How to Use a Firewall to Protect Your Ecommerce Store

What is a firewall and How Does it Work?

A firewall is a security measure that protects your ecommerce site from attacks and intrusions. It can be implemented as hardware or software and works by blocking malicious traffic, detecting, and preventing intrusions, and keeping the bad guys out of your network so they can’t take control of it.

In terms of online stores, an ecommerce firewall is specifically designed to protect your storefront from cyber threats such as hacking, malware, fraud, and unauthorized access. It works by examining incoming and outgoing traffic to and from the ecommerce website and allowing or blocking it based on predetermined rules.

Think of a quality firewall as a traffic cop or bouncer outside your private ecommerce store. This software works by checking to make sure the only people getting in to purchase your valuable items are most likely human, interested in buying, and not there to cause you harm. The small expense of hiring one of these bouncers is quickly made up by the lowered risk of fraud and stolen information.

Why is a Firewall Important for Ecommerce Stores?

You’ve heard the stories. Your favourite ecommerce store goes down for a day or two, and suddenly all you can think about is how you have no idea what’s going on with your order. You don’t know if it’s been processed, shipped, or never even placed in the first place. And then there’s that sinking feeling when you realize that this could happen to your own store—if it hasn’t already.

A firewall can help prevent this downtime from hackers and fraudsters so they cannot get into your ecommerce store. This includes:

• • • Breeching your security system
    • Identity theft from stealing personal information from customers (and employees)
    • Fraud from manipulating transactions on behalf of an individual or company without their knowledge or consent
    • Data breaches (which are inevitable)
    • Financial losses due to credit card frauds committed by criminals who use stolen credit card information online
    • And more

Protecting yourself with a firewall isn’t just about keeping hackers out. It’s also about protecting yourself against employee mistakes. For example, if your team member accidentally clicks on a malicious link in an email, you could suddenly find your store overtaken by malicious online actors.

Firewalls are designed to detect the presence of unwanted network activity. They do this by analysing data packets moving through your network, looking for signs of a potential threat. If there’s anything suspicious about the packet—for example, if it appears to be from an unfamiliar IP address or contains unusual content—the firewall will block it from reaching its destination so that you don’t inadvertently become infected with malware or spyware.

These powerful security tools also help prevent brute force attacks, DDoS attacks, SQL injection, and most other types of common hacking threats that could cripple your WooCommerce storefront or at least cost you valuable financial resources.

How to Choose the Right Firewall for Your Ecommerce Store

If you’re looking for a new firewall for your ecommerce store, it’s essential to know what you want and need in a product. There are a lot of different aspects to consider when picking out the best option for your business.

The first thing you should do is evaluate each product individually before deciding. Take some time to go through the features, plans, and available options, as well as other things like pricing or customer support that might be included with each service. If there are any features or tools that aren’t necessary but add value to an offer, make sure they don’t come at an extra cost, so they’re not an added burden on your budget.

You’ll need to consider the size and complexity of your store, your budget, and your security needs. If you’re just starting out with ecommerce and don’t have a considerable amount of capital to spend on anything extra, your best option is a WordPress plugin that can integrate with your WooCommerce storefront. Even better, if you find a firewall plugin that scales quickly as you grow and become established in your industry, then you’ll have a long-term solution to ensuring the safety and security of your online store.

When choosing a firewall for your ecommerce platform, keep in mind what kind of support is offered. Some may have more robust technical assistance than others. You should also consider how often your platform needs updates to keep up with the latest security standards. 

And finally, don’t forget that firewalls aren’t the only thing protecting your business! You still need to have a robust password system in place and make sure all employees are trained on best practices for preventing hacking attempts (like not opening suspicious emails).

Best Practices for Maintaining a Secure Firewall

As with any software, you must keep your firewall up to date with the latest patches and updates. This will ensure that you have a maximally secure system that can protect you from attacks from hackers and other malicious actors. That is another reason a WordPress plugin that works with your WooCommerce store is an excellent choice. The auto-update feature of the plugin will allow you to stay current with any security issues that may be popping up in the marketplace.

Secondly, make sure to regularly review and update your firewall rules to ensure that they’re still relevant and effective at blocking unauthorized access attempts by hackers. If your business has grown or changed significantly since implementing its first firewall policy, it may be time for an overhaul of your access control list (ACL).

Finally, consider implementing additional security measures such as two-factor authentication, encryption, and security monitoring to further fortify your Ecommerce site against outside attacks.

Choose Our Advanced Security Plugin

Our professional development team at OPMC has spent years as an ecommerce focused business, carefully designing and cultivating powerful solutions for your online shop platform. We created our Security for WooCommerce plugin to ensure you get the peace of mind you need for operating your dropshipping, white label, or online retail business.

This robust security plugin can protect your site from potential risks due to orders based on specific IP addresses, countries of origin, and even send you alerts when a potentially damaging order has been blocked. This way, you stay on the cutting edge of your security policies.

To implement this fantastic resource, simply visit our plugins shop today and download our Security for WooCommerce option

Conclusion

Now that you’re armed with the knowledge of how to protect your ecommerce store using a firewall, it’s time to go out there and take those steps toward better security! Be sure to consult with your hosting provider if they offer their own firewall or security services in addition to any other measures that may be available.