In the world of e-commerce, concerns around cybersecurity and data privacy can make or break consumer trust. Shoppers need to feel confident that their information is safe before they’re willing to hit the “buy” button. Addressing these concerns does require the right technical solutions, but it’s also about transparency, accountability and a proactive approach to safeguarding data.
To help professionals navigate this critical aspect of their business operations, 18 Forbes Business Council members share their best practices for enhancing cybersecurity and privacy protections. Their insights offer actionable steps to protect your business while earning the confidence of your customers.
1. Be Clear About What Data You Collect And Why
Transparency, simplicity and honesty are key to building trust. Be clear about the data you collect from your consumers and why. Be fair by not hiding behind legal jargon or pages of abusively one-sided terms. Be clear about how data is protected and do not compromise on the implementation of cybersecurity good practices, including strong passwords, multi-factor authentication when required and strong encryption. – JC Gaillard, Corix Partners
2. Proactively Educate Customers About Data Protection Practices
Go beyond basic security measures by proactively educating your customers about how you protect their data. Explain your security protocols in clear, accessible language. Highlight your commitment to data privacy and be transparent about how you collect, use and protect customer information. This builds trust and demonstrates that you value your customers’ privacy as much as your business. – Elie Y. Katz, National Retail Solutions (NRS)
3. Implement End-To-End Encryption
Cybersecurity and data privacy in e-commerce operations are the pillars of consumer trust. Start with end-to-end encryption of data. Ask your users for the minimal amount of data you require, and be transparent with your users on how their data is being used. If you must share data with a third party, be upfront about it. Users are more likely to use your services if they know what they are getting into. – Vikram Joshi, pulsd
4. Combine Transparency With Solid Security Measures
In e-commerce, transparency is key. Be upfront about your data practices, telling customers exactly what you’re collecting and why. Then back it up with rock-solid security measures. This isn’t just about compliance—it’s about building trust. When customers see you’re serious about protecting their data, they’re more likely to stick around and keep buying. – Jeffery Stutzman, Trusted Internet, LLC
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5. Cover The Basics Of E-Commerce Site Protection
The basics are relatively easy and inexpensive. Make sure you have strong passwords and use a password vault with encryption. Install security plugins that track attacks. Monitor transactions for fraud daily since it’s easy to reverse if you catch it quickly. Have a developer who can respond quickly to resolve issues. Take these basic steps to secure your e-commerce site. – Joseph Drups, Drups Ventures
6. Have A Strong Domain Management Strategy
Implementing a strong domain management strategy is essential for cybersecurity and data privacy. This includes careful domain registrations to boost brand reach, as well as monitoring for and removing infringing sites. Enhance security through DNSSEC, two-factor authentication and registry locks to protect against DNS hijacking and data breaches. – Kate Buckley, Defining.com
7. Implement Dual Authentication And Data Storage
We implemented dual authentication and dual data storage some time ago. This makes it significantly harder to breach our systems. Even if someone gains access to one storage, the second will remain out of reach. – Jekaterina Beljankova, WALLACE s.r.o
8. Be Transparent In Individual Client Agreements
Our business licensing comes with very strict data compliance and cybersecurity protocols. We try to build client trust with regard to these requirements by being transparent about this on our site and in our individual agreements with clients. They can read about all what we have done to protect their sensitive information and can feel comfortable sharing that data with us. – Preeya Malik, Step Global
9. Conduct Regular Third-Party Cybersecurity Audits
We tackle cybersecurity head-on by being fully transparent with customers about our data protection practices—there’s no fine print, just clear communication. We also conduct regular third-party audits to keep our defenses strong. When customers know we’re serious about safeguarding their data, it turns concern into confidence, building trust that keeps them coming back. – Dr. Christina Carter, Her Practice®
10. Avoid Storing Any Sensitive Data You Don’t Need
If it’s necessary to collect sensitive customer data, try to develop policies in which your organization never stores the data. Instead, pass it directly to the body that requires it, such as an accrediting body or government agency, because the less data your company stores, the better. You can share this information with customers on your website and through transactional emails. – Emily Reynolds Bergh, R Public Relations Firm
11. Educate Your Internal Team About Cybersecurity
Most businesses simply outsource cybersecurity or privacy to a third party or trust that their enterprise platform is developing the tools. However, most data exposure is actually from human error. Educate your team on why phishing remains a priority and on the privacy expectations of customers. If you breach that trust, it’s hard to get it back. – Jennifer C. Wolfe, Esq., APR, Whisper Creek Spa
12. Leverage Audits And Industry-Leading Partners
One effective way to address concerns around cybersecurity and data privacy in your e-commerce operations is to run frequent audits and use industry leading partners. Shopify, AWS and Google are trusted household names that consumers identify with, trust and want to see you using. – Jamil Bouchareb, Restaurantware
13. Encrypt Your Transactions
Implementing strong encryption and two-factor authentication for transactions ensures customer data is secure. This approach helps build consumer trust by demonstrating a commitment to protecting their personal information, reducing the risk of breaches and fostering confidence in the safety of their online purchases. – Raheel Sheikh, Acquisitions LLC
14. Have An Incident Response Plan
Have proper cyber threat incident response plans in place. These plans ensure that if a breach occurs, the response is swift, organized and transparent, minimizing damage and protecting customer data. This proactive approach helps build consumer trust by showing that you are committed to safeguarding their sensitive information and are prepared to handle any potential security threats. – Sabeer Nelliparamban, Tyler Petroleum Inc.
15. Adopt A 360-Degree Cybersecurity Approach
Cybersecurity risks can come from all angles, so adopting a 360-degree approach is essential. This includes robust encryption, regular vulnerability assessments and staff training to prevent breaches. Proactively protecting customer data and being transparent about security measures builds trust, showing consumers their privacy is a top priority in our e-commerce operations. – Atte Suominen, PADEL1969
16. Use Multi-Factor Authentication
One effective way to address cybersecurity and data privacy concerns in e-commerce is by implementing robust encryption and multi-factor authentication (MFA). Encryption protects customer data by making it unreadable to unauthorized users, while MFA adds an extra layer of security during login or payment processes. – Omomene Odike, U-Connect Human Resources LTD
17. Follow A Zero-Trust Security Model
One powerful way to address cybersecurity and data privacy concerns in e-commerce is by implementing a robust Zero Trust security model. This approach treats every access request, internal or external, with suspicion, requiring strict verification before granting permissions. By adopting Zero Trust, we can significantly minimize the risk of data breaches and protect sensitive customer information. – Abhishek Jajoo, AJMS Global Consulting LLC
18. Frequently Update Security Procedures
Protecting consumer data requires the use of strong encryption and frequent updates to security procedures. In addition to protecting sensitive data, this proactive strategy reassures customers that their privacy is a top priority. This builds loyalty and trust as they feel more secure using your platform. – Sanjay Sehgal, MSys Technologies
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