As we edge closer to the holiday season, these next few weeks and months are a critical time of year for website security for eCommerce retailers. Companies are gearing up for significantly boosted online traffic as consumers set out to find the perfect gift for everyone on their lists.
Holiday Shopping by the Numbers
- In 2015, American consumers spent more than $56 billion in desktop eCommerce purchases during the holiday season, according to Statista.
- More than 23 percent of total U.S. eCommerce sales are made during the holiday shopping season.
- Spending totaled $2.28 billion on Cyber Monday alone last year.
eCommerce Security: Current Threat Environment
This time of year especially shines a light on security, though, as malicious actors and cybercriminals are also aware of the uptick in sales and online shopping:
- Last year, more than 500 million personal records were lost or stolen due to cybercriminal activity.
- There were more than 1 million online attacks experienced every day in 2015.
- 75 percent of websites contain at least one unpatched vulnerability.
- A new zero-day exploit was uncovered each week last year.
So, what can online retailers do to better safeguard their platforms and their customers' information? There are a few essential steps businesses can take right now to better enable security during the holiday shopping season, and Hostway is here to help.
Hostway's eCommerce Series
We've created a series of short videos featuring Kai Armstrong, Hostway's eCommerce product manager, that covers best practices you can immediately put into action to ensure a secure shopping experience for your customers.
You’ll get tips on the following:
- Strong passwords: As passwords enable access to the online platform and the critical information contained there, it's important to use strong passwords. A strong password used in combination with password management tools can help boost website security.
- Data backup: Having a robust data-backup strategy in place can reduce the risk and impact of downtime. Many industry-leading eCommerce platforms – including Magento – have built-in backup tools that your eCommerce solution provider can help you use.
- Patching: A website that isn't completely up to date with its security patches is vulnerable to attack. For this reason, it's imperative that eCommerce retailers ensure that all available patches have been applied to their online platforms.
- SSL Certificates: SSLs are important eCommerce transactions, helping to ensure sensitive financial and personal information is protected throughout the purchase process, while giving shoppers additional peace of mind.
Watch the full video series here >>>
Learn more about how Hostway can help with an eCommerce platform>>>