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Security and privacy are major concerns for website owners and customers. If you're going to be conducting online transactions involving credit card information it's especially important to ensure that you have safeguards in place to proctect your customer's information.
It's very important to make sure you protect your customer's information and your own, so as part of your website development you'll need to organise effective security. Your web hosting company will normally choose the best systems available to protect you, but it is important to discuss this with them so you understand your obligations as the website owner. It's also a good idea to talk to your website developer (if you're having someone else build your site for you) about the security packages that will be compatible with your site.
One way to improve the security of online transactions is to apply for and get an encryption key or SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) digital certificate. An SSL digital certificate is a way to securely pass sensitive information, such as credit card details, over the internet. A website with SSL digital certificate will show up as web address using https:// instead of http://. Communication between a customer's PC and the website is encrypted to stop eavesdropping.
Your hosting service can help you to get this digital certificate or you can contact a digital certificate authority (such as VeriSign) for more information.
If you're storing sensitive information like customer, stock or financial records on your PC at the office it's vital that you protect the data with up-to-date security software. At a minimum, you'll need good antivirus and adware/spyware blocking software. It also pays to turn on the firewall that comes with current versions of Windows, or invest in similar software if you're running a different operating system like Mac OS or Linux.
For more information about security software or hardware (many companies sell dedicated firewall hardware that can be plugged into your office network) talk to your local computer store staff and your website hosting company or developer.
