How to Keep Consumer Data Secure on Your E-Commerce Website

Online shopping is no new thing nowadays; instead, it is rising due to its convenience and online offers. According to one expert survey, 90% of small businesses often face data breaches and threat issues. With the evolving digital world and frequent use of advanced technologies, it is high time every e-commerce business owner pays attention to data security to protect customer data in this competitive world.

If you have come to this article, you may be an e-commerce business owner or someone who is thinking of starting an e-commerce website. In this article, we will discuss the proven measures that will help you prevent data breaches and keep consumer data secure.

1. Only ask for the necessary information
It all begins with the collecting information. As data is very precious these days, the data you use can either damage your reputation or lead to trouble if misused by an attacker. Your e-commerce website will have a contact form and will need to collect basic information. But if you are collecting customer data like email ID, contact number, or even bank details, make sure it is deleted from your server from time to time to avoid the hassle of attacks.
Keeping unnecessary data can be harmful and may increase the chances of hacking. So, it's best to limit the amount of data collection and only ask for data that is required. Eventually, it's like, "The less information you collect, the less you have to protect."

2. Avoid Storing Customer Bank Details
As an e-commerce store owner, it's your major responsibility to keep customers' bank details safe. Bank details are important for checkout, but make sure you are not storing this information because it's not good for the business's reputation and might impact credibility.
Instead, prefer using reputed payment websites or methods like PayPal, Paytm, and Razorpay that don't store bank information. This payment method asks for customer concerns about whether you want to save the data or not to manage future payments accordingly.

3. Use HTTPS on Your E-commerce Website
When you secure your website with HTTPS, every data exchanged between the server and browser is done in an encrypted format; hence, it is the best way to add an extra security layer. This encryption protects against data interception and tampering by unauthorized parties. There are cheap SSL certificate providers available in the market from where you can get SSL certificates as per your requirements at a low cost.

When a website is using HTTPS, it shows a padlock icon in the browser's address bar to inform users that their information is safe. Using HTTPS helps the e-commerce shop gain the trust of its customers while also protecting them. Websites that put their customers' security first are more likely to get greater revenue and customer loyalty.

4. Don't Forget to Have a PCI Scan
PCI means Payment Card Industry, which is a must-have for every e-commerce business owner who deals with thousands of orders and credit card transactions. Every reputed bank uses PCI-compliant data security to ensure safe money transactions. Getting your e-commerce platform regularly scanned with PCI is important to detect any signs of vulnerabilities and breaches and avoid future problems.

5. Keep Your Website Updated with Security Patches
Your website has a higher possibility if the plugins, addons, software, and other apps are not up-to-date. Hackers can easily access your platform if it is an old version or does not have updated security compliance. Other than this, make sure to inspect and monitor your store activity regularly. You can also use automation tools and other software to handle certain aspects of your website.

6. Monitor for Fake Apps and Websites Identical to Yours
With smart technologies and new inventions, cybercriminals are getting smarter day by day. Hackers can make the same website as you, which looks similar to your e-commerce store; this might confuse consumers between real and sake websites. You don't have control over cyber criminals making similar websites to yours, but you can integrate two-factor authentication on your e-commerce website while logging in or making any bank transactions.

7. Have Robust Access Controls
For e-commerce websites, having robust access restrictions is essential. This keeps criminals out of places they shouldn't be and helps protect consumers' confidential information. If you don't have strong access controls on your e-commerce website then it gets easier for hackers to get bank and personal information, leading to serious issues like fraud and identity theft.

You must implement access controls for vendors, admins, and customers to provide separate access to all with strong IDs and passwords. This makes sure that only authorized users can access critical sections of the website. Strict access controls will give your customer peace of mind that their information is secure, which will motivate them to shop more from your website with trust.

8. Educate Your Customers for Strong Passwords
With the fast life, customers are always in a hurry and often end up using easy passwords, which are easier to guess for hackers. When businesses teach customers to make strong passwords with a combination of letters, numbers, and special symbols, it helps keep their accounts safe. Encouraging them to change their passwords often and not use common phrases makes it even harder for bad guys to get in. Also, if customers learn not to use the same password for different accounts, it makes them safer online.

This kind of education helps customers understand how to protect themselves better. When customers know how to keep their accounts secure, they trust the business more and keep coming back, and their info stays safe.

9. Go for an expert cybersecurity plan
Going for a cyber security plan might be a good choice to handle the issue immediately in case any threat is detected. Creating a cybersecurity plan for an e-commerce store means making a plan to stop bad things from happening online, like hacking or stealing information. This plan includes things like making it hard for hackers to get in, keeping information safe with special codes, and regularly updating security. It also means teaching employees how to spot and deal with online dangers. With a good plan in place, the store can stay safe from cyber problems and keep customers' trust.

Conclusion
Ensuring consumer data security on e-commerce websites is paramount in today's digital landscape. Implementing robust measures such as encryption of sensitive information, regular security audits, and compliance with data protection regulations are crucial steps. Leveraging cloud computing services like Alibaba Cloud adds another layer of security through advanced data encryption, secure access controls, and scalable infrastructure that can adapt to evolving security threats. With Alibaba Cloud's comprehensive suite of security tools and global compliance certifications, businesses can safeguard consumer data effectively, building trust and loyalty among their customer base while focusing on growth and innovation.