It’s finally December and Christmas is in sight – and we’re in need of some festive joy more than ever before. We are all ready to wind down, relax, and send off this crazy year. If you are an eCommerce business owner, however, you might be building up to one of your busiest times of the year.
The run-up to Christmas, Christmas Eve, and Boxing Day are all-systems-go in the retail world, whether that’s in a bricks and mortar store or online. With the tier system in full swing in England and lockdown restrictions continuing their hold, we’re unlikely to see streets packed with Christmas shoppers this year. It’s more likely that people will be working through their gifting lists online, from the safety of their own homes, putting a little more pressure on eCommerce stores.
Online retailers invest in eCommerce software to meet the huge demands placed on them, and this has never been so important. But what happens when things go wrong? Here are a few of the top IT-related risks and threats to your business continuity this season and how software security can help you.
Cyber-attacks
Even the safest of companies can still find themselves up against cyber-attacks. It’s often the more modest businesses amongst us that are the ones to suffer, however, with 43% of cyber attacks targetting small businesses. And hackers don’t take a break over Christmas. In fact, Christmas is the ideal time to cause a storm for an eCommerce business.
A cyber-attack could be in the form of ransomware, a phishing attack, or malware – to mention but a few. The aim of the game is to infiltrate and paralyse your system, software, and services. Hackers are becoming more and more sophisticated, and you should never consider yourself to be 100% safe and untouchable. To avoid being hit with a cyber disaster this Christmas, invest in a few things that will proactively detect and prevent threats to your business.
This could be in the form of robust virus protection, encryption encoding to add an extra line of defense between your software and outside threats, multifactor authentication for your access controls, and investing in online security education. Knowing what’s out there and how to be vigilant is not to be overlooked – and that goes for both you and those within your team.
Data breach
Data has become somewhat of a hot topic in recent years, with the introduction of GDPR legislation. GDPR has meant that businesses, governments, and individuals alike can experience huge complications and consequences from having sensitive information exposed. Without the right processes and attention, a small vulnerability can cause a massive data breach.
With Christmas being such a busy and consuming time, hackers can see this as an opportunity to seep through the cracks whilst business owners are distracted. Not only this but as our computers, mobiles, and tablets get more connective features, there are more and more places for data to slip through. New technologies are being created faster than we can protect them.
A data breach can have a devastating effect on a business’s reputation and finances – not to mention its data breach victims. Data leaks can reveal everything from social security numbers to banking information, inviting fraudulent activity. Protect your business and your customers by updating any software as soon as you’re given the option, making use of encryption encoding, enforcing strong passwords for customers, and educating your team on how to avoid these attacks.
Software Access
It’s not only your business you need to worry about. What happens if your SaaS service or software provider goes out of business? The COVID-19 pandemic has put thousands of businesses in a vulnerable position, so you can never be too careful. Losing your cloud-based technology access would be catastrophic at the best of times, let alone at Christmas. It can also result in the loss of access to business-critical data too.
To avoid this, you should implement SaaS Escrow into your business plan this season. AccessAssure independently monitors your software provider’s financial position, triggering a cascade of events should anomalies arise. This means that your cloud-based software will be accessible for at least three months of business continuity. Think of it as the best Christmas gift you could give to your business – and yourself!
Want to know more? Give us a call today on 0800 456 1115 and let us help you get your software security wrapped up in time for Christmas.
