Do you run a successful e-commerce store and want to keep it secure from hackers and online threats? You’re in the right place! This article covers key methods to protect your Magento store and keep it safe.
Security is a top priority for online business owners. E-commerce websites are often targeted by hackers due to the sensitive customer information they hold. That’s why securing your Magento store is essential for building trust with your users.
Magento is a widely used platform in the online industry, thanks to its rich features and regular updates. Over 250,000 merchants globally rely on Magento to power their businesses. If you’re starting an online store, choosing Magento can help enhance your customer experience and boost your revenue.
Magento Hacked: Possible Signs And Consequences
There are several warning signs that your Magento store might have been hacked. Being aware of these signs can help prevent serious damage to your business. Here are a few common symptoms to watch out for:
Signs Of A Hacked Magento Store
- Customers report stolen credit card details.
- Fake forms appear on the checkout page, and sales are dropping.
- Search engines blacklist your store.
- Your hosting provider suspends the website.
- Malicious redirects show up on your site.
- The admin panel is defaced or shows a blank screen after login.
- The store becomes slow and displays error messages.
- New, unauthorized admins are added to the login database.
- Google search results show spam keywords linked to your site.
Consequences Of A Hack
- Decrease in user traffic and revenue.
- Harm to your website’s SEO ranking.
- Customers lose trust and avoid your store.
- Store data might be sold to competitors on dark web markets.
- Sensitive data can be stolen through phishing pages or malicious scripts.
Magento Security Scanner To Find Malware & Vulnerabilities
1. MageReport
MageReport is one of the best scanners to verify the Magento site for known security vulnerabilities at no cost. Yes, that’s right. It’s completely FREE, and it includes the following.
- Admin disclosure
- Security patch 6482, 9652, 6788, 7405
- RCE/webforms vulnerability
- API exposed
- Visit malware
- Brute force attacks
- Gurung Javascript
- Ransomware
MageReport doesn’t just check the core Magento; however also some Third-party available extensions for any vulnerabilities. You might register at MageReport to get notified about a new vulnerability found whenever you interact inside your admin side.
2. Foregenix
The Foregenix security scanner, FGX-Web, is commonly used to monitor the security of Magento websites worldwide. FGX-Web uses a passive scanning method to assess vulnerabilities.
The Foregenix External Scan provides a detailed report covering the following points.
- Magmi
- Magento shoplift
- Outdated version
- Cloud Harvester malware
- Unprotected version control
- Credit card hijack
- XSS, RSS attack
- Admin takeover/disclosure
- Secrets leak
The report is shown on display and sent to your email address as PDF as well.
3. SUCURI
- Magento Blacklist Status Monitoring
- Malware and Viruses Scanning
- Outdated Software and Plugins Detection
4. Acunetix
A web-based enterprise-ready vulnerability scanner that does not slow down the website while a scan is running. Acunetix provides a comprehensive security scan not just covering Magento mainly but overall everything regarding the website.
Scan results include a possible resolution that helps security experts and programmers to fix the problems quickly. You could track them on your favorite bug tracker like GitHub, Jira, Bugzilla, etc.
If you require business owners or compliance officers, you could produce HIPAA, PCI, OWASP, and DSS top 10 reports.
This robust scanning tool provides unique features:
- Automated Multi-Framework Scanning
- Detection of 6,500+ Web Vulnerabilities
- Vulnerability Management Tools
- Network Weaknesses and Security Gaps
Recovering From A Hack: The Best Fixes For Your Magento Site
1. Update Magento And Extensions
Ensure that your Magento platform is running the latest version to patch known vulnerabilities.
Update all third-party extensions and plugins to their most recent versions to avoid security loopholes.
2. Backup Your Site
Before making any changes, create a complete backup of your website files and database. This ensures you can restore the site if something goes wrong during the cleanup process.
3. Implement Strong Security Measures
To secure your Magento site and prevent future attacks, below are some important measures you should implement:
- Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF): This helps protect your site from future attacks.
- Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) for admin access.
- Use HTTPS: Ensure your website uses a valid SSL certificate to encrypt data.
- Limit Admin Access by IP: Restrict access to specific IP addresses to your admin panel.
4. Conduct A Full Security Audit
Work with a Magento security expert or use a reputable security firm to perform a full audit of your site.
Ensure all vulnerabilities have been addressed.
5. Secure Your Site
Implement security best practices:
- Disable directory indexing.
- Use a unique URL for the admin panel to prevent brute-force attacks.
- Regularly schedule security scans to monitor for vulnerabilities.
- Consider using a web application firewall (WAF) for additional protection against attacks.
6. Change All Passwords
Immediately change all passwords for your Magento admin, database, FTP, and any other related accounts.
Encourage team members to use strong, unique passwords and enable two-factor authentication (2FA).
7. Reinstall Extensions And Themes
After cleaning your site, reinstall all extensions and themes to ensure they are malware-free. Remove any that are not essential or from untrusted sources.
Security Tips For Magento Stores
1. Use Only The latest Magento Version
Many Magento users believe that updating to the latest version isn’t safe and avoid upgrading their old sites. However, this isn’t true. In reality, developers carefully test and fix security issues in the latest version to ensure it is secure and error-free.
Hence, updating your Magento website to the newest version is necessary and advisable. By updating, you could leverage several advantages, such as ignoring unnecessary downtime, preventing hacking on your e-commerce website, essential upgrades, new functionalities, bug fixes, and much more.
2. Secure Your Magento Admin Login
Hackers can quickly try to break into your Magento admin login page if it’s accessible through a common URL like www.xyz123.com/admin. To protect your site from hackers and spammers, use a unique and customized admin URL that’s hard to guess.
Adding a secret key to the URL that only authorized users know is a good way to make your Magento store more secure.
3. Use Two-Factor Authentication
Creating a strong password for your Magento-based e-commerce site isn’t enough on its own. That’s why many online store owners are now using 2FA (two-factor authentication) to enhance security and protect against online threats.
Magento offers a reliable two-factor authentication extension that helps store owners strengthen their admin login security and reduces concerns about password-related risks.
4. Select Strong Passwords
Strong and secure passwords help safeguard user sales and information data. To enhance security, use long passwords that include a mix of lowercase and uppercase letters, special characters, and numbers.
5. Choose The Correct Magento Hosting
Choose the right Magento hosting with AccuWeb Hosting for optimal performance and security. Experience reliable, cost-effective solutions tailored to meet your Magento needs.
Conclusion
Securing your Magento store is essential for protecting customer data, maintaining your site’s reputation, and ensuring smooth operations. If your site is hacked, following the best practices outlined in this guide will help you minimize damage and recover swiftly. Prioritize security to keep your Magento site safe from future threats.