Most eCommerce websites are targeted by cybercriminals and online threats, which include spyware, worms, viruses, spam, and Trojans. Most people don't consider this, but as a business owner, you should be taking every step possible to protect your site and all of its components against these online threats.

I have seen a lot of eCommerce owners afflicted with some online plague or the other. They try scores of e-commerce security measures but only to little effect. Although you can always get a third-party security solution to protect you online, there are proven methods that you can apply too without waiting for anything.

In this post, I am going to list down the five tested security issues in e-commerce by Astra Securities that can enhance your online security immensely. These are:

1. CVV or Card Verification Value and AVS

2. Transaction Monitoring and Regular Reconciliation of Bank Accounts

3. Keeping up with security updates and patches

4. Using a Firewall and malware scanner

5. Adhering to PCI-DSS

Let's take on each of these ones by one.

5 e-commerce security measures we swear by

CVV and AVS

Card Verification Value (CVV) is one of the several security features for a credit/debit card that is used for card-not-present transactions.CVV are three or four-digit security codes that are printed on the backside of your credit/debit card. The CVV has been constituted to check on the credit card hacks that were soaring by the day.

Another interesting aspect regarding the security of CVV is that the PCI-DSS does not allow a site owner to store CVV after a transaction is made on the store. This is to ensure that even if a hacker steals other transaction data such as card number and owner’s name, etc, he/she still can’t misuse the information without knowing the CVV.

Address Verification System or AVS is another security feature you can use for your e-commerce store. AVS compares the billing address of the order to that of the address linked with the credit card. A common attribute of a fraud transaction is fluctuating billing addresses. Using the Address Verification System can help you identify these fraudulent transactions and decline them.

Transaction Monitoring

Tracking customer transactions is another proven method to control fraud transactions in your store. You know your customers best and their buying patterns. By monitoring your customer’s current transactions and comparing it with their past transactions, you can find anomalies in their buying pattern, if there are any. Inconsistent billing, wrong or doubtful shipping information, and so on are some tell-tale signs for a hacker action.

There are several Transaction monitoring systems available in the market for you to choose from. Further, you can use an IP tracking tool as well to detect fake purchases.

Keeping up with security updates and patches

By keeping all your software updated you protect your store and your customers from any vulnerability-based attack. It’s a widely known fact that outdated plugin, theme, extension, CMS version, can put your eCommerce store at risk. No matter if you are using Magneto, PrestaShop, Drupal or Opencart for a CMS, running an updated software is crucial to operating online. 

Security patches come with bug fixes which, if not deployed on time, can be used as a gateway to get into your store and mess things up. 

Using a Firewall and malware scanner

Web Application Firewall that can scan incoming requests to your website in real-time and at the same time simplifies reviewing them, is a solution you should go by. Being an e-merchant, there is hardly any time to indulge into a complex and perplexing process of threat analysis.

This is why we suggest to you the Astra Security Suite. If you want a seamless threat protection mechanism and class-apart malware scanning services, Astra is the best fit for you and your business. Astra uses machine learning algorithms to protect your site from hackers. Astra’s malware scanner tracks file changes in your website detect the addition of new malicious files and also allows you to review and delete them from the dashboard. 

Adding to all this is the fact that Astra is compatible with most e-commerce CMS such as Magento, Drupal, Joomla, PrestaShop, OpenCart, etc.

Adhering to PCI-DSS

Major credit card companies came together to form a council called PCI-SSC (Payment Card Industry Security Standards Council) in 2006. The PCI-SSC has since been dedicated to making card transactions safer. Over time they formulated a set of guidelines a.k.a. PCI-DSS (Payment Security Industry Data Security Standards). The PCI-DSS consists of 14 major and many minor security requirements that all websites dealing in e-card transactions should adhere to. 

The following picture depicts the PCI-DSS requirements:

Source: https://www.blancco.com/resources/sb-which-pci-dss-requirements-do-blancco-solutions-satisfy/

Conclusion

For any e-commerce site, the security of customer information must hold the utmost importance. Follow the mentioned security measures to secure your e-commerce store all way round.

Summing up what measures one must not neglect while considering the security of one’s business are - Credit card security with CVV & AVS, Controlling fraud transaction, Inclusion of safety software, indulging in regular updates and scanning.

Securing your website and ensuring a safe experience for your customers and visitors not only build brand image but also boost sales. In the end, I hope this article helped you in pinpointing the five security measures you must implement.