There are plenty of ways to compromise the security of a Magento site: skipping updates, installing questionable extensions, or even just having an easily-guessable password. Hackers could use ransomware to take control of your website, steal customer data, or turn your site into a personal phishing hole. However, if there aren’t obvious vulnerabilities to exploit, hackers will (usually) move on in search of low-hanging fruit.
You can follow common methods to secure your Magento site, but the best way to keep your site secure is by monitoring site activity (e.g., users, servers, applications, network devices), establishing response protocols for different types of security threats, and implementing the right safeguards when risks are detected.
Our Magento development agency, IronPlane, offers comprehensive security and 24/7 site monitoring to cover those bases for you. Not only that, but as your agency partner, we can also help you follow Magento best practices to lock down your site, add users (with the appropriate roles), backup site data, and formulate disaster recovery plans.
In this post, we:
Or, you can have our team of experts assess your Magento site security and determine areas for improvement by scheduling a free consultation and site audit.
Cyberattacks are a numbers game: most hackers would rather search for poorly-guarded websites than spend time and effort going after a secure one. Here are some website security vulnerabilities they tend to watch for:
Magento 1 is no longer updated and requires constant monitoring to keep secure. But even on Magento 2, neglecting updates and Magento security patches can compromise security.
For example, the TrojanOrders attacks in early 2022 targeted almost 40% of Magento 2 websites. In response, Adobe released a security patch to address the vulnerability and secure sites. However, unpatched sites remain at risk.
Magento sites are only as secure as their weakest link; extensions and third-party integrations can cause problems if they are poorly designed or not updated. Therefore, it’s important to research reliable vendors so you can be sure all code you add to your site is trustworthy.
A development partner can be a valuable resource to assess extensions for your Magento site.
All the most advanced software in the world won’t protect your site if you give the wrong person your password. One common tactic to get people to hand over their information is to impersonate legitimate sources (AKA phishing). For instance, a hacker might send an email from “IT support” claiming your site will be shut down unless you provide your login info. Legitimate organizations, however, will never ask for your password.
Here are the most common types of cyberattacks to be aware of:
Above all else, the most important thing you can do to maintain site security is to treat the associated costs as an integral part of your digital commerce budget. It is easy to say you don’t need strong security when you have never been hacked, but waiting until after the hack is much more costly. The scope of Magento vulnerabilities can be daunting, but whether you’re setting up your site or managing an existing one, there are several things you can do to keep it secure.
As a dedicated Magento development agency, IronPlane can completely manage your Magento website — from choosing the right hosting provider to maintaining your site (including site security) over the long haul.
When you first partner with us, we’ll conduct a free consultation and site audit to understand the concerns you have with your Magento site and security features, and gauge your current website “health.” We can dig into your site code — looking at your Magento version, theme, third-party extensions, and custom modules — and identify any notable security risks. Then we can plan the best action items to address any vulnerabilities.
Once we have an idea of where we want to begin, we can plan the next steps with your team. We’ll usually suggest completing one of our more comprehensive audits as well, so we can get a holistic view of what’s happening on your site (on both the front and backend).
You can view our audit options below:
Click here to learn more about our Magento Site Audits.
Once we’ve taken a closer look at what’s going on behind the scenes, we can outline:
During our collaborative brainstorming, we can talk about improving site security, revamping your site design, adding integrations, creating custom functionality, and so on. We’ll touch on all of the findings and suggestions from our code audit so you can make the best decisions for your eCommerce site.
You’re always in the driver’s seat during this partnership; we confirm and schedule website projects based on your business priorities. So your short and long-term goals are always what’s driving our efforts.
Then, we’ll get to work!
Beyond addressing your current website issues and security risks, we’ll work with you after the fact to monitor and keep your site secure. We do that by:
We install necessary features and security updates and make sure you’re always running the latest version of Magento. This protects your site from hackers targeting out-of-date sites (re: the 2022 TrojanOrders attacks).
IronPlane manages technical aspects of site security — including file permissions, secured file transfer protocols, configuration settings, access to staging sites and development systems, and custom paths for admin panels. This means the only people who can access your site are authorized Magento admin users, preventing both deliberate sabotage and accidental damage.
When it comes to identifying and responding to cyberattacks, speed is essential. That’s why IronPlane provides live monitoring and alert systems, with different levels available depending on your site’s needs.
Click here to learn more about our Security Monitoring.
As an eCommerce development company with experience with Magento Open Source and Adobe Commerce, IronPlane offers a full suite of services to enhance every aspect of your site.
These include:
Contact us to start a free consultation and site audit — our team will identify any current security risks and provide actionable insights to address existing vulnerabilities.
Magento is one of the most popular eCommerce platforms because it’s highly secure, stable, and well trusted. However, it does have known security risks, so it’s a good idea to take extra measures to secure your site.
Now, when we look at Magento 1 vs. Magento 2…
Magento 1 is considered less secure than Magento 2 because it is no longer updated. Despite this, knowledgeable users who carefully monitor their Magento sites can keep hackers out. Magento 2 is generally more secure, as long as users install updates and follow best practices.
Adobe offers a Magento Security Scan tool that can be accessed through your Adobe Commerce Marketplace account (for free). This service lets you check your Magento site for known security issues and missing updates. However, this tool may not be super helpful if you don’t have the knowledge or resources to resolve the issues it detects.
See how our team of expert developers can bolster and maintain your Magento site security, schedule a free consultation and site audit.
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