The biggest concern that every online business has these days is the security of their online store which is a first step towards building trust with their customers. No matter how beautiful and user-friendly your online store is, an unsecured website can break trust like nothing else. And despite the fact that Magento is the world’s most popular platform, it isn’t immune to security threats.
There are cybercriminals everywhere on the lookout for any weakness in the code or any loophole left by the user through which they can wiggle in your Magento store to conduct suspicious activities such as spamming, phishing, stealing user data, etc. and though Magento gets regularly patched for security reasons, there are always security best practices that website administrators can follow to keep their efforts protected.
Use the latest version
It is recommended by almost every person belonging to the e-commerce industry. The reason being Magento consistently getting updated at a good pace and its subsequent versions fix security patches of the preceding ones. Hence, it is essential to stay updated with the latest Magento version. Test out the latest releases and get it implemented.
Use modules/extensions from authentic sources
Magento comes with a wide variety of extensions for effectively running their e-commerce operations. And though you may think whether these extensions are properly tested for security vulnerabilities or not, be assured that Magento has made quality checks of the extensions mandatory before it is approved for listing in the Magento 2 marketplace. Just make sure that you buy those from authentic sources.
Change passwords before and after seeking external assistance
If the situation pressures you to share login credentials either with limited or full access to any unauthorized person, it is highly recommendable to change your passwords both before and after you engage them. Now, I am not saying that you don’t trust them but still it’s better to exercise caution as there is no guarantee the companies you work with necessarily safeguard your information with strict security policies and mechanisms.
Have an active backup plan
Though it’s advisable to take strict preventive measures for Magento security, its highly recommendable to have a functioning backup plan along with hourly offsite backups and downloadable backups. So, if by any mishappening, your website gets crashed or even hacked, you will have a backup plan ensuring the continuity of your services.
Magento Security Extensions
Magento offers a great many security extensions such as MageFence, ET IP Security, Mage Firewall, MageSecure, etc. which will instantly lock down your site to protect you from cyber attacks. These extensions not only allow you to
- Scan for vulnerabilities
- Rate, limit, or block security threats
- Enforce strong passwords
- Block malicious networks
- Implement a firewall to block common security threats
- See which files have changed and much more
Use the best antivirus for your store
It goes without saying that you need to select the best hosting provider for your online business. But often times this is not enough as your e-commerce servers can also be compromised through your system. And since virus can steal information from your system, it is always advisable to use a good and licensed antivirus software on your system.
Conclusion:
Magento is one of the most popular e-commerce platforms used worldwide. Naive users that are unaware of the threats of the cyber world might fail at setting up basic security systems that might compromise their website’s security. Don’t let your website become a victim. Use these security tips to keep your Magento store from getting hacked.
