Hacked eCommerce – How to Stay Protected
From the dawn of the Internet, hacking and cyber attacks have been the bane of websites, and this has not changed. When tracking actions grow more nuanced, so do hacking techniques. Any website being hacked is a serious experience, but due to the large amount of sensitive details that can be viewed and taken by internet retailers, there is a substantial stake in eCommerce. Especially if a hack can be linked to packaging – imagine if your brand were associated with a hack (think Amazon and its smile)
As a merchant, you want the business to be as stable as possible and the client’s data to be protected from bad actors. Unfortunately, while many eCommerce firms work diligently to keep their retailers’ pages secure and healthy, if sufficient proactive measure is not taken, certain products can slip through cracks.
Today, let’s go over the details of a few compromised eCommerce pages and how, to start with, they were hacked.
Why do eCommerce sites get compromised?
The topic of how to compromise the website of eCommerce does not have a single solution. Hacks can have a variety of reasons, from human error to malware injections. Although, before you can understand how eCommerce sites and internet stores can be compromised, we first need to explain what hackers are, how they differ between threats and data breaches, and how network security vulnerabilities allow them to happen.
What’s the Hack?
When an unwanted entity uses bugs and exploits in a network to perform activities that are usually illegal in nature, a ‘assault’ occurs. There’s an almost infinite number of attacks on websites that can be carried out, but we’re going to go over a few of the more common attacks that you can encounter:
Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
XSS hackers attack consumers of an application by injecting JavaScript, usually JavaScript, into a web application. This would encourage the hacker to modify scripts on the client side of the website, allowing them the right to execute the script in whatever manner they choose. An XSS hack can provide an intruder with the ability to hijack user sessions, deface websites, and even direct guests to malicious URLs.
SQL injection
The code language most widely found in website databases is SQL, or Structured Query Language. The attacker inserts malicious SQL statements in the backend data base of the SQL injection assault website. In this way, the hacker could have access to sensitive documents, including user names and passwords. In the archive, hackers will also manipulate information, even injecting malicious content into sensitive fields. SQL injections are also used in login pages to capture the sensitive data entered.
Defacement / Vandalism
When an attacker gains unwanted access to a website and alters the visual nature of a website, the website is defaced. This style of hack typically does not deal with the theft of classified information and is considered to be a kind of electronic graffiti. However, if seen by your users and consumers, a default hack would have a negative impact on your company and your name.
CookieJacking:
Cookies are tiny text files created by websites that are kept on the user’s computer as a way to identify the user during repeated visits and to keep track of their particular information. In the case of cookie poisoning, the attackers alter the session cookies of the consumer in order to bypass the website security and, in essence, to impersonate the client. This can enable hackers to gain unwanted details on websites, access user accounts or open new accounts.
What’s a breach of data?
It also ensures that sensitive information is accessed without authorization at any point when a website is in violation of data. Usually, this contains usernames , passwords, email addresses, and other information-identifying bits. In other cases , financial reports have been issued, including sales metrics and payment card data. There are several reasons why a violation of data may be experienced on a website, but the most important one is:
- Passwords that are weak
- Drive-through download attacks
- Device Faults Exploited
- Malware Attacks Targed
In the OnePoll study , nearly 87 per cent of customers suggested that more than 2,000 respondents were “not at all likely” or “not very likely” to do business with a organisation that had suffered a data breach involving stolen credit or debit card details.
According to the Organization of Accredited Fraud Examiners, nearly 50 percent of small firms fall victim to fraud at some point in their company life cycle, costing them an average of $114,000 per case.
What are Protection Issues?
A security vulnerability refers to a lacuna in a website or software that may lead to an assault by a hacker or a bad actor. There are a variety of different types of security vulnerabilities, but the most common are:
Authentication and Access Power Crack
If there is a flaw in the authentication or regulation of the session of a website, this can lead to security issues regarding the identity of visitors. In the case of failed authentication and session management, attackers can use their insecure authentication and session identifiers (such as cookies) to hijack the active session of the user and assert their identity. Make sure the authentication mechanisms are sound and perform well for all users to prevent a compromise using this vulnerability.
Security of misconfiguration
If the website has not been properly maintained or revised, the different sections of the website could not be correctly configured for optimum security. Hackers can have access to private data or functionality from weakened positions when the website suffers from malconfiguration security, likely resulting in complete system compromises. To address this flaw, make sure that all facets of the site are up-to – date and operate together so that no gaps can be left for hackers to weasel into.
Cross-Site Searches (CSRF) Forgery
By tricking the user into submitting an illegal request to perform inappropriate activity on the database on which they are already authenticated, a vulnerability of the CSRF may be exploited. Typically, this kind of hack takes additional effort in the form of social engineering, but inevitably it can result in victims inadvertently sharing funds, altering email addresses, and more for hackers. The vulnerability lies in the employee who has been tricked in this case; the only way to avoid this is to properly train any worker who has ties to your website to teach them how to spot fraudulent queries.
File Upload Arbitrary
When uploading to a web application, the arbitrary file upload vulnerability is characterised by the uncontrolled, unfiltered and unsanitized type of the file. An intruder can upload a malicious file script and run it on the website because the file types do not experience any kind of surveillance. At this point, any command they want can be executed by a hacker, leading to a fully hacked server. To mitigate this vulnerability, ensure that any file sent is monitored by your website and avoids file types that could be hazardous. In addition, management of the SQL server should be taken care of.
How does this attack work?
While most hackers can be categorised as attackers, not all attacks are hacks. Cyber intrusion means that the perpetrator uses whatever means possible to wreak havoc on the website, whether by exploiting glitches to hack into the website or by other means. An intruder can also be an insider who has access to your website and uses their data in a manner to delete the necessary files, steal data or hinder activity.
