We know that in the early 2000s tech companies were in a bubble and there was a heated discussion going on in homes everywhere around the world. People were wondering if they should purchase goods online. People were worried that their credit card information would be stolen and their bank accounts would be emptied. Something changed that made people quit worrying. The entire world buys and sells goods online now.
Encryption is Everything
Without encryption, you might as well be shouting your credit card information from your rooftop. While you’re at it, shout out your social security number, too, because this information and other very sensitive data is sent to the IRS every year when you do your taxes online.
We use computers and the internet so much now that our medical records, driving records, and criminal records, they’re all online and behind layers of security. This wasn’t always the case. In the past, very sensitive information was kept off networks to make sure it couldn’t be compromised.
Not many people know what is SSL certificate. This is the little lock icon that sits before the address bar at the top of your browser. By clicking on it, you can read the details about the connection you have with the website you are visiting. Most websites have SSL encryption to alleviate any connection concerns users on that website might have.
SSL uses encryption methods to hide the data being sent between your computer and the website you visit. If someone tried to see what you were doing, they would see you are sending and receiving data, but it’s jumbled up and impossible for them to decipher exactly what your data is. The same encryption methods are used on cryptocurrencies to ensure the integrity of transactions on the blockchain. Having a website that uses encryption will likely improve your net promoter score.
Trusted Markets and Embedded Carts
Some of the online marketplaces that started all the way back in the 90’s are still around. Amazon and Ebay especially still have what’s known as trusted markets. They were pioneers of the early digital transactions and they know a thing or two about securing customer data on their servers.
It’s important to remember that the cost of having your own store can be much higher than just selling your goods on their already-trusted marketplace. The fees associated with each sale are minimal in comparison to the cost of trying to sell your goods directly from your website.
For people looking for a solution in-between, there is Shopify and similar services. This allows you to sell directly from your website, but the cart and credit card system are embedded on your site using their own network for these sensitive transactions. Many people have used Shopify to make purchases without even knowing it. They think they are buying directly from a website, and that’s the way it’s meant to be.
Cloud Computing for Added Security
If you aren’t backing up data to the cloud, then you risk the disaster of losing your data or having it compromised. In more detailed terms, servers on the cloud owned by large tech companies are pretty much guarded like Fort Knox. It’s safer to put your data on their hard drives instead of your own, or in some cases, in addition to your own.
At the very least, your company can benefit from off-site data storage. This is simply backing up your server on a regular basis remotely to an off-site place. Now, in the case of disasters such as fire or flood, your data is secure in a far-off place.
Ecommerce has come a long way since the early days of the internet. Data is more secure than it has ever been before, yet breaches still occur. The bad actors are never far behind and they have access to all the same tech the rest of us do. A security breach is never something your business wants to be known for. Do your research before deciding where and how your company will sell its goods online.
