Security is an issue for any online retailer. On the news, you’ll see horror stories about stolen identities, stolen credit cards, hacking and other scary terms that can make anyone worry about the security of their business. We’ll list a few terms, explain them to you and also describe how a little prevention can go a long way.

Hacking

Reality is this… if someone with mad programming skills makes it their mission to hack your site and mess with you… it’s likely that no amount of prevention can stop it. Heck… you read about the Pentagon getting hacked every so often and you’d think these folks would hire the best programmers on the planet. It happens. Face it and rather than lie awake at night staring at your computer… just limit the amount of damage someone could do.

ClickCartPro and EuropaCart never store credit cards online… period!

That simply means that if someone did manage to breach your site… there’s literally nothing there to steal. Also… work with your host to make sure that your site is backed up frequently… again… if someone hacks your site, you flip a switch and within minutes, you’re back online.

All Kryptronic Managed Hosting customers sleep very well… do you?

PCI Compliance

ClickCartPro and EuropaCart are PCI compliant… for whatever that is worth. (see Hacking above)

SSL (Secure Socket Layer)

Having an SSL installed on your eCommerce site is a good idea. The SSL basically scrambles your customer’s billing and credit card information as they type it into the system and then unscrambles it when it reaches your payment gateway. It’s a handy deterrent against cybercrime and also makes your customers feel more secure when they checkout on your store and see the little lock light up. An SSL is really only necessary if you use a payment gateway on your site that keeps the customer on your site to process the payment. If you use a payment form or Paypal’s payment form, you won’t need an SSL because your customer goes to their site to enter private information and actually leaves your site to do it. FYI… despite what we say about SSLs, you should also note that all important customer information is automatically encrypted in CCP whether you have an SSL or not… but we still think it’s a good idea.

Passwords

One of the number one causes of hacking on a server is weak passwords. Folks want a password that they can easily remember… but if you choose that route, keep in mind that using a single word and a single or dual number is also a very easy password to hack. No one knows why bright people make it their mission to cause havoc for the rest of us… but a smart hacker with a normal laptop and the right software can hack simple passwords in minutes. Once they breach, they can use your machine for sending spam, trying to steal info, etc. It’s really very simple… take a little time, think of a more complex password and write it down. John55 is not the idea. Try something like freEW1llee55$. Now you have a combination of weird capitalization, numbers, letters, symbols and you’ve created a password that won’t easily be hacked.

Use Your Brain and Use Your Phone!

Here is a simple fact… .If someone uses a stolen credit card and you ship products without knowing… it is you, the vendor who loses the money. In many cases, you can avoid this by just examining your order. Most thieves will use a stolen credit card, a stolen address, use a different “Send to” address and fake phone number. Defeating this is simple… make a call. If you see a large order with a different ship to and bill to address… call the customer… if the number is bad or the person who answers doesn’t know what you’re talking about… chalk one up for your quick thinking. Also, thieves will generally try to order a large amount of more expensive items… if you happen to have a customer who orders 12 of your most expensive Dog Polishers… make a call!

Security is an important consideration when you set up your new site… but a little bit of proactive thinking can save you a mountain of grief.