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Dont Get Hacked - A Guide to Protecting Your Business from Thieves
You've seen it in the news - 40 million credit cards exposed! With all the news about web sites being hacked and cyberthieves stealing credit card numbers and other personal data,it's no wonder that some shoppers are still hesitant to providepayment information online. You don't have to be. Is it enough that users trust you? Common marketing wisdom shows that one of the most valuableassets any Internet Marketer has is trust. People go to extrememeasures to build this trust - online pictures, testimonials,audio - some even go as far as to open storefronts to givepeople that "good feeling". But all of this may simply not be enough. A recent Harris Interactive survey found that 75 percent ofconsumers polled worry that companies will share personal datawith other corporations without permissions, while 70 percentdoubt the security of online transactions and 69 percent fearthat hackers will steal their personal data submitted online. You see, just because a user trusts you, doesn't necessarilymean that the customer trusts your website oryour payment processor. Once you've established rapport with your customer base,the next step is to build trust in your website. Whether you collect credit card information yourself, or havea third party processor handle your transactions for you,it's crucial that people understand that you are seriousabout protecting their privacy and information. Here's a few things you can do to help out. *) Install a Secure Server Certificate on your server to closethat "lock" on people's browsers. Even if you don't collectcredit card information, people feel better about havingthe information they send to you be secure. Also, considerusing a "top tier" Certificate provider, such as Verisign.While other providers may have nearly equally secure solutions,the reason you are buying the certificate is to instill trustin your customers, which other providers do not necessarilyhave in abundance. *) Have a clear, clean privacy policy statement in additionto the "legalese" required by the FTC. If you don'tsell addresses, tell people so. *) Secure your server. I know that this seems obvious, but mostpeople pay no attention to their webserver or the softwarethey are running. Knowing what software you have running,and keeping up-to-date on patches will help significantly. *) Install an Intrusion Detection System (IDS) I estimate 73%or more of all websites have no intrusion detection systemin place. What this means is that not only can most websitesbe hacked easily, it is very likely that the website ownerhas no clue if they have been compromised. *) Turn off unneeded services and ports, and uninstallunused software. The premise here is that the less "stuff"on your machine, the less chance for exploit. For example,MySQL listens on the Internet for messages form other servers,yet most small websites access the database system only fromthe machine it is running on. It is very simple to makeMySQL "invisible" to the Internet - making it much moresecure if you don't need to access it from other systems.There are many, many more simple techniques like this you canapply to your server to keep hackers out. In summary, consumers are quickly becoming Internet savvyand they take their privacy seriously. There is nothing,and I mean nothing, that can hurt your credibility morethan your customers and potential customers getting SPAMto email addresses that they provided only to you - inthe best case, they will think that you sold their address.Responding that no, you didn't sell their address, but someonehacked your server and stole ALL their personal informationwon't make them feel a whole lot better about doing businesswith you in the future. Nick Temple is an e-commerce and security specialist that hasbeen practicing online for over 10 years, since 1994.Some previous clients include Verisign, Sun Microsystems,and Coupons.com. His new website, http://www.DontGetHacked.inforeveals that Internet Marketers are prime targets for hackers,and what you can do to stop them cold.
MORE RESOURCES: Officials detail increased D.C. security for certification, inauguration The Washington Post Homeland Security Department to Release New A.I. Guidance The New York Times Nuclear power for military bases will increase our national security Breaking Defense U.S. ambassador bashes Mexico’s security efforts. Mexico’s president pushes back - Los Angeles Times Homeland Security Department releases framework for using AI in critical infrastructure The Associated Press New 'spectral fingerprint' atlas of satellites aims to improve space security University of Arizona News Opinion | Trump’s national security wrecking crew The Washington Post ‘Never trust, always verify’: The zero trust approach to network security United States Army Brief altercation between fans mars France-Israel soccer match despite heavy security The Associated Press St. Francis Seraph hires security guards for Christmas, Nativity display visitors as crowds still plague area WCPO 9 Cincinnati Trump’s National Security Team Keeps Getting More Extreme The New Republic Video: How The Fortinet Security Fabric Is Combatting Cybersecurity Threats And Talent Shortage Channel Insider The Fastest Airport Security Line You Don’t Know About The Wall Street Journal AI’s impact on the future of web application security Help Net Security The campus will be closed to anyone who is not a student, faculty or staff member. WVTM13 Birmingham Tuskegee president releases security updates following shooting WIAT - CBS42.com Do Titans QB, Coach Have Job Security? Sports Illustrated Inside The 2024 Security Benchmark Report Security Magazine Your favorite security leadership podcasts Security Magazine The UN cybercrime convention threatens security research. The US should do something about it CyberScoop 3rd Annual U.S.-Mexico Defense and Security Roundtable smallwarsjournal France draws with Israel in high-security operation to reach Nations League quarterfinals with Italy The Associated Press Tuskegee University Shifts Security, Facilities Leadership Tuskegee University Endpoint Security from BlackBerry BlackBerry Trump names Florida’s Rep. Mike Waltz as national security adviser Nebraska Examiner Akamai: 84% of security professionals experienced an API security incident in the past year SecurityInfoWatch Mexican Officials Arrest Top Security Official in Mayor’s Beheading The New York Times ESA opens registration for 2024 Town Hall Broadcast SecurityInfoWatch ‘We’re just a target’: Pickleball players call for more security Camas Washougal Post Record New infosec products of the week: November 15, 2024 Help Net Security After student allegedly threatens classmate with gun, Ambridge Area School District makes security changes CBS Pittsburgh Linn County’s Food for Health pilot program aims to improve food security, support local economy KEZI TV South Florida campus security officer arrested after attempting to meet minor for sex WPBF West Palm Beach Microsoft Patch Tuesday, November 2024 Edition Krebs on Security Trump Picks Kristi Noem for Homeland Security Secretary The New York Times Tom Homan, Trump’s ‘Border Czar,’ on Border Security The New York Times Silverfort Buys Rezonate to Fortify Identity Security Muscle BankInfoSecurity.com Rand Paul Will Continue His COVID-19 Investigations From Atop the Senate Homeland Security Committee Reason An Interview With the Target & Home Depot Hacker Krebs on Security NIST report on hardware security risks reveals 98 failure scenarios Help Net Security Who Is Michael Waltz, Trump’s Pick to Be National Security Adviser? The New York Times |
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