Are you worried about the security and reliability of Shopify? As a potential Shopify store owner, it’s understandable to have concerns about the platform’s ability to protect your business and customer data. Still, cybercrime is brutal and unpredictable. And we all know that “precautious is always better than cure.” Strengthening your Shopify security is never redundant.
Although Shopify has multiple security measures in place to safeguard sensitive data, it’s important to acknowledge that no CRM software is completely immune to potential data breaches. While Shopify’s security measures can significantly minimize the risk of a violation, it’s still important to remain vigilant and take proactive steps to secure your store and customer data.
This article aims to provide you with comprehensive information about Shopify’s security measures. It covers the various steps Shopify takes to protect data and provides guidance on how to enhance your Shopify store’s safety, security, and compliance. By implementing the recommended security measures and following best practices, you can minimize the risk of a data breach and protect your customers’ sensitive information.
To learn more about Shopify you can visit our blog post Why Shopify?
Tips to secure your Shopify Store
Shopify incorporates various security measures, but we recommend taking additional steps to safeguard your brand’s reputation and demonstrate your commitment to customer privacy. Here are some extra security measures that can greatly contribute to protecting your Shopify store:
1. Use a Strong Password
Creating strong passwords is essential for maintaining the security of your Shopify account. To create a robust password, use a combination of lowercase and uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Avoid using easily guessable information like your name, birthdate, or common phrases. If you find it challenging to remember complex passwords, consider using a password management tool to securely store and manage your passwords.
These tools encrypt and store your passwords, making it easy to create and store unique, strong passwords for all your accounts. By using strong passwords and a password management tool, you can significantly enhance the security of your Shopify account and protect your business and customer data.
2. Two-Step Authentication
Enabling two-factor authentication (2FA) is an effective way to add an extra layer of security to your Shopify account. 2FA requires additional verification when logging in, helping to ensure that only authorized individuals can access your account. Verification can be done through methods such as SMS, phone calls, emails, or trusted devices. Here’s how you can activate two-factor authentication on your Shopify account:
- Log in to your Shopify account
- Go to “Manage Account” and select “Security.”
- Click on “Turn on two-step” under “Two-step authentication.”
- Choose your preferred delivery method and click “Send authentication code.”
- Enter the code you received under “Authentication code.”
- Enter your password and click “Enable.”
3. Utilize Fraud Protection
Shopify’s Protect feature provides protection against fraudulent chargebacks for Shopify store owners. This feature marks each order as either “protected” or “unprotected.” Protected orders require a fee, and Shopify guarantees their non-fraudulent status. In case of fraud, Shopify will reimburse the amount paid for the order. Please note that this feature is currently only available to users in the United States.
Enabling the Protect feature can help reduce the risk of chargeback fraud, which can be a significant issue for online businesses. By protecting your orders, you can have peace of mind knowing that your business is secure from potentially fraudulent transactions. Keep in mind that it’s always important to take proactive steps to prevent fraud, such as using fraud detection tools and verifying customer information before processing an order.
4. Enable SSL Settings
Shopify provides default SSL certificates for all stores, which ensures that traffic to and from your store is secure and threat-free. Instead of using HTTP, Shopify directs traffic through HTTPS, which is a more secure protocol. By using HTTPS, Shopify can monitor and detect any malicious attempts to breach the system by tracking IP addresses. This helps to prevent potential security threats and protect your store and customer data.
SSL certificates are essential for online businesses, as they encrypt data transmitted between your store and your customers, making it more difficult for hackers to intercept and steal sensitive information. It’s important to ensure that your store is using HTTPS instead of HTTP to take advantage of the added security benefits.
5. Prioritize Admin Security
If you have a team managing your Shopify store, it’s important to control permission access levels. Create separate accounts for each team member to easily manage and restrict access as needed. This practice helps safeguard against potential malicious activity and data breaches. Consider granting certain accounts access to the Shopify admin while limiting access to sensitive customer information.
This way, your staff can fulfill orders and handle customer interactions without unrestricted access to customer data. By controlling access levels, you can enhance the security of your Shopify store and protect your business and customer data.
6. Use Secure Payment Options
Shopify offers several secure payment options to help protect against theft and fraud. These include popular payment methods given below:
- PayPal
- Amazon Pay
- Apple Pay
- Google Pay
You can also add alternative payment methods such as cryptocurrencies, although it’s important to be aware of their volatility. Cash on delivery (COD) is another safe payment option, but be cautious of the risk of customers refusing to pay upon delivery. It’s worth noting that Shopify’s transaction fees vary based on the payment method you choose. By selecting a secure payment option that works for your business and customers, you can help protect against potential payment fraud and ensure a smooth checkout process for your customers.
7. Regularly Backup Your Store
If you host your Shopify store on a cloud-based platform, it’s important to understand that simply being on the cloud does not guarantee safety if anything in your store is deleted. Unfortunately, many Shopify store owners believe that they can retrieve a deleted item from their store as it is in the cloud. However, if you delete a product on your Shopify store, it’s gone forever.
Even if you can export product data backups to CSV files, it’s impossible to generate a CSV file of product images when an item is removed because all images are deleted along with the products.
To prevent any mishaps from occurring when you accidentally delete your products, it’s crucial to back up your store regularly. If you’re too busy to manually create a backup, you can put your trust in Shopify data backup apps. They allow you to schedule automatic backups or send alerts to keep you in the know if anything goes wrong.
Tighten Your Shopify Security Now!
Data breach opens up the worst fears to any eCommerce business. As a Shopify owner, you should take actions to prevent that problem and strengthen your site security.
In conclusion, Shopify is a trusted platform for building your business, with a strong reputation in the e-commerce industry. However, it’s important to implement additional security measures to further protect your customers and enhance their experience
Don’t let security flaws bother your sales and revenue. Take our tips to protect your Shopify store now!
