With its open source nature and outstanding features, Magento has emerged as the top choice for creating robust, high-performance e-commerce stores. At the same time, Magento stores require extra attention from the security point of view. The reason is that e-commerce stores, based on Magento or any other platform, are most susceptible to hacking attacks. Cyber criminals consider them as attractive targets because of the extensive financial transactions these involve. E-commerce stores have a huge customer database, with key personal and financial information of the users to lure the hackers. Therefore, it is important for a store owner to give serious thought to its security. Here are some best security practices that every magento development agency should adopt to prevent the hacking of a Magento online store:
Rely On The Latest Version
One reason that Magento makes a reliable and appreciable platform is the updates that it keeps bringing consistently. The latest Magento 2 version has widely enhanced security features as compared to its predecessors. Hire the services of an expert Magento 2.0 developer from London or elsewhere to safeguard the store security.
Avoid Using Simple Admin Name And Password
A simple admin name and password opens up the store to hackers as they can easily break through and get access to it. Make that the admin name and password are both complex and unique. Changing the periodically is another practice to strengthen the security of the online store.
Adopt Two-Factor Authentication
Another measure to beef up the security of your e-commerce store is to adopt a two-factor authentication. Even if someone is able to hack through the admin name a password, a two-factor authentication acts as an extra security layer against unauthorized access. When activated, a code will be needed every time the Magento account is to be logged in from a new device. The code will be available on your mobile device only which means that any unauthorized person will not be able to log in.
Use Reliable Hosting
Shared hosting is a good idea if you want to bring down the cost of running a Magento store, but it makes it a soft target for hackers. A reliable VPS hosting or a dedicated server hosting is a better option from the security point of view. Managed cloud hosting makes the best choice as it comes with frequent security patches at server-level.
Use Secure FTP
A hacker can break into a Magento store by intercepting the FTP passwords. Use of Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) is an effective way to prevent this security threat. Such an FTP makes use of a private key file for user authentication.
Use The Security Extensions
Magento is a popular e-commerce development platform because it offers a range of extensions that specifically cater to the security requirements. A good one can be downloaded and used to reinforce the store against online threats. It is also important to update these security extensions on a periodic basis.
Have A Sound Backup Strategy
Hacking attacks make the store prone to data loss. A sound backup strategy serves as an effective measure to protect the site data against such attacks or even crashes. The backed up data can be easily recovered to have the store back, up and running within no time. The backup files can be stored off-site or with the help of an online backup provider.
A Magento store may excel in aesthetics and functionality, but it will never be successful unless it has a secure architecture. A trustworthy Magento Development service provider will make sure that all these security measures are taken while developing the store.
