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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. 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: 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 your specific needs and how we can help your business. Schedule a Call FAQs Q: What is new in ECommerce security?

E-commerce Security

Top 10 Latest Security Threats in E-commerce and Their Solutions

Every year, security threats in e-commerce cost online retailers billions of dollars. These threats are so devastating that they can even force online stores to shut down. Although many e-commerce businesses are taking security seriously, cybercriminals still attack them because they deal with sensitive data and financial transactions. The e-commerce industry accounts for 32.4% of all cyberattacks. This is why, e-commerce website’s owners need to understand the cyber threat landscape and implement the best security measures. In this blog, we have listed the top 10 latest e-commerce security threats that are troubling business owners and their best solutions. Why is E-commerce Security Important?  E-commerce security is important to protect both customers and businesses from various cyber threats and security risks associated with online shopping and marketing. But by implementing effective security measures, e-commerce platforms can prevent data loss, ensure compliance, and attract more customers. 1. Protect Customer Data E-commerce platforms typically collect and store all the sensitive information from customers such as credit card numbers, bank details, addresses, and personal information. If you fail to secure this data, it can lead to identity theft and harm to the individuals. Additionally, failing to secure customer data can lead to a loss of reputation. 2. Prevent Financial Loss With 2,200 cyberattacks happening every day, you might be the next target. Since e-commerce websites handle financial transactions, any breach can result in financial loss, both for businesses and customers. Additionally, conducting security tests regularly costs far less than recovering from a breach. 3. Comply with Industry Regulations Many industries have strict regulations for protecting customer data online. For example, PCI DSS, GDPR, SOC 2, and ISO 27001. These regulations make it mandatory to conduct regular security checks as a part of their cybersecurity. Not complying with these regulations can lead to legal problems, fines, and reputation loss. 4. Attract More Customers Customers are more likely to choose safe e-commerce sites. Since e-commerce platforms consistently compete with each other, having strong security can give you a competitive advantage. By focusing on the best security practices, you can attract and retain more customers. Top 10 Latest Security Threats in E-Commerce Keeping your e-commerce business running and building a loyal customer base requires you to be ahead of evolving security threats. E-commerce attacks can come in various forms that can disrupt your platform and harm your customer’s account and data. Here are 10 latest e-commerce security threats that you need to be aware of: 1. Payment Manipulation Payment manipulations are now a severe cyber threat in e-commerce, where cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in payment processes to steal money or sensitive information. This type of threat occurs when hackers tamper with customer’s payment data. They redirect funds to their accounts or manipulate transaction details to deceive both customers and vendors. Such cyber threats can result in financial losses and break customer trust. 2. Coupon Manipulation Coupon manipulation is where fraudsters exploit discounts or promotional offers to cheat the system for personal gain. This type of cyber threat involves the misuse of coupons, such as generating fake or unauthorized codes, exploiting loopholes in the redemption process, or abusing the terms and conditions to get illegal discounts. Coupon manipulation not only results in financial losses but also damages the integrity of promotional campaigns. 3. Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) In cross-site request forgery (CSRF), the attackers trick users into taking unwanted actions on their behalf, without their consent. For example, they could trick you change your delivery address or payment information. Such attacks can occur when a malicious website or email forces the user to make the necessary changes in the e-commerce platform. It can lead to account takeovers, unauthorized transactions, or data breaches. 4. Data Base Takeover Through SQL Injection SQL injections allow attackers to gain unauthorized access to sensitive data stored in the website’s database. This type of attack happens when cybercriminals exploit vulnerabilities in the website’s code to insert malicious SQL commands. As a result, the commands manipulate or receive sensitive information from the database. In e-commerce platforms, it could lead to the theft of customer’s private information such as credit card details, addresses, and purchase history. 5. Business Logic Issue The business logic issue is a significant e-commerce cyber threat that arises from errors in the logic of their operations. These issues occur when the business rules and workflows implemented in the system are not properly validated. This can give rise to vulnerabilities that can be exploited by attackers. In e-commerce, business logic issues can result in various problems such as incorrect pricing, errors in order processing, or unauthorized access to sensitive data. 6. Payment Gateway Bypass In payment gateway bypass, attackers exploit vulnerabilities in the payment processing system to gain unauthorized access to financial transactions. This type of cyberattack occurs when attackers manipulate payment data during the transaction process, bypassing the payment gateway’s authentication and encryption mechanisms. As a result, they can steal private data such as credit card details, compromise user accounts, or carry out illegal transactions without any detection. 7. User Account Takeover Attackers can easily gain unauthorized access to user accounts in e-commerce websites through various ways such as credential stuffing or exploiting weak passwords. Once an attacker gains access, they can perform many fraudulent activities such as stealing personal information, making unauthorized purchases, or conducting identity theft. This not only results in financial loss but also damages the trustworthiness of the e-commerce platform. 8. OTP Bypass OTP (One-Time Password) bypass is one of the most recent security threats in e-commerce that everyone needs to be aware of. It is where attackers try to bypass the security measures that rely on OTPs to authenticate users. Here, the attacker intercepts or manipulates the OTP sent to the user’s registered mobile number or email during the authentication process. By exploiting vulnerabilities in OTP delivery or validation, attackers can gain unauthorized access to user accounts. As a result, they can perform fraudulent transactions or steal sensitive data. Also Read – Top 10 Web Application Vulnerabilities

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Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

COO & Cybersecurity Expert

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Pabitra Kumar Sahoo

COO & Cybersecurity Expert