The aforementioned checklist is created for beginners who want to set-up security measures on their WooCommerce store. We develop plugins meeting all web security standards. Our plugins accentuate WooCommerce websites by increasing store capabilities and features.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
Data theft is on the rise. Globally nearly 30,000 websites are hacked each day.
When it comes to eCommerce stores, data security becomes top priority as users will
be logging-in with their personal details and transact using their banking credentials.
WooCommerce is the most popular plugin for the WordPress CMS platform. Its
popularity attracts all sorts of cybercriminals making it one of the most exploited
CMS platforms in the World.
However, it doesn’t suggest that WooCommerce is not secure; often-time it could
happen due to the user’s lack of security awareness. In either scenario it is best for
store-owners to implement security measures on their website to prevent data
breaches.
In this blog we are going to discuss top security best practices and a list of security
checklists you can refer to when developing your WooCommerce store.
Top 5 Reasons to Secure Your WooCommerce Store
Protect Customer Information:When shopping on your WooCommerce
store, your customers enter their personal and financial information
suggesting that they trust your website.
This becomes a responsibility for WooCommerce store-owners to maintain
that trust by employing unbreachable security measures in order to protect
customer’s information from theft, fraud, and more such security breaches.
Avoiding Website Downtime:Security attacks and data breaches cause
store websites to go down. This can cause a domino effect resulting in lost

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
sales, lost customers and eventually decreasing your SEO rankings and
affecting brand image. All this can be prevented by employing suitable
security measures giving you and your customers peace of mind
Prevent Malware Attacks: Malware attracts usually happen if your store
already has security vulnerabilities and a user uploads infected documents or
files on your store. It can cause an array of issues such as spam, redirects to
questionable websites, and data theft.
Comply with Data Privacy Regulations:Many countries have their own
data privacy guidelines and complying with these regulations goes a long way
in preventing legal consequences if customers encounter data breaches.
Project Brand Reputation:A security breach on your ecommerce store can
permanently impact your brand reputation. If customers can’t trust their data
with you they are more likely to do their business elsewhere.
Top Red Flags to Identify Possible Data Breaches on Your Store?
Suspicious activity:
Check your store for any unusual activities such as unauthorized changes to
your store’s code or content.
Strange URLs:
If your store redirects to strange URLs it could mean that your store has
vulnerabilities. It demands ASAP actions from store-owners to fix these
security vulnerabilities.
Unusual Pattern in Store Traffic:
Check web analytics to see if your store experienced unusually high traffic.
As well as check if there are any suspicious shopping patterns for users.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
12 Checklist of Security Measures for Your WooCommerce Store
1. Keep WooCommerce and plugins updated:
WordPress releases regular software updates to improve site performance
and security. These updates also protect your site from cyber attacks.
Updating the WordPress version is one of the simplest ways to improve
WordPress security. Nearly 50% of WordPress sites are still running older
versions of WordPress, making them more vulnerable to security threats.
Search Engine Warnings:
Check if search engines such as Google have flagged your website for
malware and suspicious content. These warnings could indicate that
your store has been breached and is being used to distribute spam.
Outdated Plugins:
Oftentimes plugins, that are outdated, contain security
vulnerabilities and could lead to a data breach. These malicious
plugins can be exploited to push malware and spyware to your
store which could be able to steal sensitive information from
your customers.
Shady eMail activity:
Check if your customers have received shady messages and spams from
your email accounts. If there have been any unusual login attempts it
could suggest that your email accounts could have been hacked and the
hackers might have access to your store and they could be stealing
sensitive information about your customers.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
How to check if you have the latest WordPress version:
2. Keep WP-Admin login credentials secure:
A common mistake users make is that they use easy-to-guess usernames such
as ‘Admin,’ ‘test’ etc. This makes it easier for the site to be at the higher risk of
brute force attacks.
3. Setup Safelist and Blocklist for the Admin page:
Restrict access to your login page by configuring the site's .htaccess file.
4. Use trusted WordPress Themes:
Avoid using nulled WordPress themes. These themes are basically a replica of
premium themes and are sold at a lower price to attract users. And it’s more
likely that they have been inserted with malicious codes.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
We suggest downloading themes from its official repository or from
trusted developers. You could also check third-party themes in theme
marketplaces such as ThemeForest.
5. Install SSL certificates:
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) is a data transfer protocol that encrypts data
exchange between two parties making it difficult for unauthorized personnel
to access information exchanged.
SSL certificates also boost the WordPress site’s search engine rankings.
Websites using SSL will use HTTPS instead of HTTP making them easily
identifiable.
6. Remove Unused WordPress Themes and Plugins:
Keeping unused WordPress themes and plugins can be harmful as they most-
likely are outdated and make them susceptible to cyberattacks.
Steps to Delete Unused Plugin:
Navigate to Plugins →
Installed Plugins
In the following page you will
see the list of all installed
plugins. Click Delete under the
plugin’s name.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
Steps to Delete Unused Theme:
7. Migrate to a reliable hosting provider:
Putting a ton of effort on web security won’t matter if your hosting provider is
prone to cyberattacks. We suggest you opt for a reliable hosting provider that
can guarantee the safety and security of your web apps.
If you think your current web hosting company is not secure you should
consider the following points to choose the right hosting partner for your
WooCommerce website.
Type of web hosting:Shared and WordPress hosting types have more
security vulnerabilities because of resource sharing. On the other hand
select a web hosting service provider that offers VPS or dedicated
hosting that isolates your data from others.
Security:A good hosting service provider will have rock-solid security
and protection against cyberattacks. Moreover they will update their
software and hardware on a regular basis to keep their services up-to-
date.
Navigate to Admin
Dashboard, go to
Appearance → Themes.
Click on the theme you
want to delete
A pop-up window will
appear with theme
details. Select the
themes you want to
delete then click the
Delete button on the
bottom-right corner.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
Features:The hosting service provider should have automatic backups
and security tools for preventing malware. In a worst case scenario you
will be able to backup your data if your website is compromised.
Support: Choosing a hosting provider who can provide support any
time is a must-have feature.
8. Disable edit files from Admin:
Another security measure you can implement is disable the Edit files from the
WordPress admin. In-case a hacker gains access to your WordPress admin you
don’t want him to get easy access to the files. You can disable the edit option
on files for all users.
9. Disable Pingbacks and Trackbacks:
You will not need this feature for your WooCommerce store as it could be
exploited to carry out low-level DDoS attacks.
10.Enable Two-Factor Authentication:
Enable two-factor authentication to add an extra layer of security to your
WooCommerce store. This requires users to enter a code generated by the
app or sent to their mobile devices via messaging.
To enable 2FA on your WordPress site, you need to install a plugin as
well as install Google Authenticator on your mobile devices.
11.Backup Your Store on a Regular Basis:
Create regular backups for your WooCommerce store so that you can restore
data in case of data breach.

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From the Resource Library of BeePlugin
12.Enable SSL certificate:
Enabling SSL certificate on your WooCommerce store is a must-have security
protocol. Here are a few reasons why you should enable SSL certificates.
Data encryption: An SSL certificate encrypts data transmitted
between servers and users. It ensures that the data, such as customer
information and payment details, are protected from unauthorized
access
Website authentication: An SSL certificate verifies the identity of the
website to ensure that the customers are communicating with the right
website.
Compliance with regulations:Some information security standards
such as PCI DSS require websites to have SSL certificates to safely carry
out transactions. Failure to comply could result in penalties and fines.
Conclusion
The aforementioned checklist is created for beginners who want to set-up security
measures on their WooCommerce store. If you think you are facing any security
issues or feel like your website is at risk you can follow these checklists to ensure that
your website is secure and protected.
BeePlugin is a leading provider of WooCommerce plugins. We develop plugins
meeting all web security standards. Our plugins accentuate WooCommerce websites
by increasing store capabilities and features.