Thanks to today’s technologies, the ease of making an online transaction is nothing out of the ordinary.
The familiarity and efficiency of purchasing online may fool customers into thinking their transaction is secure. Even though you have security measures, the internet is full of evolving threats. You must stay well-informed to ensure the customer’s financial information is safe.
Use these tips to keep your online business and customer information safe from data breaches.
COMPLY WITH THE PAYMENT CARD INDUSTRY DATA SECURITY STANDARDS (PCI DSS)
Complying with the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standards, PCI DSS is your first requirement before making any online purchases. Since its establishment in 2006, it has worked to protect the security of customer data and provide safety requirements for your online site. To achieve this level of protection, the PCI DSS checks for liability in your online transaction. Should it find any, you are responsible for taking steps to fix those security measures.
This pertains to every business that accepts online payments, from clothing shops to B2B e-commerce. When purchasing supplies to help with the upkeep of your business, you want to be sure your personal information is safe from data breaches as well. So, make sure to buy from a reputable retailer yourself!
GET A SECURITY SOCKETS LAYER CERTIFICATE
If you are an online retailer or business owner, having a Security Sockets Layer, or SSL certificate on your website lets the customer know that you take their security information seriously. This certification allows the encryption of the data used for purchases on your site. The encryption protects your information that bounces from browser to browser even after your purchase.
DO NOT KEEP SENSITIVE CUSTOMER INFORMATION
When you keep sensitive information stored, you run the risk of hackers. For example, if one of these hackers accessed customers’ private data, it would threaten the integrity of your business.
For the majority of online transactions, typically, the customer fills out information such as their name, address, and card details. Once their purchase processes, there is no longer a need to have their data. One way to ensure this information gets adequately discarded is to check what data your system logs, then make certain the financial information is no longer used.
However, if you want to improve customer experience with the ease of saving their card information for future purchases, consider using a reputable e-commerce service like PayPal or Square.
USE A TRUSTED E-COMMERCE PLATFORM
Monitoring all security issues is a daunting task. This makes having a dependable e-commerce platform, payment processor, and data monitoring software with distributed tracing essential tools for running an online business. Feel confident and know this trusted third party is an extra security blanket for you and your customers.
With this in mind, do a rigorous search into what platform works best for your business. Be mindful of the kind of industries they correlate with to guarantee it is the right fit.
GET AN ADDRESS VERIFICATION SERVICE
An address verification service, or AVS, is a security measure to ensure the address added for delivery matches the card’s address. These transactions are verified as part of the authorization request. Your customer then gets an email or a text with a verification code, which lets them know whether to accept or deny the transaction.
USE OTHER MEANS OF VERIFICATION
AVS is not the only way to verify a customer’s information. Another way you can keep data safe is to ask them to put in the three-digit security code on the back of their card. However, there are ways to verify information without the customer putting in the data themselves such as staying vigilant about patterns that are not normal for your customer, like a large quantity order for a customer who makes small purchases. Should this happen, contact the customer immediately to let them know their information could be compromised.
CONCLUSION
As a business owner, you want to be successful while protecting customers’ delicate information. Having the latest security measures in place helps ease the burden of protecting your online business. Keep a watchful eye on customer transactions and protect them at all costs.
