Online business has prospered in recent years, with eCommerce in particular seeing a large boom. This user-friendly platform has allowed people from all walks of life to create websites, stores and helpful online resources.

However, while the popularity of eCommerce has led to a significant increase of website owners, it has also presented an easy target for hackers who can infiltrate vulnerable websites. For this reason, website owners should be aware of the dangers when it comes to their online store and the potential consequences of leaving confidential information exposed to cyber attackers.

Check out some of  the convenient methods below, which can help secure your online store and discourage cyber attacks in the future.

1. Update your system regularly

Every content management system (CMS) provides regular updates to ensure both the functionality and security of their platform; hence, in order to protect your website, you should make a point of checking for these updates on a regular basis and subscribing to notifications for when these become available.

2. Implement multiple-step verification

It may prove tedious at first, but online users are now accustomed to multiple-step verification methods. For example, when a customer provides login information for your store, they are requested to validate their actions by confirming an authorisation code using their mobile phone. In this instance, it is literally impossible for a hacker to access your website without the actual phone belonging to your customer.

3. Protect your customers’ information with SSL

SSL works as a security technology that encrypts data between a web server and a browser. It is vital in maintaining the privacy and security of websites that deal with credit card details, social security numbers and login credentials. Once SSL encryption has been integrated, the connection between your store and the customer’s browser is literally impossible to hack.

4. Disallow uploads

Allowing customers to upload files, regardless of their intended use, enables hackers to inject malicious files into your CMS. In some cases this will be unavoidable, but whenever possible, avoid instances where users are requested to upload files to your website.

5. Choose a respected and trusted hosting provider

Choosing a reliable hosting provider makes all the difference when establishing a secure eCommerce platform. Do some research and read up on reviews of different providers to ensure that they are a reputable brand, and offer appropriate support to customers.

6. Be vigilant with access and passwords

Website owners unknowingly put their sites at risk by using weak or predictable passwords. Breaking into accounts with generic login credentials is a breeze for bots and hackers. Give yourself your best shot against them by using a variety of passwords across platforms and creating logins made up of letters, numbers and symbols.