{"id":548,"date":"2015-05-28T20:21:24","date_gmt":"2015-05-28T20:21:24","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.abtek.com\/blog\/?p=548"},"modified":"2015-05-28T20:21:24","modified_gmt":"2015-05-28T20:21:24","slug":"merchants-are-at-risk-too-heres-how-to-keep-your-data-safe-online","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.abtek.com\/blog\/2015\/05\/merchants-are-at-risk-too-heres-how-to-keep-your-data-safe-online\/","title":{"rendered":"Merchants are at Risk, Too! Here\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s How to Keep your Data Safe Online"},"content":{"rendered":"

We always stress the importance of having secure payment processing solutions<\/a> so that you can ensure a positive shopping experience for your customers. But don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t forget: You and your business are consumers, too! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important for you to be aware that other businesses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 online platforms might not be as secure as yours. When your data is put into the wrong hands, you could be in for a lot of trouble (i.e. identity theft, stolen credit card information, computer hacks, etc.)<\/p>\n

The solution? Good habits help merchants safeguard their sensitive business data online. Below, we\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ve put together some of the most effective ways to ensure your online data is safe:<\/p>\n

1. Choose a Secure Password<\/h2>\n

Once upon a time it was acceptable to create a singular password for all online accounts. Your password could even be as simple as your business name! But those days are now far behind us. Today\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s hackers are smart and the less secure (complex) your password, the easier it is for them to access your data. The best way to keep your data safe is to choose a unique password for each online account. Your passwords should include a mix of upper and lower case letters, numbers and special characters, if allowed. To make it easy, you can use a password generator, like this one by Norton<\/a>. Keep in mind: High profile businesses should change their passwords several times a year, according to Credit.com<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"ABT_OnlineData_Icon1\"<\/a>2. Keep Your Email from Getting Hacked<\/h2>\n

When your business email gets hacked, you can do some serious damage. You might not even know it was hacked until a client asks you why you sent that \u00e2\u20ac\u0153super weird video.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d Awkward! An email hack can happen to the best of us, but there are steps you can take to prevent it. First, take our advice and change that password! The more secure the better. While you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re on the settings page in your email, see if there\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s an option to implement two-step authentication<\/a>. This links your email account with your phone number, so anytime you (or a hacker!) logs into an \u00e2\u20ac\u0153unrecognized\u00e2\u20ac\u009d device, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll receive a code on your phone to enter on the device in question. Also remember to be smart when opening email, if a message looks iffy, just don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t click on it!<\/p>\n

\"ABT_OnlineData_Icon2\"<\/a>3. Shop Safely Online<\/h2>\n

First things first when shopping online: Do not ever enter your credit card information on a website if it doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t have SSL encryption installed. How can you know if it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s secure? Take a look at the URL\u00e2\u20ac\u201dinstead of starting with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153http:\/\/\u00e2\u20ac\u009d, it should start with \u00e2\u20ac\u0153https:\/\/\u00e2\u20ac\u009d. Also look for a little lock icon in the URL box. A website with SSL encrypts sensitive information so that only the intended recipient can understand it. In general, go with your gut feeling when shopping online. If a website just doesn\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t feel right, find another one that you trust!<\/p>\n

\"ABT_OnlineData_Icon3\"<\/a>4. Use the Internet for Banking<\/h2>\n

Online banking is just so convenient, it\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s no surprise that more than 51%<\/a> of U.S. adults use it. To ensure that your online accounts are as secure as a bank vault, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll want to follow some of the tips above, like creating a strong password and enabling two-step verification. On top of that, you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll want to be sure to always keep your computer software up-to-date and always log out when you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122re done.<\/p>\n

Today, using the internet to do business is simply part of doing business! Just be sure to use it smartly and you\u00e2\u20ac\u2122ll be good to go!<\/p>\n

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Stay updated on payment processing trends by following Abtek on Twitter<\/a> and Facebook<\/a>. Sign up<\/a> to receive our newsletter, too.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

We always stress the importance of having secure payment processing solutions so that you can ensure a positive shopping experience for your customers. But don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t forget: You and your business are consumers, too! It\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s important for you to be aware that other businesses\u00e2\u20ac\u2122 online platforms might not be as secure as yours. When your data […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":12,"featured_media":555,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[25,4],"tags":[40,17,9,76],"class_list":["post-548","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-data-breach","category-merchant-service-providers","tag-credit-card-fraud","tag-credit-card-security","tag-fraud-prevention","tag-payment-processing"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t