Web developers spend hours building eCommerce platforms. They then deploy these platforms, making them available for millions of users around the world. Every hour, millions of dollars are spent on these platforms.
From buying pencils to cars, everything is possible on an eCommerce platform. And given the amount of money and data involved in these scenarios, it is easy to see why eCommerce platforms are the favorite targets of cybercriminals.
A top web development company uses its best developers to build the website. Starting from the design to the overall functionality, it does everything it can to make the site secure and visually appealing.
It also checks all the features available on the platform, making sure that users have no trouble with them. After all that comes the security part. And this is how the top web development companies handle security on an eCommerce platform.
Get an SSL Certificate
An SSL – Secure Socket Layer – certificate will enable the HTTPS – HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure – protocol. This enables secure communications over the internet. HTTPS-enabled websites are deemed genuine, and no one questions their validity and authenticity.
With the SSL certification, the platform claims that it is free from any sort of malicious activity. Thus, web developers find it crucial to receive an SSL certificate before delivering the website to the client.
Enabling Website Data Backup
Think of a scenario where someone does attack your eCommerce website. They can steal valuable data and even crash the website, rendering it useless for a good few hours. What do you do then?
If something like that does happen, your priority is to get the website back to its normal state. This is where the data backup comes into play.
Web developers enable data backup for two vital reasons. Firstly, the website data allows you, the platform owner, to retrieve information (or most of it) that you have lost in the attack. You can then once again get hold of this data and know important details regarding your customers and transactions.
Secondly, the data backup will allow you to restore the website to the pre-attack stage. Website developers program the site in a way such that you can restore it to its normal state (with the data backup) by clicking a single button.
In case someone does attack you, do not rush things. You may have the backup data ready for a full website restore, but you might not want to do it. That is because you have not secured the website yet after the attack. So there is a chance the attackers might come back. Hence, only opt for the full restore after you are done securing the whole website.
Ensure a Secure Admin Panel
The attacker will have access to everything on the platform if it can access the admin panel. Thus, developers emphasize this admin panel while securing the eCommerce platform.
One of the best ways to secure this panel is by enabling whitelist IP addresses. That means that other than some dedicated IPs, no one else can access the website. Developers can make it more difficult for attackers to penetrate the site’s security. They can do so by making the admin panel remotely inaccessible. Thus, only on-site personnel (maybe at the platform’s office) can access it.
Monitoring The Site
Cybercriminals are getting more creative with each passing day. They come up with new techniques to bypass web security and manage to steal crucial information in the blink of an eye. Even with a modern security infrastructure in place, they can get into your website, steal what they need, and disappear within minutes. Unless you keep your eyes on your eCommerce platform all the time, you might not be able to save it from these cybercriminals. So why not do just that?
Of course, keeping your eyes on a website 24×7 is ludicrous. No one can ever do that. That is why web development agencies build web monitoring systems. These systems will notify you whenever they detect any suspicious activity on the platform.
They can even act on their own and shut down necessary features to prevent a security breach. Sometimes, the automated system can even disconnect the website from the main servers. That is done to ensure that hackers cannot access your website’s or company’s databases.
In reality, it is never possible to “fully” secure a website. You protect it against one type of attack, and cybercriminals will find a new way to attack. However, as long as website developers stick to these practices and make sure to have endpoint security, your website should be safe. These practices are widely followed in the web development industry. Ensuring them will drastically lower the chances of your eCommerce platform falling victim to a cyber attack.