One of the most popular eCommerce platforms available today is Magento. The open-source platform Magento Ecommerce has a plug-in architecture that enables merchants to build and maintain online stores across various devices. Website security should be your top priority when starting an online store using Magento.
Although Magento has some robust built-in security measures, you still need to take additional steps to protect your website from attacks and data loss. As a result of the fact that despite being one of the most powerful eCommerce platforms and supporting over 250,000 active sites, it also carries several security risks. Over 87 percent of eCommerce stores using Magento are at risk of being hacked, according to a recent survey by Magento.
Of course, not all websites are susceptible to attacks and data loss due to security issues. However, the following 10 Magento security tips will still be helpful for your Magento online store to Secure.
Here are 10 Magento security tips & tricks to secure your online stores
1. Install an SSL Certificate on Your Store website:
SSL Certificate is one of the most critical security elements. It would work if you had an SSL certificate installed on your Magento online store. Regular web browsers may warn when your website uses HTTP protocol and offers an unsecured connection through which attackers can steal sensitive information, such as credit card details or other passwords.
When you install an SSL certificate, you turn on HTTPS for your website and secure the communication between your Magento store and customers’ web browsers. However, it’s essential to choose a trusted SSL provider that offers a secure certificate and reliable customer service and enables you to control your digital certificate.
2. Keep a Strong Magento Password:
One of the most common methods hackers use to break into your Magento website is by trying to guess your password. To prevent this, make sure you expend a unique and strong password consisting of random alphanumeric characters and capital and lowercase letters. The harder the password, the more challenging it is to hack the account.
Ensure that you do not reuse the same password for different accounts because attackers can try the same credentials on other accounts if they get access to one report. In addition, as a security measure, you should enable two-factor authentication.
3. Perform Magento Security Audit:
The simplest and most common security measure you can take is to perform a Magento security audit. You must complete an audit because it will determine if your website’s security has been compromised, whether there are any backdoors or unsecured areas, and its data integrity.
During the audit, you should check to see if there are SQL injections or backdoors in the code of your Magento website. You should also scan your website for potential vulnerabilities and ensure that all applications have the latest updates.
4. Update to The Latest Version:
It is also essential to update your Magento website to the latest version. With each update, the Magento development team fixes security loopholes and bugs that could open hackers to access your data and steal sensitive information, such as user accounts, credit card details, or other personal information.
Hackers target older versions because they are filled with problems that give them access to the server where those sites are hosted and can easily access the stored content in databases.
5. Setup a Data Integrity Tool:
Another vital element of website security is data confidentiality. The best way to protect your Magento database from being accessed by hackers is through a data integrity tool. That is especially useful in the case of loss or theft of your database.
The Magento data integrity tool will help you identify any unauthorized and inaccurate data that could be used to commit fraud. Furthermore, it can notify you if some data has been altered or deleted and should be transferred to a new database.
6. Use Two-Factor Authentication (2FA):
Another valuable means of securing your Magento website is two-factor authentication (2FA). As we have already explained, it consists of authenticating a user using a code generated by the application, smartphone, or text message.
When you enable 2FA on your online store, you must enter a password plus the code to log in. This way, an attacker would need to gain access to your password and the application to steal data.
7. Use a Unique URL for Admin Dashboard:
Another type of important security measure is the implementation of an admin dashboard with different URLs. The site can have multiple URLs for different purposes. For example, it may have an admin portal for purchasing additional features that are not accessible to the end user, a third-party application integration, or other services such as reporting and analytics.
To ensure that your online store is secure and cannot be hacked by malicious actors or data thieves, you must use a unique website URL for the administrator dashboard.
8. Backup Your Site Regularly:
Another security measure is to regularly back up your entire storage server. By doing so, you store your website data and backups in a safe location that is not accessible to hackers. Furthermore, you can access the backup files in case of a Magento site hack and restore the whole site or specific pages.
However, it’s essential to perform daily backups and avoid storing data on the server. In case of theft or damage to your storage server, you will lose all your website databases and files.
9. Use Magento reCAPTCHA:
reCAPTCHA is a free and open authentication tool that protects your Magento website against bots and scrapers. This technology is mainly used for security purposes and offers a simple yet effective solution for blocking bots’ unauthorized access to the Magento site.
Bots and scrapers are applications used by hackers to collect information stored in databases, such as credit card details or other confidential information, to be sold on the black market.
When you implement reCAPTCHA on your site, you’ll have to verify each request with an image of a website’s character string. These characters are not human-readable, but computers cannot understand them.
10. Use a Malware Scanner:
A final security measure is to use a malware scanner. This tool helps detect and eliminate malicious software (malware) on your store. Hackers use such code to steal data from your database, take over your whole website or redirect traffic to your store.
Malware scanners can also check for files containing harmful code for databases, files, and other elements of the Magento website. Furthermore, these scanners can also detect phishing attacks that attempt to steal sensitive personal information from users.
Conclusion:
After reading this article, you know the most critical security measures you must follow to prevent your Magento website from being hacked. Of course, this is not a comprehensive list — there are many other security measures you can implement to secure your online store.
The most fundamental thing is to keep a close eye on all different areas of your website’s security and monitor your site daily. Magento maintenance and support services can help you ensure your store’s security and prevent any hacks. After reading this guide, you know all the essential steps to incorporate into your business’s Magento website to prevent a hack or data theft.
Krishan Jangir