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E-Commerce Cybersecurity - Analyzing and Fortifying Digital Businesses
e commerce security

E Commerce Cybersecurity Services: Analyzing and Fortifying Digital Businesses

Consumers today have flipped the model of how we consume with unprecedented convenience, selection, and speed. With the internet revolution comes a whole new host of cyberattacks affecting not just businesses but shoppers as well. From hijacked credit cards to hijacked data, cyberattacks on web shopping sites are increasing and refining. Recent statistics show that mobile and desktop platform attacks increased by 30% from 2021 to 2022—a wake-up call to all online businesses. To stay safe, online stores now rely on e commerce cybersecurity services to protect their business and earn customer trust. With the tide of e-commerce on the upswing, cybersecurity cannot be an afterthought—it is a business imperative. One attack can destroy customer trust, translate into massive losses in dollars, and even create legal issues. This blog takes a look at the cyber threats to e-commerce sites, the tools and frameworks available with which businesses can defend themselves, and how data protection regulation plays a role in the development of cybersecurity initiatives. The Cybersecurity Threat in E-Commerce Landscape E-commerce websites are the prime target of cyber hackers because they handle massive amounts of personal and financial information on a day-to-day basis, making ecommerce security a critical concern. Some of the most dangerous threats are listed below: 1. Malware Attacks Malware consists of viruses, ransomware, and spyware that infect computers and render sensitive information useless. A malware attack can bring down an e-commerce business, rendering websites and payment systems useless. 2. Denial-of-Service (DoS) and Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) Attacks They flood sites with traffic, making them unavailable. A few minutes of downtime at peak hours for an online business company can lead to lost sales and frustration for customers. 3. Social Engineering and Phishing The employee and customer can be tricked into providing passwords or other information by fraudulent emails or phone calls. Phishing is among the major reasons for account takeovers and unauthorized transactions. 4. Financial Fraud Whether it is chargeback fraud or stolen credit card numbers, cybercriminals prefer to use e-commerce-owned websites to execute unauthorized transactions or spoofed transactions for financial worth. 5. Electronic Skimming Commonly called e-skimming, it is a payment scheme that assaults and steals the card details of customers at the checkout. Cyber. Serialize injects ugly code onto the site to stealthily pick up data from the customers. 6. Bot Attacks Malicious bots can scrape data, validate stolen logins, or cheat by impersonating a quality customer. These attacks can overload systems and bias analysis. 7. API Exploitation Application Program Interfaces (APIs) are an important consideration while consolidating various services in e-commerce. Insecure APIs can be exploited to gain unauthorized access to data or back-end systems. Vulnerability Assessments in E Commerce Cybersecurity Services E-commerce organizations need to have a general idea of where they are exposed. Vulnerability testing is where they enter into the picture. They are generally conducted in two manners: Internal Vulnerability Assessment This is used for identifying weaknesses in the organizational framework. This includes internal networks, programs, and employee processes. External Vulnerability Assessment This tries to confirm the security of the organization externally. This involves testing for attacks to check publicly accessible entry points. Both are needed. An internal scan shows how good your defense systems are performing, whereas an external scan shows possible attack paths a hacker might use. Basic E-Commerce Cybersecurity Utilities To construct a solid defense system, e-commerce sites are required to utilize an advanced multi-layered security tool. There are eight fundamental cyber security tools described hereunder: Creating a Cybersecurity Framework: Best Practices Cybersecurity is less about tools and more about strategy. A solid cybersecurity framework includes the following steps: Identify Sensitive Data: Map out what data your business is collecting, where it is stored, and who has access to it. Be mindful of customer payment details, individual information, and login credentials. Conduct Regular Risk Assessments: Routine testing recognizes vulnerabilities before them being utilized to evil ends. They must be supplemented with penetration testing and red teaming. Implement Strong Access Controls: Restrict access to the system based on roles. Enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA) and a strong password policy. Encrypt Data in Transit and at Rest: Make sure that data is encrypted not only when it is in transit between systems but also when it is stored on servers. Develop Incident Response Plans: There should be a good plan for dealing with breaches, e.g., what to say, how to act legally, and how to recover data. Train Employees: Cybersecurity training to increase awareness among all employees diminishes the likelihood of attacks by social engineering and human mistakes. Update Systems and Software Regularly: Old software has known weaknesses. Update them all to reduce the threats.   Read our recent guide on E-commerce Penetration Testing! Download a sample pentest report here for fee!   Latest Penetration Testing Report Download Compliance with Data Protection Legislation With increasing cyberattacks, regulation by the government will also see a rise. Two of the strongest implementations are the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) and the California Consumer Privacy Act/California Privacy Rights Act (CCPA/CPRA). GDPR (European Union) GDPR requires companies to collect, process, and store data of EU citizens in a specific way. The major provisions are: Transparency in data collection processes. Right to be forgotten. Customer consent is clear for the use of data. 72-hour obligatory breach notifications. CCPA/CPRA (California, USA) CCPA and its modification, the CPRA, provides California citizens with the right to: Know what personal information is being gathered. Have their data deleted on request. Opt out of the sale of their information. Gather personal info at will. Read more: Penetration Testing for CCPA and GDPR Compliance! Steps to Ensure Compliance Map Data Flows: Know what you’re gathering and where you’re sending it. Lessen Data Gathering: Collect only what’s necessary. Use Consent Forms: Receive clear consent to gather data. Provide Opt-Out Options: Provide the ability to opt out of sharing data. Screen Third-Party Partners: Ensure they are following the same policy. Appoint a Data Protection Officer (DPO): Mandatory for large-scale data collectors according to GDPR.

What are the Security Threats of E-commerce
E-commerce Security

What are the Security Threats of E-commerce?

It is an undeniable reality that security threats in e-business are wreaking havoc in online transactions. The industry suffers from as much as 32.4% of all successful threats every year. Hackers typically attack e-commerce store admins, users, and employees with a variety of malicious methods. There are simply too many e-commerce security threats and scams that are running rampant in the industry these days. Here, in this blog post, we have attempted to enumerate the prevalent threats your e-commerce encounters and how you can avoid them. If you have already been a victim of being hacked by credit card scams, scamming, phishing, bad bots, DDoS attacks, or other cyber attacks, you can acquire a full malware removal now with Qualysec Security. Top 10 E-commerce Security Threats 1. Financial frauds Since the initial online companies joined the internet world, financial scammers have been causing headaches for businesses. Different types of financial frauds are found in the world of e-commerce, but we are discussing here the two most frequent of them. a. Credit Card Fraud It occurs when a cybercriminal purchases goods on your online store using stolen credit card information. In most cases, the shipping and billing addresses are different. You can identify and prevent such activities in your store by having an AVS – Address Verification System installed. Another type of credit card fraud is when the fraudster steals your identity and personal information to allow them to obtain a new credit card. b. Fake Return & Refund Fraud The rogue players execute unauthorized transactions and wipe out the evidence, which inflicts significant losses upon businesses. Certain hackers also undertake refund frauds in which they place fraudulent return requests. To defend your site from such advanced attacks, incorporating fraud detection software that is up-to-date into your up-to-date online platform can have a massive impact on improving your capability for identifying and halting fraudulent operations in real time. 2. Phishing Some online stores have reported getting notifications or messages from hackers who impersonate the actual owners of the legitimate stores. Such scammers put up fake copies of your site pages or even a well-established website to get the users into believing them. For instance, view this photo below. A harmless and convincing email from PayPal requesting to send information. The 2017 EITest is one more fine example of such nefarious campaigns. If the clients do not realize and fall into the trap, surrendering their sensitive personal data such as login credentials to them, the hackers quickly proceed with scamming them. 3. Spamming Some spam players may send malware links through email or social media mailboxes. They can also insert these links in their comments or messages on blog comments and contact forms. When you click on them, you will be redirected to their spam sites, where you might become a victim. 4. DoS & DDoS Attacks Most online stores have lost money as a result of interference in their website and total sales owing to DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service) attacks. What occurs is that your servers are bombarded with requests from numerous untraceable IP addresses that make them crash and unavailable to your store visitors. 5. Malware The attackers can create an offending software and install it on your IT and computer systems without you even knowing. Offending programs like spyware, viruses, trojans, and ransomware fall under this category. Your customers’, admins’, and other users’ systems can have Trojan Horses installed in them. The offending programs are capable of copying any sensitive information that may exist on the compromised systems and could even infect your site. 6. Exploitation of Known Vulnerabilities Attackers are waiting for some weaknesses that may be present in your e-commerce site. Mostly, an e-commerce site is weak to SQL injection (SQLi) and Cross-site Scripting (XSS). Let us briefly discuss these weaknesses: a. SQL Injection It is an insidious method wherein a hacker is attacking your forms of query submissions to be able to get access to your backend database. They taint your database with a contaminated code, they harvest information, and then eliminate the track.  b. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) The attackers may inject a malicious JavaScript code into your online store to attack your online customers and visitors. These codes may read your customers’ cookies and calculate. You can use the Content Security Policy (CSP) to avoid such attacks.   “Also, Read our guide to E-commerce Penetration Testing: Securing Online Businesses” 7. Bots Some hackers create special bots that can scrape your site to obtain details regarding inventory and prices. The hackers, typically your rivals, can then make use of the information to decrease or change the prices on their websites to reduce your revenue and sales. 8. Brute force The internet world also has attackers who can apply brute force to your admin page and break your password. Such scam programs access your site and attempt thousands of combinations in hopes of getting your site’s passwords. Always use strong, complex passwords that cannot be easily guessed. Also, always update your passwords regularly. 9. Man in The Middle (MITM) A hacker might intercept the conversation occurring between your e-commerce site and a customer. Walgreens Pharmacy Store has suffered through that sort of an event. If the user is linked with an unsecure Wi-Fi or network, then those kinds of attackers might make the most out of that. 10. e-Skimming E-skimming is attacking a website’s checkout pages with malware. The goal is to steal the clients’ payment and personal information. Are you an e-commerce entrepreneur? Don’t underestimate the gravity of such e-commerce security threats.   “You might like to explore our recent post on What Is Web Security In E-Commerce?   Latest Penetration Testing Report Download E-commerce Security Solutions that can ease your life 1. HTTPS and SSL certificates HTTPS protocols not only secure your users’ sensitive information but also improve your website rankings on the Google search page. They achieve this by encrypting data transfer between the servers and the users’ devices. It’s thus important

Ecommerce Security – How to Prevent Cyberattacks
e commerce security

Ecommerce Security – How to Prevent Cyberattacks

In 2022, the eCommerce business faced online payment fraud of up to $41 billion. This is expected to grow further in the upcoming years. Since eCommerce websites and applications manage online transactions, 32.4% of all cyberattacks happen on these platforms. This is the reason why eCommerce security is not only an option but a necessity. What is ecommerce security? Ecommerce security refers to a set of policies and procedures that help keep the data and applications safe from cyberattacks. Common eCommerce security practices include authentication, firewalls, compliance audits, and penetration testing.   In this blog, we are going to discuss the different types of security threats associated with eCommerce and the effective ways to prevent them. Let’s dig in! Importance of Ecommerce Security in Modern Business In modern businesses, eCommerce security ensures the safety of sensitive information like credit card details and personal data during online transactions. Maintaining robust security measures enhances customer’s confidence in making purchases online. Without proper security, eCommerce businesses risk data breaches and cyberattacks, which then lead to financial losses and reputation damage. Here are the advantages of strong eCommerce security:   7 Ways to Enhance Ecommerce Security to Prevent Cyberattacks   Despite there being different types of security threats to eCommerce businesses, there are multiple effective ways you can prevent cyberattacks. 1. Conduct Vulnerability Assessment and Penetration Testing (VAPT) Vulnerability assessment and penetration testing (VAPT) is the process of finding potential vulnerabilities in applications and websites that could lead to cyberattacks. It is usually conducted by ethical hackers, employed by third-party cybersecurity companies. In vulnerability assessment, the security experts use automated tools to scan the application for known vulnerabilities. It is a quick way but not the most comprehensive one. On the other hand, in penetration testing ethical hackers use their human expertise to test every part of the application for vulnerabilities. It is the most comprehensive vulnerability testing that uncovers hidden weak spots. The result of VAPT is then documented by the service provider. The development team then uses this report to fix those found vulnerabilities. A VAPT report usually consists of the following things: Would you like to see a real VAPT report? Simply tap on the link below and download one right now   Latest Penetration Testing Report Download 2. Ensure Regulatory Compliance Adhering to regulatory compliance like PCI DSS, ISO 27001, SOC 2, etc. is essential to protect your digital store. It shows that you are serious about data security, which then builds confidence among customers and stakeholders. Follow these steps to ensure compliance with requirements imposed by law, regulatory bodies, or private industries: 3. Use Secure Hosting Services When choosing a web hosting service, features and price are important factors. However, a wide range of features and low prices should not come at the cost of security. Look for the following security features when choosing a web hosting provider: 4. Use Secure Online Payment Process Create simple and secure checkout processes to prevent cybercrimes and to reassure your customers that their transactions are safe. To create such processes, e-commerce businesses should: 5. Create a Strong Authentication System One of the most important steps of e-commerce security is setting up a secure customer authentication system. To do this, you have to: 6. Prevent Chargeback Fraud To prevent customers from charging back transactions unfairly or intentionally, e-commerce businesses can: 7. Implement a Secure Firewall A firewall is a shield that blocks malicious traffic and ensures your website stays accessible. Additionally, it manages the flow of traffic to and from your e-commerce platform. When setting up a firewall: Latest Challenges in Ecommerce Security Securing eCommerce platforms is a big challenge where cyber threats are continuously evolving. Here are some prominent challenges faced by eCommerce businesses during cybersecurity:   1. Unique Cyber Threats Cybercriminals are continuously changing their tactics and using advanced techniques to exploit vulnerabilities. Due to unique e-commerce security threats like coupon manipulation and OTP bypass, businesses need constant adaptive cybersecurity strategies. 2. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities Supply chain vulnerabilities happen because eCommerce connects lots of different partners and suppliers. If there are weak spots in this network, hackers can use them to compromise the integrity of transactions. That’s why it’s important to have good security for the whole supply chain. 3. Evolving Compliance Regulations Ecommerce businesses operate in a set of rules and regulations that are constantly changing. Complying with data protection rules and industry standards can be challenging, especially for big enterprises with diverse regulatory requirements. 4. Secure Mobile Transactions The rise of mobile payment systems like UPIs introduces additional challenges. This is because transactions done through mobile devices have become a prime target for attackers. Securing mobile apps, and mobile payment platforms, and protecting user credentials are all important tasks. 5. Scaling Security Measures As an e-commerce business scales and expands, the challenge lies in scaling the security measures too. Ensuring the security policies, protocols, and infrastructure accommodating the growth of the company is an ongoing challenge for rapidly expanding businesses. Role of Cybersecurity in the Future of ECommerce As eCommerce business grows, cybersecurity continues to be vital in shaping its future. Here’s how cybersecurity is going to impact online shopping: Watch now our WEBINAR video for the best tips on how to protect Your E-commerce Website! https://youtu.be/J4s-AHZoHek?si=cyQsOB1tpz4JLv88 Conclusion Customers who cannot trust you to protect their data, can’t be blamed for shopping elsewhere. Ensuring the protection of data and online transactions is crucial for a good reputation and trust of loyal customers. Hence, companies of all sizes need to have strong eCommerce security measures that can protect their customers and their business. As new, more complicated security threats arise, businesses and IT leaders must explore the role of penetration testing in eCommerce security. Qualysec Technologies is one of those rare companies that offers process-based penetration testing services. Find and address vulnerabilities in your eCommerce website and applications by partnering with us. Click the link below to talk to our cybersecurity experts! Talk to our Cybersecurity Expert to discuss

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Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

COO & Cybersecurity Expert

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Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

COO & Cybersecurity Expert