As one of the leading eCommerce platforms, Magento hosts many online businesses, each holding vast amounts of sensitive customer and transaction data.
However, like all software, Magento is susceptible to potential security threats. Understanding how to fortify your Magento store is crucial to ensuring your data’s safety and customers’ trust and confidence. Among the most common Magento security vulnerabilities are:
| SQL Injections | Attackers insert malicious SQL codes into input fields, potentially accessing or altering database contents. |
| Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) | Malicious scripts are planted on sites, affecting unsuspecting users’ browsers. It’s exploiting unchecked inputs. |
| Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) | These attacks can pull off unauthorized actions by latching onto authenticated sessions, giving them a free pass to cause chaos in a user’s session. |
| Remote Code Execution | Attackers remotely run malicious code on your server, pulling strings from afar and potentially taking control. |
| File Inclusions | Malicious files can be included without proper input checks, compromising the system. It’s akin to leaving your doors unlocked. |
This article will walk you through eight essential steps to bolster your Magento store’s security and protect your online business from looming threats.
Statistics to Consider
Security may not seem like a paramount task. However, neglecting the necessary measures is a big mistake. Here are some statistics that prove it.
- According to Hackread, in 2020, during the payment skimmer attack, over 500 Magento sites were hacked.
- In 2022, Adobe and Magento stores became targets of cyber attacks due to a mail template vulnerability.
- According to UK Web Host Review, 62% of Magento stores have faced at least one security issue.
- The Hacker News reports that hackers have introduced 54 lines of dangerous code to the default configuration file.
Magento Security Checklist – 8 Important Considerations
Update to the Latest Version
Ensure a Strong Password
Limit Magento Admin Login Attempts
Switch on Two-Factor Authentication
Create a Unique URL
Backup Regularly
Use Firewall
HTTPS/SSL
Now that you know the potential threats and understand the importance of taking certain security measures, let’s look closely at some of the most vital steps to ensure your Magento store is safe.
Update to the Latest Version
Always upgrade Magento to the latest version to get new features, as well as bug repairs and eliminate weak areas. Updates frequently bring in new, better features, ensuring that your customers always have a smooth shopping experience and that your store aisles are open and inviting. Performance enhancements like improved database optimization, faster page loads, and smoother navigation frequently accompany each new iteration. If you have to migrate from Magento1 to Magento2, you may need to turn to professional Magento maintenance services.
Ensure a Strong Password
Hey, if you’re running a Magento shop, here’s a golden nugget for you: Your admin password is like the foundation of a house – super important. You’d want it rock solid, right? So, go big! Think more than ten characters, a mix of upper and lower case letters, and throw in some wild characters like @$#%* for good measure. Why? Because even the latest software would take ages to crack such a password.
Now, let’s be real. You’ve probably logged in from all kinds of devices. Maybe you even shared your password with a team member once or twice. And hey, we’ve all been tempted to reuse passwords or keep it simple. But here’s the deal: For your website’s security, switch things up and change that password every so often.
Limit Magento Admin Login Attempts
Limiting the amount of login attempts will protect your admin panel from intruders. Apart from that, you can go further by limiting the maximum number of requests for password resets. This will prevent unauthorized login attempts on your website. Go to Stores > Settings, choose Configuration, click on Advanced > Admin, and then click to expand the Security option. Then, adjust the corresponding parameters.
Screenshot taken on the official Mageplaza website
Switch on Two-Factor Authentication
When it comes to passwords, two steps are better than one! Even if someone gets sneaky and guesses or snags your password, 2FA (that’s “two-factor authentication”) swoops in like a superhero. How? After you pop in your password, it sends a code to your phone. No correct code, no entry – it’s like a secret handshake.
2FA isn’t just about texts. There are many ways to do it: software tokens, hardware tokens, push notifications, phone calls, and emails. So, basically, it’s like having an extra layer of armor for your website.
Create a Unique URL
This strategy may be helpful as an extra defense against brute force and bot attacks. Make sure the new URL address is challenging enough to guess. Additionally, after doing this, you might wish to remove a cache.
The default admin URL for Magento is /admin, which is easy to guess and open to brute-force attacks. Several hacking tools check for popular backend URLs to detect security weaknesses. By shifting things around, you are taking your store off of their radar. To change the URL, go to Stores > Configuration > Advanced > Admin > Admin Base URL in the admin panel.
Backup Regularly
With a recent site backup, instead of panicking in the event of a cyberattack, you can press “undo.” Regular backups may protect you from several issues that could be extremely harmful to your company.
You must often save backup copies, avoid attempting to maintain them on the server hosting the original website, and occasionally restore your backup on a sandbox to ensure they function properly.
You can use an FTP application to take a copy of the data on your website and phpMyAdmin to export the previously stored database. By doing this, you’ll always be prepared for an immediate recovery.
Use Firewall
A firewall is a network security tool for tracking and filtering both incoming and outgoing network data. It uses a set of security rules to decide whether to allow or reject data packets. Its goal is to create a barrier between your internal network and incoming traffic from outside sources so that unwanted traffic from hackers and viruses may be blocked.
Now, if you’re looking to amp up the security for your store, you’ve got two cool bouncer options. First up, there’s the WAF (Web Application Firewall) – it’s like the expert in spotting troublemakers that try web tricks like SQLi, XSS, Brute-force attacks, and more. On the other hand, the System/Network Firewall is that no-nonsense guy who only lets a select few (in this case, just your web server) to the club.
HTTPS/SSL
Imagine you’re running a secret club in the digital world, and you want a secret handshake to ensure only the right people get in. That’s where SSL certificates come in for your Magento store. They’re like that secret handshake, linking up with your store’s attributes through a security key.
Want to ensure a secure line between your server and a shopper’s browser? You’ll need to slap on your server’s Magento HTTPS protocol and padlock symbol. You’ve probably noticed websites starting with “https://”. It’s like a neon sign in a dark alley saying that it’s legit here. Plus, with SSL encryption, all the secret whispers (passwords, addresses, credit card numbers, etc.) get shared in a special coded language so eavesdroppers can’t understand.
Turn to Magento Security Extensions
All the techniques mentioned above are extremely important and will significantly reduce the attack risk. The security extensions make your website even more secure and take from you the control function so that you don’t have to bother much. Here are some of the best Magento security extensions:
Magento Google ReCAPTCHA
The Magento CAPTCHA is a totally automated public test that is easy for people but exceedingly difficult for machines. With reCAPTCHA v2, users can confirm their identity by selecting and utilizing one of the following techniques:
- Selecting the “I am not a robot” checkbox to proceed with the challenge.
- ReCAPTCHA invisible badge that does background verification. Users are automatically vetted, although the verification process may require them to choose certain pictures.
With reCAPTCHA v3, verification is accomplished by utilizing Google’s algorithm to provide a score.
Mind that reCAPTCHA v2 provides adjustments for the design, including light/dark themes and various sizes. Apart from that, the Admin Sign-In page and numerous other customer-focused sites may both incorporate Google reCAPTCHA.
Be aware that reCAPTCHA won’t take the place of the normal Magento CAPTCHA if it is already active. Both may cohabit peacefully in a Magento configuration.
Two-Factor Authentication by Xtento
By utilizing two-factor authentication for backend access, this extension offers an additional degree of protection. It offers a more flexible approach to security and is compatible with all types of cell phones. It enables different authentication methods. Your smartphone (the second factor) generates the security code. Each security code has a single usage and is only valid for 30 seconds. Without having access to your smartphone, hackers won’t be able to log in.
Watchlog PRO
Watchlog PRO is your go-to if you’re focused on monitoring every action on your site. It enables you to keep an eye on all backend login attempts so you can quickly stop any suspicious behavior. The program offers graphical representations so users may visually understand their daily and monthly login patterns. A full picture of login activity is provided by comprehensive login data in tabular format for efficient monitoring.
Additionally, you will receive automated scheduled email reports for statistical analysis and historical data preservation, allowing you to specify the number of days you want your previous data to be kept around.
Spam and Bot Blocker by Amasty
This one focuses on strengthening possible weak points. Amasty ensures that no security precaution is overlooked with features like two-factor authentication and a thorough activity record.
In addition to preventing bots from producing fictitious sign-ups, the program filters spammers by domain name, email ID, IP address, and first name length. It also enables the maintenance of bot lists. With the help of error warnings for IP, domain, and email bans, it also prevents fraudulent registrations.
MageFence
MageFence is a special and comprehensive Magento solution that guards your website from typical security risks. It prevents brute force and other hack assaults by serving as an additional layer of defense.
It offers several tools to keep your website protection up to date, routinely searches the database, and finds users with admin capabilities who were set up without authority. It also alerts you of any potential unwanted modifications.
It does a security assessment of your Magento website to identify malware infestations, security flaws, and other issues. The checklist tool allows you to discover illegal users with administrator rights and determine whether any files have been altered.
Final Word
Responding quickly and methodically is crucial if your Magento shop has been compromised. To prevent any potential data breaches, first take the store offline. You must understand your situation before you can make repairs. Examine logs, run a malware scan, and determine where the incident originated.
Engaging a Magento or cybersecurity professional is frequently a smart option. They can guide you through the storm and identify the precise type of breach. As soon as you’ve grasped the incident, fix any weaknesses. This might entail patching security flaws in any third-party extensions, upgrading your Magento software, or both. Roll back the store to the most recent clean backup, supposing you’ve been doing frequent backups.
It’s time to strengthen the security. Think about deploying security extensions, two-factor authentication, and taking the other actions listed above.