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Make sure your business doesn’t fall victim to online fraud with SSL

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Make sure your business doesn’t fall victim to online fraud with SSL

When starting a business, it is essential to get off on the right footing. The reputation you forge early on will be difficult to shake off further down the line so the last thing you want is negative publicity.

When a customer completes an online transaction with your company using a debit or credit card they trust you with one of their most vital assets – their account details. Imagine if this trust was betrayed in any way; the resulting publicity could be devastating for your business.

While you would never dream of betraying that trust, there are plenty of people out there willing to do it on your behalf: online fraudsters. Whilst you don’t want to bombard your customers with red tape, you do want to ensure they are safeguarded against fraud and here are some simple measures you can take to do that.

Keep your software and security updated with SSL

Anti-virus software is essential in the battle against fraud and it is vital that you keep it up to date. When it comes to online security, you also need to ensure your website has the appropriate SSL security in place. This is a crucial weapon in the battle against fraudsters and is used is to keep sensitive information sent across the Internet encrypted so that only the intended recipient can understand it.

This means that credit card numbers and bank details cannot be read by any computer between you and the server you are sending the information to. Visitors to your website will be instantly notified in their browser if you don’t have valid SSL security and this can cause them to turn to your rivals.

If your website is SSL authenticated – which means it holds a valid SSL certificate – then visitors will know through three main signs, detailed below:

  • The address bar, or part of it, will turn green
  • A padlock symbol in the address bar will turn from open (unlocked) to closed (locked)
  • The URL address will begin with “https” rather than “http”]

It is important to remember that you may need more than one SSL certificate to secure your business – depending on your online activity. Always discuss this with online security providers such as Symantec and ensure you get the best service for your business. Most online security packages are scalable which means you can adapt them to suit your business’ needs as it grows and develops over time.

Use third party payment gateways

A third-party processor such as PayPal lets you accept online payments without a merchant account of your own. Instead, they let you use their merchant account under their own terms of service, usually with very little setup required. As these companies have expertise in combating fraud it gives your customers an added layer of protection.

Physical security

With so many clever digital scams out there it can be easy to overlook the threat posed by physical theft. If you have your servers located onsite then make sure that they are properly protected from theft by keeping your business premises secure.

If they’re offsite then make sure that you review your chosen provider’s safety policies regularly. It is also a good idea to make offsite backups of your servers and their data so that if physical damage ruins your servers you can still retrieve vital information. Cloud computing is one option that you may wish to consider in relation to this.

I am the founder of Startup Today. I am the main writer and have put in many hours of work into creating this blog. If you want to find out more about me then lets get in contact.

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