The problem typically affects retailers using the Magento platform
The UK's National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) has identified more than 4,000 different retailers that have been compromised by hackers exploiting known vulnerabilities on checkout pages in order to divert payments and steal payment card details.
The NCSC has been quietly alerting vulnerable retailers over the past 18 months.
Based on the data gathered by the NCSC the majority of impacted retailers were using the e-commerce platform called Magento which is a favored option among small and medium-sized UK retail operations.
The holidays affect all e-commerce retailers globally
The biggest shopping days of the year are here. Therefore, the agency wanted to do all that it could to ensure that everyone has a safe and largely uneventful shopping experience with no unpleasant surprises.
In addition to warning UK retailers, the NCSC recommends that businesses of all sizes do all they can to secure their sales portals. They also suggest including applying all available security patches in order to minimize risk. That's good advice no matter where in the world you are and no matter what size your business is.
By now everyone with an online presence is well aware of the fact that web traffic, on the days after Thanksgiving, puts a tremendous strain on the internet. Hackers lurk in almost every corner ready to swoop in and steal what data they can from excited shoppers. Hackers do it hoping people won't notice the illicit activities they're doing until it's far too late to do anything about it.
All too often the assumptions of the hackers prove to be correct. Then unfortunate internet users wind up spending months and hundreds if not thousands of dollars trying to reclaim their identities or pay off debts run up by the hackers themselves.
My perspective
Don't let that happen to your customers. If you haven't already done so, conduct a thorough review of your company's security systems to be sure you're ready for the holiday rush.
Don't just point fingers like Olly:
"Well, here's another nice mess you've gotten us into"
By Denis Wilson
Thanks for reading this post. I always take into mind that your time and attention are precious. And these posts need to be timely, to the point, and short.
For more tips on thriving with small business technology, check out the other blog posts at DWPIA Blogs. You can also find me on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter.
I am also a published author and speaker on cloud computing, work-at-home, and cybersecurity. I work extensively with business and professional associations to provide free small business technology education programs.
Contact me if you would like me to speak to your association
