Cybersecurity to protect E-Commerce The most efficient methods to build robust web sites

Nov 15, 2024
Security requirements and best practices for WooCommerce

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If you've got a website, especially an e-commerce site, it is your responsibility to ensure that transactions happen in a safe manner as well as that the personal details of your customers and clients is not compromised. Your database WordPress site's database stores private information like addresses, including physical and electronic addresses of credit cards, as and transaction logs along with other data. You are accountable for the integrity and security of the information.

The data controller is one who chooses the reason to which data is processed as well as the manner in that personal information is handled. If you decide that your organization determines the reason and method to which personal information should be processed then it's the data controller. Personnel who process personal information within your organization do this to meet your obligations as controller.

Unsecure websites can put security of the business in jeopardy. What person would be hesitant to submit the personal information of their credit card to an unsecure website? What damage could this do to your reputation if the customer's personal data was taken and then utilized for unlawful purposes?

13 major security risks that affect e-commerce sites

Based on the 2020 Trustwave Global Security Report, traditional brick-and-mortar retailers as well as e-commerce sites are among the most susceptible businesses to cybersecurity threats that account for around 24% of total cybersecurity-related incidents during 2019.

This is why it's important to think about the significance of security to e-commerce sites, find out about the security threats that can affect the online enterprise in addition to what measures e-commerce website administrators should take to safeguard the transactions of their customers as well as data.

It is important to know the steps and procedures an owner of a business that is online must follow in order to safeguard their sites and online stores. First, we must be aware of the most significant security concerns that stores online face.

Based on the Top 10 Web Application Security Risks which we've compiled, we've compiled this non-exhaustive checklist of the top security threats that online stores have to deal with today.

OWASP Top Ten for 2021 compared to 2017
OWASP 10 for 2021 (Source: OWASP). Ten in 2021 (Image source: OWASP)

1. Malware and Ransomware

Have a look at the Video Guide for Malware

2. Phishing

A diagram of a phishing attack
Diagram of diagram of Phishing attack (Image of the Phishing attack) (Image Cloudflare)

It's a method of trying to get access to sensitive data, like usernames, passwords and the number of accounts that are on credit cards and other important data that could be used or even sell for profit. The majority of the time the attack is carried out via spam or other types of fraudulent emails, or via instant messaging.

Google's phishing warning sign, showing
Google's warning sign for phishing. (Image source: FixMyWP)

3. DDoS attacks

My dashboard analytics showing resource consumption
The analytics on my dashboard show the use of resources.

4. SQL injection

Example of SQL injection
An illustration for SQL injection (Image source: Cloudflare)

5. Cross-site scripting

Cross-Site scripting (XSS) is described as a type of attack in which malicious code is embedded into an internet site to run during the time that the site is loading. This is done by using the browser of computers. It's typically designed to steal sensitive data.

Cross-site scripting attack
What happens when a cross-site scripting attack happens? (Image source: Cloudflare)

6. Man-in-the-middle attacks

Man-in-the-middle (MitM) (also called the"on-path" attack is a type of cyberattack that involves placing on top of two systems of computers (such as a browser that is used for web, or servers for web) in order to steal data and/or pretend to be one or more agents with an ulterior motive.

7. Credential stuffing

Credential stuffing scheme
What is credential stuffing. (Image source: Cloudflare)

8. Zero-day exploits

How hackers carry out a zero day attack
What do hackers do to exploit zero-day attacks to attack. (Source: Norton)

9. E-skimming

E-skimming, also known as electronically skimming is the practice of placing malicious software on an online store's site to obtain details about your payment when you make a purchase. It is commonly referred to in terms of Magecart cyberattacks.

MageCart diagram
Illustration of how a MageCart attack functions (Image source: Sucuri)

10. The attacks of Brute Force

The"brute force attack" is a technique of trial and error that helps to determine crucial information such as API keys, login credentials and SSH credentials. If your password is stolen, it can be used to gain access to additional services when you utilize the same password across different sites. (See credential stuffing.)

11. Backdoors

Backdoors backdoor let you bypass any authentication or encryption method in order to let you log into a website or device. If a website or service is compromised, an attacker may develop their own backdoors for accessing your website as well as accessing your information. possibly even destroy your site.

12. Social Engineering attacks

social engineering attacks are especially risky as they target certain traits of human nature: trust in others and insecurity, apathy with regard to breach of order, utilitarianism as well as others. Social engineering is the manipulation of an individual's mind to expose sensitive information such as passwords, accounts or financial details.

Check out our Video Guide To Understand the CSRF attack.

13. Supply Chain Invasions

The majority times when there is an supply chain security breach, the cyber-attacker infiltrates malware into the vendor's system, and is then distributed in the form of an update.

9 tips to ensure the security of your website's e-commerce

Secureing a website is complicated if you're not equipped with the appropriate equipment and expertise but it's not a job for skilled engineers. Most important is to be aware of vulnerable places and to educate the staff you hire and you on best practices for securing your e-commerce site from common threats.

The job you have to accomplish is two-fold. On the other hand, you're in charge of protecting WordPress and WooCommerce and determining who is able to connect to the platform, the plugins that need to be set up as well as the payment gateway and security system for authentication along with everything connected to WordPress as a platform. This includes its plugins, along with the care and maintenance of your website. It's essential to have a secure and modern infrastructure. The quality of your host provider will determine the success of the hosting you use.

1. Choose a cutting-edge hosting infrastructure

The selection of your hosting infrastructure is vital for your website's security name, and ultimately the development of your enterprise. There are many types of hosting options available and they vary in their infrastructure employ as well as the type of service they provide.

  • Shared hosting
  • Host is dedicated
  • VPS hosting
  • Cloud hosting
  • Managed WordPress hosting

If you're looking to gain control of the web hosting service you choose to use, however you don't possess the most advanced technical expertise and/or resources, you should think about the possibility of a Virtual Private Server (VPS) hosting. It is at the midpoint between shared and dedicated hosting. The VPS may have a few negatives. It could not be able to handle the volume of traffic or fluctuations and it is dependent on the other websites located in the same server.

HTML0 A cloud-based, managed WordPress hosting service combines the benefits of both solutions with the fast and safe infrastructure of cloud-based solutions and the ease of having managed WordPress hosting services.

Hosting infrastructure and technical stack

Google Cloud regions
Google Cloud Regions (Source: Google)

We've built a reliable and secure technology stack based on Nginx, MariaDB, PHP 8.3 containers, LXD, and the combination of Cloudflare Enterprise, which provides another level of security. It includes firewalls and DDoS security, as well as numerous other options. This is a feature available to any client, regardless of the plans they are using.

     We utilize Linux containers (LXC) as well as LXD to control them the Google Cloud Platform (GCP). Google Cloud Platform (GCP) which ensures complete isolation of every single WordPress website. Your website does not connect resources to another site or to other sites linked to your account.

A diagram of ’s WordPress Hosting infrastructure
Schematic of WordPress hosting infrastructure.

2. Make use of a firewall for web applications

The WAF is essential to your site, regardless of whether you're beginning your journey as a blogger, or an established business proprietor. In the case of eCommerce sites, having an application firewall to protect your site is essential since a website that isn't secure is an easy attack for hackers and malicious criminals.

If there is no firewall of a website application hackers could quickly gain access control of the website, modify login credentials, delete or steal data, harm it and carry out all kinds of illegal actions. If this happens hackers take over your website, they can destroy the website totally. In addition, your website could be the target of DDoS or any other attack using the power of the force of.

The websites being hosted by Cloudflare are protected by Cloudflare

Cloudflare waf
A firewall that is built into web-based applications works (Image Source: Cloudflare)

3. Make an SSL certificate

SSL certificates are used for

Cloudflare SSL certificates are available without cost to all clients regardless of which service they decide to use.

Visit our Video Instruction on Choosing the Correct SSL Certificate to Protect Your Website

4. Utilize secured SFTP as well as SSH connections

Setting SFTP protocol in Filezilla
Setting SFTP protocol in Filezilla

Only SFTP/SSH connections are supported.

Because SFTP is a more secure option and is more secure, it can be utilized only with an SFTP connection.

The details about SFTP/SSH will be found on Your My Dashboard in the section WordPress Websitesunder Name> Environment> Information. Name of the website> Websitename> > Environment>Information. Info.

SFTP environment credentials in My
SFTP credentials for the account to the environment in My

5. Be sure to use the latest versions of PHP

Each PHP version usually is maintained for 2 years. Only versions that are supported receive upgrades in security and speed. Thus, utilizing non-supported PHP versions can slow down performance and increases security risks.

Beginning in August 2024, the PHP versions that are officially supported by PHP include PHP 8.1, 8.2, and 8.3.

Supported PHP versions
Versions of PHP which are compatible with PHP Version (Source PHP.net)

     In the year of this article in the current post, the vast majority of PHP versions that date earlier than 8.1 do not receive security patches. If you're using PHP 8.0 or later is vulnerable to security issues that can't be corrected.

Only permit compatible PHP versions

This may require additional effort to develop in the event that you're using plugins which aren't compatible with supported PHP versions. Our primary responsibility is to guarantee the maximum protection for your site and our entire infrastructure. This is why we don't allow users to run versions of PHP which do not work with this PHP version.

Users are able to modify your PHP versions of the WordPress site by using My. The configuration area is accessible and then go to the configuration section and click Tools on the left side menu. Find the last section of the page, and you will find your web engine PHP. Select the Change button to choose the PHP version that is appropriate for your site.

Modify PHP engine in My
Change the engine PHP in My

6. Enable two-factor authentication

Utilizing strong passwords to protect your web site and hosting account is not enough for protecting your online shop. Making use of a multi-factor authentication solution is strongly advised.

Multi-factor authentication refers to a process for authorization, which demands that the user accessing the account has to provide at least two documents proving their identity. This is accomplished by various methods, such as fingerprints authenticator apps, email, SMS, or a token that can be a device, or a hardware token among other.

Enable 2FA with

Additionally, if you are using a password that is secure to MyI'm A Celebrity recommends enabling two-factor authentication. Also, you should request everyone in your company to allow this. If 2FA is enabled login to My will require an additional verification number from an authenticator app (e.g., Google Authenticator) with your smartphone or password management software.

For 2FA to be activated on My, simply select your username in the top left hand corner and choose Settings for Users. From within My profile, go down to the section Two-factor authentication. A toggle button will be displayed, then look up the QR code in the authenticator app. Input the 6-digit code that is displayed in the app, and hit the button to confirm.

Two-factor authentication in My
Two-factor authentication in My

It's vital to note that 2FA cannot be compatible using SMS-based 2FA because it is vulnerable to hacking via phone and has less security because it's a token linked to time. The most recent security breaches by Authy exposed 33 million numbers for customer phones, which increased the danger of SMS scams and SIM-swapping.

 no longer supports SMS authentication
It is no longer possible to use it. SMS authentication via SMS

Create 2FA using WordPress

Additionally, you can enable two-factor authentication on your online store. WordPress is not able to enable 2FA with the default settings. However you are able to swiftly and easily incorporate the feature on your website through one of the plugins below:

Alongside WordPress releases core updates, WordPress releases security updates often when a security vulnerability is discovered. This is also the case for themes and plugins.

For keeping your WordPress website safe You must ensure that you keep the entire WordPress website up-to-date to protect against security issues.

You can also automate updates to themes and plugins.

Enable/disable automatic plugin updates
Enable/disable automatic plugin updates
Enable/disable automatic plugin updates
Enable/disable automatic plugin updates

If you'd rather remove this option and carry out the update on your own However, changing multiple sites can be an exhausting and lengthy procedure. Numerous agencies rely on third-party software that allows the management of updates for all their WordPress sites from a single external platform.

Users do not need purchase any third-party software to handle updates since they are able to update often through My Dashboard.

WordPress Updates with

Update plugins in bulk in My
The plugins are updated in large quantities in My

After you have completed an update using My The system creates a backup so that you are able to revert this process for a period of two hours should the situation arise that the update fails. It gives you a feeling of security as well as protection when you need to update the themes, plugins or the plugins.

A system-generated backup is created when you bulk update your plugins
Backups that are generated by the system are generated after you have a bulk upgrade of your plugins.

In addition, you are allowed to perform massive updates across several WordPress websites at once. In your My dashboard, navigate to your My dashboard, and then select WordPress sites. Choose either one or all by clicking on the actions button to the left, and then select the most important action you would like to complete. If you are changing plugins, just click the relevant button in the menu. The pop-up will display the list of plugins that have updates available. The update is now accessible.

Choose the plugins that you'd like to change and sit for a few minutes. The pop-up window will notify you when it was done successfully.

If the update does not succeed in the event it fails to update, visit the name of the site and then click Backups and then the the System generated page in My and then restore the backup generated.

System-generated backups in My dashboard
The backups created by the system are found on the My Dashboard. My Dashboard

     By using this plugin , you'll be able upgrade your themes and plug-ins on all of your WordPress websites easily on a single page for free. Perfect for agencies handling many websites on the similar platform.

8. Backups

Web hosting providers that truly takes care of the website store it hosts must provide regular WordPress backups. provides six different kinds of backups.

There are six options for backup each, which is the total number of options that are offered by

We provide regularly scheduled, automated WordPress backups and the system generated backups for all WordPress websites. The backups, as well as to manually-created backups, are available as restore points within My. Additionally, you can create backups using a manual offline backup every week.

Daily backups in My
Restoring a backup to a staging zone My
Hourly backups in My
It is possible to avail six-hour as well as daily backups within My
External backups in My
This allows integration to be linked to Amazon S3 and Google Cloud Storage

9. You should be aware of plugins

There are numerous plugins you could use for create a WordPress website. This is especially the case in the case of e-commerce. These usually need features not accessible on WordPress or WooCommerce as of the initial release. Here's a selection of recommended plugins for you to browse and test on your own.

Do not choose the first choice that pops up. It is recommended to follow some guidelines when selecting the right plugins for your WooCommerce site:

Select plugins that receive regular scheduled updates from vendors who have a great reputation. Trust the community and read reviews and comments of users. Try to avoid when you can plugins with low reviews and are not maintained by reputable suppliers.

Technical details of the WooCommerce plugin
The technical details of the WooCommerce plugin

Try a plugin by using the staging settings before you put it in Production. This prevents conflicts between plugins, as well as problems that are related to WordPress core.

Always backup your website prior to installing the plugin into production.

Avoid installing unnecessary plugins or plug-ins that offer ineffective functions. Unnecessary plugins could create security issues, and could interfere with other plugins or lead to a reduction in the performance of your site.

Find out if there is any known vulnerabilities for the code. Find out if there are any known vulnerabilities for. Use security services like the WordPress Vulnerability Database or WPScan.

How can web hosts help to overcome problems with themes or plugins?

security alerts

When a security vulnerability is discovered on one of your websites or plugins, regardless of whether it's a significant issue with the theme, plugin or vulnerability, you'll be notified via My and an email advising you about the issue along with suggestions for resolving the problem.

The feature is well-loved by our clients since it lets them quickly make decisions on security problems that are detected in their sites. If you're a client and are currently a customer will likely receive an email that reads like this:

An email from  notifying a vulnerability in WooCommerce
A notification email was sent out to notify the customer of an issue with WooCommerce

The most effective way to avoid them

In the beginning of this post we've listed some of the most significant security issues that can affect the protection of eCommerce websites. Some of these threats are particularly serious for WordPress/WooCommerce sites.

Although WordPress is an open source software, it's important to note that hackers aren't attacking WordPress websites due to inherent weaknesses in the CMS but they are able to do this due to flaws that could have been discovered and rectified prior to the security issue.

The inability to update your base, the theme, and plugins can make your e-commerce website vulnerable using similar fashion to making use of passwords that are insecure as well as not having a rigorous security policy for access to your website.

Here is a short list of the threats that exist and the best ways to keep against them. This will help you in keeping your website secured:

Other options that could assist in increasing the security of your website

Our goal is to deliver the quickest and most secure WordPress hosting platform available in the world. We're always looking for ways to improve your protection on online stores so that customers can enjoy the best shopping experience for the customers and your users. Here are some of 's services and features specifically aimed at securing your WordPress/WooCommerce website.

Uptime checks

If your website does not respond, or runs slowly How can you fix it to ensure that the site isn't down for everyone or just you?

     Your site is being scanned each three minutes. That's 480 visits per each day.

If your site isn't operating then our technical team will make an immediate effort to fix the problem. There's a good likelihood that the issue can be fixed prior to you even noticing it.

Check out our Video Tutorial on How to tell if a site is not working:

The security guarantee of the's

But, at times no matter how much efforts you make, it could happen that your website is at risk. How do you respond?

Customers do not need to worry about this as in the event that an WordPress site is damaged when it's hosted with us, it can be fixed by the webmaster without cost. They will investigate the issue and repair the issue.

Our security pledge is comprised of:

  • The site's examination is accompanied by a comprehensive analysis of the web page's files for malware.
  • Repair of WordPress core using an unclean copy of the Core Data files.
  • The elimination and the detection of themes and plugins that are affected.

Blocking IP

In certain situations there are situations where it is necessary to remove an IP or set of IPs to ensure that you can stop illegal actions from bots, spammers and others. In general, it is possible to block IP addresses from the configuration files of your server.

To check IP addresses and amount of requests being made, it's necessary to sign into My then visit WordPress website >>> Name of Website > Analytics > Geo and IP.

Top client IPs.
Best IPs for customers.
Add IP addresses to the IP Deny tool in My.
Include IP addresses in the IP Deny tool in My.

Once you have blocked any IP addresses, it will be possible to see it on the same page.

Add an IP address to deny in My.
Incorporate an IP address into My. My.

Security certificates

The requirement to ensure the security of their websites for their clients has been confirmed and verified on various levels.

The trust service criteria comprised of five elements:

  • Security
  • Accessibility
  • Processing integrity
  • Confidentiality
  • Privacy

They provide assurance of safety and security for the internet-based store owners who have the ability to rely on a web hosting provider that permits them to devote their working hours at peace.

ISO/IEC 27001 is the most popular standard for managing information security systems. An ISMS that is implemented according to the standard "is an instrument for the protection of cybersecurity, risk management and operational effectiveness."

Conformity with ISO/IEC 27001 means that an company or organisation has implemented the proper system of managing the risks that arise from the security of information owned or processed by the business and adheres to all the high requirements and guidelines outlined in this International Standard.

ISO/IEC 270717, 2015 offers guidelines for security of data that can be used to provide and use of cloud-based service. It also provides

  • further implementation guidance on the appropriate controls as specified in ISO/IEC 2702;
  • Additional control and guidelines for implementation specifically for cloud-based services.

Final ISO 27018:2019

Establishes control goals that are common sense that establish standards, control and goals that are implemented for the protection of Personally Identifiable Information (PII) in accordance with the requirements for privacy. These standards are laid out in ISO/IEC29100 for cloud computing within the context of public computing.

You can visit the Trust Center to get information about the firm's ongoing conformity initiatives.

Summary

There's plenty to do to create an online store. To create your own website requires a lot of technological know-how that may not be readily available to smaller companies and young start-ups.

However, a business proprietor who wants to launch an online store and who is prepared to face the challenges of international markets, should never overlook the growth opportunities that the internet-based commerce market offers. It's the reason why an enterprise-level platform like WordPress or WooCommerce Hosting will aid.

By taking these measures to safeguard your site, you will be able to ensure the security of your website's store and reduce the chance of data breaches and the likelihood of interruptions.

You have the chance to shine. What are the threats and pitfalls you must be aware of every single day? Do you have a hosting company that offers an adequate security against harmful actors? Tell us about your experience by commenting below.

Carlo Daniele

Carlo is an avid fan of front-end Web design and development. He's been playing around with WordPress for more than a decade. In addition, he collaborates with Italian and European colleges as well as universities. He has written several of guides and articles regarding WordPress, published both on Italian websites as well as in printed magazines. The author is as well found on LinkedIn.

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