The Necessity of Online Security
Cyber terrorism and online crime is becoming more and more prominent in today’s society, indeed it’s one of the key areas of modern day policing, and a growing area of IT expertise. We tend to only hear about major scandals such as when Uber and the NHS are being held at ransom but there are smaller crimes committed on the web every second.
The world has changed, for not all that long ago, if you had a traditional business rather than an online store you would employ a security guard to act as a deterrent to would-be thieves. You might also set-up CCTV cameras and protect your stock using electromagnetic security tags.
In this context security was a very tangible physical situation that required would-be thieves to present themselves in person to your premises and risk being caught in the act.
Today, however, cyber criminals can operate from the comfort of their own home and be operating so remotely that they might not even be in the same country as you. They can even bounce their IP around so many different locations that it would be hard to find their true location; which makes cybercrime much more tempting than physical theft as it is a lot more convenient and anonymous than say walking into a bank with a sorn off shotgun.
Cybercrime is growing at an extraordinarily high rate, and coupled with the fact we now do everything online; with such sensitive information being transmitted and exchanged… for instance we can create a paystub online, we can complete our daily banking online, and we can even buy a house online.
With our excessive dependence on technology, now is definitely the time to start taking online security, for yourself, your business and your customers seriously. You also need to consider the many new laws and regulations in place around e-commerce, particularly those around new data protection policies, as you don’t want to be unknowingly breaking the law.
Here are three ways you can make your website more secure.
1. HAVE SURVEILLANCE IN PLACE
The majority of stores have security cameras and security guards to act as a deterrent, but also, to catch wrongdoers. In a similar vein, you need to find some protection for your online activities to prevent hackers from violating your website.
2. DON’T LEAVE THE DOOR OPEN
You wouldn’t leave the door of your house unlocked so that anyone could come in and take a look around to see if they can find anything of value. You lock the door. The most important aspect to consider on this front is to make sure you have adequate protection against hackers trying to violate your website by putting security measures in place.
3. USE A SECURE PAYMENT PROVIDER
You’ll want to use a reputable payment system such as PayPal or Stripe to collect payments in a securely encrypted format. The majority of people use a reputable payment provider but some less savvy businesses are collecting credit card information using a simple (easily hackable) online form, that they then process offline using a credit card machine.
This unsecure data transfer provides an easy way for hackers to obtain sensitive data without you even realising it. You want to make sure you use a secure payment provider that offers both your business and your customers peace of mind against common risks.