EC - Security Issues in E-Commerce [LESSON]

Security Issues in E-Commerce

Frequently, you will hear of businesses being hacked or having cybersecurity attacks. This is a major area of concern for businesses since customers will be hesitant to shop on a site that isn't secure. Security issues should be discussed as you meet with clients to discuss the construction of the e-commerce website. Privacy concerns, technical attacks, and phishing fears are several of the topics that will more than likely be discussed during the consultation. There is an abundance of e-commerce software and service solutions to address security fears as well as code you can apply to ensure data entered via forms is secure. It is important to keep a clean backup of all files in case of a security breach. It is also advisable to keep your files in cloud storage rather than on your desktop or local server as there is less chance of corruption or breach. Your clients will most likely be concerned about how you secure customer information. Customer information must be encrypted and secured by an SSL (Secure Socket Layer).  Businesses need to utilize vendor tracking devices to help them manage their vendors, contracts, and needs. 

As with all websites, strong security software must be implemented with e-commerce, this includes use of virus protection software and malware protection software. It is the responsibility of the e-commerce site to protect its customers' account information from hackers and phishing schemes.  To do this you must use an https protocol site (secured by SSL). This means the business must purchase an SSL certificate. It is important to keep the computer(s) and browsers updated.  

Businesses must backup all data offsite.  This means some sort of cloud backup system, this can be managed by the business themselves or by a cybersecurity firm, depending on the situation.

For e-commerce, it is necessary to have cloud storage for security purposes. Businesses need to store their customer purchase information in a very secure location, the most secure way is through cloud storage.  Earlier in the course, we learned about cloud computing, this is more important when you have an online business. As part of running an online business, you collect customer personal information, this is why it is so important to have everything very secure.  When a website has an SSL certificate, there is an "S" added to the URL protocol to indicate it is secure. Instead of http://www.sitename.com it is https://www.sitename.com. There is also a lock symbol to the left that indicates that the information is encrypted, so therefore secure.

Hacking is a big problem in e-commerce because of low security with some sites and big customer databases with a lot of valuable information. Businesses will often hire a cybersecurity expert to check their systems for vulnerabilities so they can prevent hacking. Even with these practices in place sometimes even large companies fall victim to hackers. Business owners must  always be vigilant to try to prevent their information from being hacked.

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