E-commerce websites' biggest cyber threats

The e-commerce market in South Africa is absolutely booming and experts predict that it will be valued at a whopping R140 billion by 2025. Almost every supermarket, retailer and major store now has an e-commerce site that offers delivery services; think Checkers Sixty60, Pick n Pay ASAP! and Woolworths Dash. This is a highly lucrative and competitive marketplace, with the potential to generate massive revenue.

However, with such a profitable sector comes serious security issues. Cyber attacks and hacks are often launched against e-commerce sites, putting both customer data and business operations at risk. E-commerce sites are vulnerable to various attacks, and cybercriminals are always changing their strategies.

Cyber threats against e-commerce sites

There are several major threats that e-commerce sites need to look out for at the moment. The first one is a tactic called credential stuffing. This attack technique makes use of passwords and usernames that have been acquired from previous data breaches. Using these compromised credentials, cybercriminals try to enter into several accounts using automated programs. If they are successful, they can steal personal data, access client accounts, or create phoney purchases.

Next is password spraying, which concentrates on a specific website, much like credential stuffing. In an attempt to obtain access to user accounts, attackers will “spray” a vast number of popular password combinations. With automated tools to run these functions, hackers are often successful.

Distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks are another common threat against e-commerce sites at the moment. These attacks overload a website's servers with fake traffic in an attempt to interfere with normal operations, making it unavailable to authorised users or causing the entire system to crash. This not only has a massive impact on revenue generation but also undermines customer trust. If an e-commerce site goes down, the company can lose millions of rands every day.

Another common cyber threat is SQL injection attacks. These take advantage of vulnerabilities in databases. Attackers can obtain sensitive data, including addresses and credit card numbers, without authorisation by inserting malicious code into user inputs like search bars or forms.

Next, Man-in-the-Middle (MitM) attacks allow hackers to eavesdrop on conversations between a consumer's device and an online store. This allows them to steal private information, such as login credentials or credit card numbers, by using spyware to watch chats and messages.

Defending your online store

Several tactics can be used by e-commerce companies to minimise cyber security threats. Start by implementing robust password guidelines to ensure that both customers and staff have strong passwords that are harder to guess and hack. Promote a mix of capital and lowercase characters, digits, and symbols in complicated passwords. To further increase login security, multi-factor authentication (MFA) should be required for all accounts.

E-commerce companies should also conduct frequent audits of security systems. Finding flaws or vulnerabilities in these security systems is absolutely critical as it allows you to take action and find fixes before cyber criminals do. Penetration tests are an easy way to assess your IT security systems and expose any weaknesses early. This enables you to fix any problems and close any possible security holes before attackers take advantage of them.

WAFs, or web application firewalls, should be used to filter out malicious traffic and stop popular attack vectors such as cross-site scripting (XSS) and SQL injection. E-commerce sites should also have secure gateways for payments. As many customers will input credit card details on these websites, the payment gateways must be absolutely watertight. Use industry-standard security procedures like PCI DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard).

Remember to update security software regularly to ensure the latest versions are active and that your defences are up-to-date. Update your content management system, shopping carts, and any third-party plugins that are installed on your website as soon as possible.

Lastly, employee training and user awareness are critical components of cyber security. Inform your employees about typical online dangers and data security best practices. Employees who receive regular cyber security awareness training are more prepared to spot suspicious activities and react to cyber threats quicker.

SEACOM’s cyber security services

SEACOM offers several cyber security services to e-commerce sites. These include DDoS Protect, device management, endpoint protection, managed detection & response, firewall management, email security and secure access service edge (SASE). Our security offerings are designed for enterprises and include managed services and round-the-clock support.

Our clients can secure their e-commerce websites and protect their customer information by using one or several of these services. Our dedication to state-of-the-art security solutions makes us the perfect partner for e-commerce companies. For more information about our cyber security offerings or to get a quote, email us at digitalservices@seacom.com or leave us a message.

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