WooCommerce Security Checklist: 10 Steps to Prevent Cyber Attacks

Quick Summary

WooCommerce security is a crucial concern, as WooCommerce sites are prone to attacks due to their widespread use. They are a common target for hackers who use various methods, such as phishing and malware to exploit vulnerabilities and steal sensitive data. Outdated plugins, weak passwords, and unpatched security flaws are some reasons for data breaches, malware infections, or payment fraud. Discover the 10 steps in this blog to prevent your WooCommerce from cyber attacks.

Introduction

WooCommerce security safeguards your data such as credit card information and passwords. It prevents revenue loss, helps your business comply with data protection regulations, and maintains your site’s reputation.

The common security threats eCommerce stores face include payment frauds, phishing attacks, data breaches, SQL injection, cross-site scripting, unauthorized attacks, and DDoS attacks.

Using a secure host, keeping your WordPress, WooCommerce, and plugins updated, configuring automatic updates, using string passwords and 2FA are crucial steps to secure your WooCommerce site. Continue reading to find out the 10-step checklist to beef up your WooCommerce security.

WooCommerce Security Checklist – Step by Step

Step 1: Use a Secure Hosting Provider

A WooCommerce secure hosting provider ensures website uptime, responsiveness, technical support, and security.

Here are some features to look for in a WooCommerce-friendly host:

• Optimized server configurations for enhanced performance.
• Robust caching mechanisms to minimize server load and increase page speed.
• SSD (Solid State Drives) to store website data on a web host server.
• High uptime guarantee.
• Reliable support for WooCommerce troubleshooting issues.
• Ability to accommodate growing traffic.
• CDN (Content Delivery Network) for faster loading across different locations.
• Disaster recovery measures.
• Backup options.
• Robust security.

Step 2: Keep WordPress, WooCommerce, and Plugins Updated

Updates often cover security patches that address vulnerabilities. It prevents hackers from exploiting outdated code to access your site and steal sensitive information.

A 2023 INDUSFACE report states that in 2021, several WooCommerce plugins, features, and software versions were vulnerable to SQLi. Several attacks occurred for that reason. Unpatched flaws in the plugin resulted in data exposure and theft on 5 million websites.

Keeping WordPress, WooCommerce, and plugins updated is thus crucial.

Consider automating your updates. But is WooCommerce safe to update? Here are steps you can follow to automate updates safely:

• Create a staging site where you can apply updates and test functionality.
• Use a dedicated backup plugin.
• Configure automatic updates.

Ways to Safely Configure Automatic Updates for WooCommerce Security

There are several types and methods of WordPress automatic updates. Following expert guidance can ensure successful implementation.

• Use the Cloudways SafeUpdates tool to update your WordPress website without any hassle. It helps you automatically detect, test, and deploy WordPress updates.
• For WooCommerce backup, WooCommerce documentation recommends using Jetpack, an automated site backup service.
• To enable automatic updates for WordPress plugins, go to Plugins Screen. Each plugin has an “Automatic update” column with an action link that enables/disables automatic plugin updates one by one.

Step 3: Implement Strong Login Credentials & 2FA

Here are password best practices you can follow:

• Avoid using the same password for different accounts.
• Don’t use common numbers, phrases, or words. Make it random using upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.
• The longer the password, the harder it will be to crack. Keep it at least 16 characters long.
• Try creating memorable passphrases of 4 to 7 words. They are easier to remember and stronger. “Bright fox jumps over silent moon river” or “Golden stars dance above the midnight sea” are examples of passphrases.
• Wrong spellings can be hard to guess. For instance, using “amezeng” instead of “amazing” would be harder to crack.
• Keep changing passwords.
• Set up two-factor authentication (2FA). It requires a user to verify himself/herself through a code received via SMS text after logging into an account.
• Use a password manager to generate, store, and fill in your passwords.

Step 4: Use a Web Application Firewall (WAF)

A Web Application Firewall can safeguard your web applications by analyzing HTTP/S requests between the web application and the internet. This WooCommerce fraud prevention plugin protects web applications from attacks like SQL injection, security misconfigurations, sensitive data exposure, broken authentication, and cross-site forgery.

In a Datamation case study of SHOPYY, the e-commerce platform faced issues managing the traffic influx due to its growing customer base. SHOPYY supports small businesses and wholesalers move their shops online.

Another issue was repurposing SSL certificates. They encountered frequent system crashes when faced with excessive requests.
SHOPYY used Cloudflare’s WAF solution to address these security challenges. They automated SSL certificate management. As a result, they minimized operational and maintenance costs by 60%, blocked 4.09 million cyber attacks in the first 30 days, and cut down average page load times by 72% in the US.

Use Web Application Firewalls like AppTrana, Fastly, Cloudflare, Sucuri, or Akamai.

Step 5: Install an SSL Certificate & Enable HTTPS

HTTPS is beneficial for security as well as SEO. It protects sensitive information including credit card details and passwords by encrypting data transferred between a site and a user. HTTPS is also considered a Google ranking factor. Besides, its padlock icon in the browser address bar increases the user’s trust.

Another way to combat WooCommerce vulnerabilities is to install an SSL certificate. This Secure Sockets Layer certificate encrypts communication between a browser and a website, thereby, protecting sensitive information.

Follow these steps to obtain and install an SSL certificate:

• Select a trusted certificate authority and purchase your SSL certificate.
• Generate a certificate signing request (a digital file containing information about your site and company).
• Submit your certificate signing request to the certificate authority.
• Wait for validation.
  Install your SSL certificate. The installation process varies depending on services and platforms. Follow server-specific instructions to install your certificate.
• Test your SSL certificate and maintain it.

Step 6: Regularly Back Up Your Store

Backups create copies of your crucial data on separate storage devices, allowing you to restore the information. If your original data gets damaged by malware or corrupted by a system failure, you can recover it.

WooCommerce Development involves ensuring robust backup solutions to safeguard store data. Plugins like BlogVault allow real-time backups for WooCommerce, automatic, scheduled backups, 1-click restores, staging environment, and uptime monitoring.

Jetpack Backups plugin allows real-time backups for WooCommerce, one-click automatic restore, uptime monitoring, and brute force protection.

Step 7: Limit User Access & Use Role-Based Permissions

Restricting admin control is a great way to limit user access and strengthen security. Not all vendors need an admin role. Only allow access to users like your website developer, website designer, social media marketing agency, and digital marketing agency.

Tools such as the User Role Editor plugin will help you select a user’s capabilities and grant appropriate roles.
WooCommerce documentation recommends a user role plugin to add or delete user roles. To execute that,

• Navigate to the FME User Roles
• You can edit the default as well as custom roles as required except the administrator role
• Click on the “Add Role” button to add a new user role and manage permissions
• Click on “Manage Roles” to change certain capabilities of each role such as Post Capabilities and Pages Capabilities

9. Step 8: Monitor for Malware & Security Vulnerabilities

Regular malware scanning is crucial for WooCommerce websites as it safeguards sensitive data such as customer credit card information, fraudulent transactions, and phishing attacks. It also prevents financial loss, reputation loss, and loss of customer trust.

Some of the best WooCommerce security plugins include:

• Sucuri Security: This WooCommerce security plugin offers website monitoring and alerts, protects against future website hacks, speeds up your website, helps with hacked websites, offers disaster recovery plans, and security for e-commerce stores.
• Wordfence: It offers features including a security scanner, firewall, real-time IP blocklist, security audits, and 2FA protection.
• Limit Login Attempts Reloaded: It is one of the must have WooCommerce plugins. It offers performance optimizer, IP throttling, login firewall, and lockouts log.

10. Step 9: Enable Activity Logging & Intrusion Detection

An activity log will give you a record of the events that occur on your site. You will be able to monitor who logged in to your site, what password they used, profile updates, modifications in content, and more.

Identifying users and their site behavior can combat WooCommerce security issues. In case of any misuse or changes, activity logs will help you identify the issue.

Since WooCommerce lacks an in-built activity log, use plugins like WP Activity Log to monitor user interactions. This tool shows the date, events, users, their IP addresses, and the event messages.

Another tool you can use is the Activity Log. The optimized tracks core WordPress as well as WooCommerce activities. It showcases a simple and precise menu listing the recent activities such as the user’s IP address, user activities, and any changes made to the content.

Step 10: Educate Your Team & Customers on Cybersecurity

Conduct regular employee training programs focusing on practices like phishing detection, password management, device security, and secure data handling. Ensure to deliver information specific to their roles using simulations and interactive modules.

Besides, you should provide clear guidelines on data privacy and protection to customers. Communicate to them about the security measures implemented within your organization.

Conclusion

Using a secure host, keeping your site and plugins updated, configuring automatic backups, using strong passwords and 2FA, using a Web Application Firewall, and limiting user access are some of the best security practices. Following all the 10-step checklists listed above will help you to secure your WooCommerce website.

Need Help with Security? we can help beef up your website with strong security measures. We follow the latest trends and security measures to keep your data safe, prevent attacks, and ensure smooth transactions. Secure your WooCommerce store today!