be visible to users (for instance, by the ‘https://’ in front of your website’s address) and create confidence as well as protecting the data as it is transferred.
Perform Regular Penetration Tests
Also called ‘pen tests’, this essential security process entails inviting a company like Nettitude to attack your site in search of security exploits so that, if any are discovered, they can be reported to you and steps taken to rectify them and prevent future attacks. Regular testing of your security measures through various types of pen tests, like external infrastructure testing, is another PCI DSS requirement, so you must take it seriously.
These are some of the most important steps, but to be truly secure, it’s vital to comply with every item of the PCI DSS and stay one step ahead of cybercriminals.
