The Internet today is a much different place. Thanks to advances in technology and the determination and training of some of the dark web’s evil masterminds, hacking and stealing are now commonplace. Cybersecurity professionals find it next to impossible to stop it, especially in the E-commerce industry, where crucial customer data is easily accessible.

Credit card information, personal profile information, social security numbers, bank account information, passwords- every little bit of customer data is at risk. And businesses need to take adequate steps to secure this data. Not doing it will not only make companies lose their reputation and customers, but it might also make them and their confidential data vulnerable to the web.

As the world moves ahead towards digitalization, data breach and information leak are becoming an even more severe issue. Customers are expecting their sensitive data to be private. Establishing an E-commerce business can be challenging yet exciting. The market is continuously evolving, and there is enough room for new players to enter the industry. However, E-commerce businesses often forget how lucrative their industry is for data stealers and hackers due to their vast customer information storage. Depending on how companies treat it, data security can become a valuable advantage or even ruin their reputation in the market in a blink of an eye.

Credit card information, Social Security numbers, bank account information, and passwords are agreeable payloads from hacking, and the daily news is full of large-scale data breaches at companies whom we thought were protected from such crimes. All of this makes users wonder if any information is safe online. Taking measures to secure your customer’s personal information might seem as simple as locking up a door, but that is not the case! A lock helps slow a determined thief, but a skilled thief will find its way around it and break into your house. Keeping that in mind, here are seven proven steps that can keep your and your customers’ information protected.

There is a general delusion that all information coming to your store needs to be collected for analysis. Every landing page has CTAs and contact forms that allow users to fill in their emails, contact numbers, and other requested information. Businesses use them to retarget their website visitants and convert them into customers. Analyzing and utilizing this data does increase sales and open up new possibilities. But storing too much information can also lead to leakages and disclosures. To improve your website security, study the clients’ data you have and determine which one is relevant for your marketing and sales activities.

The SSL certificate is a data file kept in a website’s origin service and helps your e-store move from HTTP and HTTPS and make it more secure. It enables you to automatically encrypt data that transmits between a server and a web server. Installing an SSL certificate on your eCommerce website gives your customers added security layers and enhances your online store’s trustworthiness.

A secure eCommerce store works with informed customers and strong passwords. Your customers need to be responsible while putting their private information out. Provide your website visitors with instructions or recommendations for setting up strong passwords and demonstrate why they need to follow them. By doing so, you educate your customers on digital security and also assure your website remains secure.

A sound privacy policy is essential for any business operating in the digital landscape. It regulates your interaction with customers, vendors, and third parties. As eCommerce companies rely heavily on gathering user information like email IDs, buying history, and payment details, there also stands a legal requirement for a privacy policy.

The key to retaining a secure eCommerce store is using updated software and solutions. An outstanding example of this practice is a shopping cart. Updated versions provide the highest data security level, protecting customers’ sensitive information from cyber-attacks and similar security threats.

A web application firewall guards your eCommerce website against potential risks by filtering web traffic. It takes your website security to the next level and improves customer data protection. Some find installing a good web application firewall a resource-consuming practice. However, many trustworthy providers are offering budgeted solutions. Conduct thorough research, ask for referrals and choose a firewall that best meets your preferences.

If you are a small business owner, collecting your customers’ information can be risky. Your company might lack the needed data protection software to guarantee 100% security of your customers’ data. In this case, you can always choose to delegate data processing and storage to trustworthy third-party providers, like – PayPal, Authorize.Net, etc. They are well-versed in different payment operations and have enough tech muscle to keep your customer data protected.

Security for websites continues to challenge IT departments daily, with seemingly no end in sight. However, by incorporating the measures provided here, your network and E-commerce sites’ security stand a better chance of protecting customer information and allowing your visitors to rest assured that their data is safe while interacting on your site.