Shopping Safely Online

Ecommerce security refers to the precautions and measures taken to protect an online business and its customers from potential cyber threats.

Ecommerce compliancy is different from Ecommerce security, as compliancy refers to the minimum standards of which a business must adhere to, which are set by governing bodies and some private institutions, this level of standards must be met and also satisfactory, in order to be deemed compliant.

Security refers to the measures put in place to achieve these standards, when a business "meets compliancy" levels, this confirms the business is following the minimum certain guidelines, to ensure the safety and privacy of their customers data. Businesses that do not meet these minimum levels of standards will not be deemed compliant and can also be fined.

There are many different security measures an ecommerce business can obtain to ensure the safety and privacy of their customers data, although not all businesses are exactly the same and have different purposes and/or offer various services, therefore each business will only need to meet the minimum standards of the regulations that are relevant to their business.

The main types of security measures which are in place for the purpose of an ecommerce business are but are not limited to:

PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) and HTTPS Authentication also known as 2 Factor Authentication.

There are various forms of security threats when going online and not all potential threats are always associated with online shopping, so it is always important to prevent any such threats by following these simple tips:

• Always ensure that when shopping online the website you are using is secure and has a valid SSL certificate (padlock icon) and has the acronym HTTPS in the search bar.
• Always clear your browser search history, no matter how small.
• Research a potential retailer if unknown before shopping online by making sure they are legitimate, you can do this by checking out their social media platforms and by searching for any potential reviews or customer feedback. 
• Don't use public WIFI as this is not always secure and is usally open, not private.
• Always make sure when browsing or shopping online you have internet security installed on your device, this can prevent potential hackers and can also block malicoius content and/or software.
• If you receive any text messages or emails with links from companies you know but you are sure you haven't ordered anything, call them direct or ask in store, never click links if your unsure, wether you know the retailer/business or not, as scammers are good at pretending to be them.

Malware

Malware is a term used to describe any kind of malicious software which purpose is to cause harm or exploit any programmable device, software or network. It acts like a bug on your computer and is usually placed on your device when visiting a fake or illegitimate website and/or by clicking pop up links.

Phishing

Phishing is a cybercrime and is a scam used by either a person or a group who attempt to gain personal and sensitive information by pretending to be a legitimate company or organisation, such as the post office or HMRC, they do this by posing to be them via sending fake emails, text messages and even making phone calls.

Credit Card Frauds

Credit card fraud can happen easily, that is why it is important that you ensure the website you are wanting to purchase from is secure and safe, a fake website will not be secure and therefore your card details can be easily obtained, card details can also be obtained via a hacker, as outlined in the next question.

Hacking

A hacker is usually someone who looks for weaknesses and/or defects in a computer system or network, with the intention of gaining unauthorised personal information.

Spam

Spam emails can be potentialy dangerous as they are usually part of a major scam and are generally sent by a cyber criminal or group who are looking to make money from any recipients that respond to the fake email and/or click on any links within the email.

At Sugarplum Moon we take the security, safety and data of our customers very seriously and so we understand that there are customer concerns when using your card to shop online.

When purchasing via our online store we use 3 different payment providers.

Each payment provider is well known, established and have their own security measures in place to ensure the safety of you as our customer and also for us as their customer.

Each payment provider also have their own screening and security mesaures in place, as well as adhering to PCI DSS compliancy, to ensure consumer trust and safety when shopping online.

Customers payment details are not stored or processed via our website and are handled securely by our payment processing partners which are:

Stripe payments:  A well established and popular card payment provider, who have many well known brands on board including ASOS, Etsy and Apple to name a few.

Paypal: Pay with your debit or credit card or in Instalments (terms apply)

Klarna: Pay in 30 days option or also in installments is a popular choice.

At Sugarplum Moon we also obtain a full and valid encrytpted SSL certificate, which is the industry standard and confirms our website is safe to purchase from.

We are also verified on Mcafee, Google, Trustedsite and Norton.