How to Improve Your E-commerce Store’s Cybersecurity: 5 Essential Tools for Business Owners

If you’re not taking a thorough approach to cybersecurity for your online store, now is the time to start. According to the FBI’s Internet Crimes Report, there were 859,532 cybercrime complaints last year, with the per-day average of complaints hovering around 2,000. E-commerce businesses are at particular risk because an online store contains a significant amount of customer data (card details, personal information, and login credentials). 

E-commerce business owners often have limited resources to funnel into cybersecurity. The good news? The industry has created ways to help. Today, there are various tools on the market to help online stores mitigate these increased vulnerabilities. But which tools are actually necessary? How can they help protect your business?

Why use tools at all? 

Some cyber threats are complex. Some are simple but rely on the idea that busy people may not look very closely at their online security practices. Using tools provides online store owners with a straightforward way to deal with complicated threats and a foolproof way to address crimes of opportunity. 

There are a lot of benefits to investing in the right tools. For example: 

• Higher brand credibility and conversion rates—comprehensive data security practices build trust with your customers and community members, leading them to shop more confidently in your store
• Stopping fraud before it happens  
• Compliance with global data protection policies, such as GDPR and CCPA
• Reduced likelihood of a data breach or ransomware attack 

Additionally, if your e-commerce website does become the target of a cyber attack, the right tools can ensure that you can recover quickly and with less stress. 

Cybersecurity tools every e-commerce business should be using

1. Fraud Prevention Tools

Fraud prevention software helps identify possible cases of first-party misuse, account access takeover, payment fraud, or identity theft as they are happening and then stops them. Think of it as the first line of defense against attackers, similar to a moat around a castle. 

Fraud prevention tools can be used on payment gateways, checkout pages, and user account areas. Platforms like Shopify and Magento have these tools built in through plug-ins or API integrations. Other popular software includes Signifyd, Riskified, and Kount. 

Findings from a 2025 study indicate that retailers and online merchants in the U.S. lost roughly $4.61 for every dollar of online fraud. These tools are your best defense against losing money to fraudulent activity. Some even offer chargeback to protect your bottom line should something like that happen to you. 

2. Password Managers 

Password managers are apps that store and auto-fill passwords for your accounts. They also create strong, unique passwords, which is great for streamlining efficiency throughout your working day. Good password hygiene is essential if you want to keep hackers out of your accounts. Still, it’s not realistic to remember a couple of dozen complex and completely separate passwords. 

Choose a reputable password manager service. LastPass, 1Password, and BitWarden are a few good options. Use the service to create, change, and store essential account logins. Create a strong master password and regularly update weak or reused passwords.

Over 80% of hacking-related breaches involve weak or stolen passwords. Investing in a password manager is an easy way to make sure this is not you. Apart from password managers, you should also consider using a data removal tool like Incogni to check if there are no employee and consumer credential leaks. A combination of a password manager and a threat visibility tool not only ensures that your credentials are safe but also gives you enough time to react if there is any problem with data leakage.

3. Multi-factor authentication (MFA) 

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security method that requires two or more verification steps to access an account. When you input your password, followed by a code or fingerprint scan, that’s MFA in action. It’s stronger than a password alone.

MFA should be used on admin dashboards, customer login areas, and payment gateways. Most e-commerce platforms have built-in MFA features. It’s one of the quickest and most affordable ways to make your e-commerce business better protected against a hacking attempt. 

Under the Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard 4.0 (PCI DSS 4.0), MFA is required for all admin accounts accessing sensitive customer data.

4. Endpoint Security Tools

Endpoint security software can be used to monitor and protect all devices on your network. Endpoints are all your business network’s computers, phones, routers, and smart devices. If you have employees or remote teams, taking endpoint security seriously is especially important. One weak link can compromise the entire system. 

CrowdStrike is one of the most popular software options for improving endpoint security. Although many antivirus software tools—including those from McAfee and Windows Defender—also offer affordable and easy-to-use endpoint protection features. It’s important to note that antivirus protection and endpoint security protection are not the same service.

But isn’t antivirus enough? That depends on your situation. High-level endpoint protection software, especially when boosted by AI, can help detect the most recent and pressing threats more quickly and efficiently. Basic antivirus software is probably not enough for businesses with dozens of devices. However, for solo e-commerce business owners, specific targeted software may not be cost-effective.

5. Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) 

A VPN encrypts your online connection. It makes it impossible for hackers or other questionable characters to eavesdrop (and steal) sensitive data or communications you are working with. This is especially important if you ever complete business tasks on public Wi-Fi or in places with weak connections.

A VPN is another way to shield sensitive customer data and payment information from interception, which can help prevent successful phishing attempts and data breaches. The best part about VPNs? They are incredibly easy to use. 

Free vs. paid tools 

Choosing between free and paid cybersecurity tools can be tough, especially when you have a tight budget. Yet, better security for your online store is a worthwhile investment. 

Paid tools usually offer more comprehensive protection than their free counterparts. They also tend to have better integrations, actual customer support, and a variety of scaling options. Do your homework, decide which features make the most sense for your business, and invest in paid tools where possible. 

For small e-commerce business owners, free tools are excellent for covering the basics. They benefit from having no upfront cost, and having some core-level protection is better than nothing at all. Free tools may also be easier to get started with than their advanced-featured counterparts. 

The best solution for small e-commerce operations struggling with a tight budget is to use a mixture of free and paid tools. Invest where you can and in places that make more sense for the size of your business or your team’s particular pain points. 

Final thoughts 

Cybersecurity can be a tricky topic to address. The number of risks for e-commerce business owners can be overwhelming. There are also many countermeasures to consider. Understanding and implementing the essential tools is the best way to protect your business from an attack, no matter the size and scale.