Your E-Commerce Website and Cybersecurity: 3 Areas for Improvement

There is no doubt that business owners and consumers alike share considerable concern for cybersecurity issues. Take your e-commerce website, for instance. Have you ever lain awake at night wondering if it would pass a cybersecurity test?

Cybersecurity is particularly relevant in the case of newer technologies. For example, an estimated 98% of all tested web apps are thought to be vulnerable to a cyber attack. This is an entirely staggering statistic and one that should worry every website and e-commerce business owner.

Complicating the issue are problems with qualifying IT security workers to deal with cybersecurity issues. Further, while many professionals understand the importance of obtaining a Certified Information Systems Security Professional Certification, they perceive it as being difficult to achieve. Finally, there are the financial and time costs of upgrading computer systems and mainframes, which deter many business owners from making the necessary upgrades.

What this all boils down to is that your e-commerce website might not be as secure as you think. Here are 3 things you could be doing better:

1. Focus More on Detecting Cybersecurity Threats

The team at Primetimeesay.com asked heads of IT security departments about the chief problems they face in their work. According to the interviews, there is often a big difference between the length of a cyber attack and the subsequent time it takes to discover and respond to it. For example, an initial cyber strike might be over in a matter of minutes. However, it can take an average of 256 days for it to be identified.

Company owners can at least partially resolve this issue by placing a greater emphasis on detecting cyber threats and attacks rather than striving merely to prevent them.

After all, sophisticated hackers and malware programs may be able to breach even the best defenses. Therefore, your organization must have a viable cybersecurity strategy to detect and respond to attacks after they have been launched.

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2. Don’t Rely Solely on Compliance

Of course complying with industry guidelines and mandatory regulations is an important consideration. However, this in no way guarantees protection from all types of cyber-threat. In fact, one could argue that they provide little more than minimum requirements to adhere to. The fact remains that you must strive harder to keep your ecommerce site safe.

This is particularly true when it comes to handling consumer and corporate data of a sensitive nature. That’s because in this case most compliance law was created from a legal perspective.

So always try to go above and beyond when you’re securing your website and any details from your customers. Meanwhile, also ensure that you have 128- or 256-bit encryption to safeguard all financial transactions.

3. Appreciate the Differences Between Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Scanning

Make no mistake: Penetration testing and vulnerability scanning are two very different concepts. Confusing them can cause significant security issues for your website.

Vulnerability scanning is formulaic. Generally speaking, vulnerability scanning is the best security test that systems themselves perform.

On the other hand, penetration testing provides a far more in-depth examination of your website and its level of resistance to cyber attacks. This is especially true when a reputable service provider like Nettitude carries out the tests. That’s because this type of company uses humans to emulate the relentless and aggressive actions of genuine cyber-thieves and hackers.

This intuitive and in-depth testing offers a genuine insight into your website’s level of security. At the same time, it can also help you to take proactive steps toward safeguarding your business.

Make Cybersecurity Job One

Ensure that your e-commerce site has the highest quality cybersecurity systems in place. To do this, focus on detecting cyber attacks as soon as possible. Then go above and beyond compliance requirements and industry guidelines. Finally, utilize penetration testing.