The growth of eCommerce globally is skyrocketing, and websites are facing various risks in today’s digital world. Magento, a leading eCommerce platform, is particularly at risk as hackers often target the platform.

Operating an eCommerce store on the Magento platform can be a highly lucrative endeavor. Still, success comes with a cost, ensuring the website’s airtight security. Cyberattacks are on the rise. Thus, taking preventive steps and strengthening your Magento security system is paramount to protect customers’ sensitive data and your business’s standing. After all, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That is why it is necessary to reinforce the site’s security features and make sure it is well-prepared to handle any potential security threats.

The following guide offers several helpful Magento Security tips to help secure and protect your Magento website data from attackers.

Go on, Read.

Best Practices to Improve Magento Security

1. Migrate To Magento 2

Following the catastrophic data breach in Magento last year, the company was forced to respond swiftly and decisively. Consequently, they launched Magento 2.4.6, which boasts a plethora of increased security protocols, and greatly enhanced performance. This Magento version also ensures that users meet the PCI protection standard, with XSS protection, clickjacking prevention, and SHA-256 cryptographic password hashing, amongst many other features.

Moving to the new version of Magento may be a time-consuming task, thus, contacting experts for Magento Upgrade Services is an optimal choice.

2. Use Complex Password

Creating a complex password for your store should always be a priority. Not using an intricate combination of letters, numbers, symbols, etc., will be a mistake and putting your million-dollar store at risk.

Making your password complex by combining upper-case and lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols is essential. Furthermore, make sure your Magento store password is different from passwords for other applications.

3. Turn On Session Expiration

Magento offers a session expiration feature that is beneficial for protecting your store from any potential emergency. Even if someone gains access to your website, they won’t be able to stay there for long. The session expiration setting locks the admin panel after a certain period of inactivity, with the length of the timeout period being set by you.

TIP: To maximize security, setting the session expiration as low as possible is recommended.

4. Keep Your Magento Version Up-To-Date

Maintaining the most up-to-date version of Magento is of utmost importance due to its unique Magento security features and optimal performance. Though some releases may not appear as advantageous as desired, every new version contains the necessary fixes to rectify any past security concerns. Consequently, staying abreast of Magento’s new releases is an essential requirement. When a stable version has been unveiled, one should thoroughly test Magento before enforcing it. Hiring an expert is cost-effective, as they may even provide top-notch Magento Upgrade Services.

5. Reconsider Spending in a Magento Security Assessment

If you have a thriving eCommerce business, it may be worthwhile to invest in security measures. Discovering any security breaches or vulnerabilities yourself may be challenging, but it can be accomplished if you hire Magento developer in India to carry out a comprehensive Magento Security Assessment. The expert can generate a detailed report which provides clear objectives to secure your Magento store.

6. Set a Custom Way For the Admin Panel

Setting up a unique path for your admin panel is critical, as a typical admin panel (my-site.com/admin) can be vulnerable to hacking. You can evade this problem by replacing ‘/admin’ with any desired word based on your store’s needs. Doing so will ensure that even if a hacker is able to gain access to your password, they still won’t be able to reach your Magento admin login page.

7. Ensure Two-Factor Authentication for Your Store

Secure your eCommerce store with Two-Factor Authentication to protect it from cyberattacks. Various two-factor authentication systems are available such as Duo Security, Authy, Google Authenticator, etc.

With Magento’s built-in Two Factor Authentication extension, the protection of your Magento administrator username is further strengthened by combining the use of a password with a security code sent to your device. To guarantee the utmost safety, sharing the code with someone you trust is advised.

8. Get an Encrypted Connection (SSL/HTTPS)

To protect yourself from potential security risks, make sure you have an encrypted connection with your Magento website. Utilizing SSL/HTTPS for your Magento site is easy to achieve. All you have to do is find the “Use Safe URLs” option under the device setup menu in Magento, and you’ll be able to access the HTTPS/SSL URL.

You can also obtain the SSL certificate from the Let’s Encrypt section, which is a crucial step for adhering to PCI data security regulations and ensuring your customers have a secure checkout process.

9. Do Backup Regularly

For optimal security, regular backups of your websites are essential. In the event that something goes awry, these backups provide you with the assurance that you will be able to restore all critical data with no losses. Keeping backups stored on the same computer as your website is inadvisable since it makes them vulnerable to potential malicious attacks and exposes them to destruction if the server malfunctions.

10. Choose Good Hosting Plan

When it comes to web hosting, never skimp. The first option is to eliminate shared hosting. Shared hosting can present significant security risks for an eCommerce store, so it is not a viable option for long-term success.

Dedicated hosting can be an alternative, but this could be inadequate as you are restricted to a single domain, as well as more expensive than managed Magento hosting. This form of hosting is a better solution for your store, providing extra security. Always go with a managed Magento hosting platform to guarantee the best hosting for your Magento store.

Conclusion

Securing your online business is paramount to protecting it from cyber threats. In today’s world, it’s not a question of whether your website will be targeted or not, but when. These Magento Security tips we have discussed can assist in safeguarding your Magento website, preserving customer data, and maintaining your company’s viability. Don’t hesitate to take steps to boost the safety of your Magento site.

You may also like to Read: Future of Magento eCommerce Development: Things to Expect in 2023

Author Bio: Saurav Bhandari is an SEO Professional and Content Marketer, currently working in Nethues Technologies, a leading software development outsourcing company that specialize in custom Magento web development, seamless Magento upgrade services, efficient migration solutions, and comprehensive support services. He helps businesses in establishing a strong online presence through organic Channels and Like creating content that People love to read.