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Cyber Crime Expected to Increase This Year: Make Sure Your Online Business Is Protected

Safety concept: Closed Padlock on digital background

It’s no secret that there’s a rise of eCommerce in today’s business world. Many businesses have become highly successful in establishing an e-store as it helps them to grow their visibility, market their products, communicate with customers, increase their revenue, and keep an eye on the competition, among many other things.

However, in order for your eCommerce site to be successful, it’s vital that your website is protected. Cyber-attacks have become an ever-increasing threat and businesses need to be on the lookout.

Cyber Threats Expected to Intensify in 2017

This year, cyber threats are expected to intensify with hackers finding new ways to access data faster and exploit sensitive information. Last year, 49% of businesses were victimized by cyber ransom attacks.

Other data has shown hat small businesses are increasingly becoming the target of hackers. In 2015, 43% of cyber-attacks targeted small businesses, showing a 9% increase from the previous year.

How to Ensure Your Online Business is Safe and Secure

As a business owner, it’s vital to ensure the safety of your business and customer information.  Here are simple yet very effective things you can do to secure your e-store.

  • Regularly Monitor Your Website
    Monitor your website often, checking for any performance issues or processing problems. Use a real-time analytics tool so you can observe how visitors are interacting on your website in real-time, which helps you detect fraudulent activity. Monitor your servers for malware, viruses, and other harmful software. Scans should be run daily, but especially during high traffic periods.
  • Set up System Alerts for Suspicious Activity
    This way you’ll be notified when suspicious activity occurs on your website, such as multiple orders from the same person using different card payments or phone numbers, or various transactions from the same IP address.
  • Don’t Save Sensitive Information
    While it’s convenient for customers to save credit card information in their account and makes checkout faster, NEVER store all of the data required to complete the transaction, such as expiration dates or three digit pins on the back of credit cards.
  • Utilize a Secure Online Payment Solutions Provider
    It’s imperative to ensure online merchant accounts and payments are secure to keep your customers happy and your business operating. A leading international payment gateway provider, First Atlantic Commerce offers online payment solutions for merchants, banks, and partners globally. Our security features ensure secure and successful completion of online transactions for businesses and customers, with minimal loss due to fraud.