In the old days, the bad guys always wore black hats and carried violin cases. Unfortunately these days, it is much harder to spot people who would rob you blind, especially on the Internet.
Online, if there is an opportunity for an unscrupulous person to benefit at your expense then you should expect that to happen. Not paying adequate attention to your online security is the same as leaving the keys in your car and the motor running.
Given that there is no cure for Internet fraud, the next best thing you can do is get an extra large helping of prevention. There are two main areas to consider:
- How to be a secure Internet user
- How to make your website secure
Never give out your credit card details on a non-secure site
Just like securing your house, website security levels can reach 99 per cent – but never 100 per cent. But remember that a locked door and an alarm will make your house more difficult to break into than leaving the doors unlocked and the windows open.
So, as a preventative measure, never provide your credit card details on a non-secure site. If hackers find a non-secure site, it becomes an easy target and they can access the information on the site. Ninety-nine per cent security is better than zero security.
What is a secure site?
There are two indicators of a secure site. Don’t just trust the words, ‘This site is on a secure server’, hidden deep within the text of the website – that is no guarantee of security.
Only secure websites have these two indicators:
- The padlock icon in the bottom right hand corner of the browser
- In the address bar, the letters ‘https://www’ – where the ‘s’ stands for secure
Don’t give out your details on websites failing to display these indicators. There are many sites I’ve come across that claim to be secure and are not. If you have to do business with these sites, only provide details to them by phone or fax.
Securing your site
There are a few different ways you can secure your website to prevent hackers from getting to your customers’ details. It really depends on the type of website you’re creating.
‘Off the shelf’ software programs
There are some ‘off the shelf’ software programs that provide cost sensitive solutions for secure shopping cart facilities like Business in a Box, EziMerchant and BiziWorks. When choosing the software, make sure you find out whether the credit card details are stored on a secure site that can be accessed when you need to retrieve details, or whether they’re emailed to you once the details have been entered. Emails are easily intercepted by hackers so a secure server or site is preferable.
Digital certificates
If you’re not using ‘off the shelf’ software because your website only requires a couple of areas of security, you can simply purchase digital certificates from companies like VeriSign which provide security your customers can trust. These certificates cost around $850 and are an inexpensive way of providing high levels of security.
Custom built
Higher levels of security for websites that provide online banking and complex shopping carts require custom built security.
Do your research
Lack of knowledge about online security makes for vulnerable Internet users. Do your research and learn about security before giving out your details or asking for those of your customers.
