Skip to content

E-Commerce detected

What has been found

E-Commerce detected.

E-commerce sites typically process sensitive customer data (personal details, payment card information, transaction histories) and involve third-party integrations (payment gateways, analytics, shipping APIs). This makes them high-value targets for attackers.

Why this is a potential risk

E-commerce platforms carry elevated security risks due to the sensitivity of the data they handle and their required internet exposure:

  • PCI DSS Compliance Risks – Handling payment data brings strict obligations; misconfigurations or vulnerabilities may result in non-compliance.

  • Data Breach & Theft of PII/Payment Data – Attackers target databases, payment flows, and web applications to exfiltrate customer data.

  • Web Application Attacks – SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and remote code execution remain common on poorly secured e-commerce platforms.

  • Credential Stuffing & Account Takeover – Customers often reuse credentials, making login endpoints frequent targets.

  • Supply Chain Risk – Third-party plugins, themes, or integrations (e.g., Magento, WooCommerce, Shopify apps) may contain vulnerabilities.

  • Denial of Service (DoS/DDoS) – Disruption of an e-commerce site leads directly to lost revenue and reputational damage.

  • Ransomware & Web Skimming – Campaigns such as Magecart inject malicious scripts to steal credit card data in transit.

E-commerce applications increase the organization’s attack surface and require a heightened security posture due to regulatory, financial, and reputational stakes.

Potential solutions/Improvements

Platform Hardening & Secure Development

  • Ensure the e-commerce platform and all plugins/extensions are up-to-date and patched.

  • Remove unused extensions, modules, or code that increases attack surface.

  • Follow secure coding practices (see OWASP Top 10) for any custom components.

Access & Authentication

  • Enforce strong authentication and MFA for admin and customer accounts.

  • Use rate limiting and bot mitigation to prevent brute force or credential stuffing.

  • Apply the principle of least privilege for administrative roles.

Data Protection & Compliance

  • Ensure the platform is compliant with PCI DSS for handling payment card data.

  • Use tokenisation or third-party payment processors to minimise storage of sensitive payment information.

  • Encrypt sensitive data both in transit (TLS 1.2+) and at rest.

Web Application Security Controls

  • Place the platform behind a Web Application Firewall (WAF) to filter malicious traffic.

  • Regularly perform vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.

  • Enable Content Security Policy (CSP) and secure cookie settings (HttpOnly, Secure, SameSite).

Monitoring & Incident Preparedness

  • Enable detailed logging of transactions, authentication attempts, and administrative actions.

  • Monitor logs in a SIEM for anomalies (unexpected payment flows, large data queries, brute force attempts).

  • Have an incident response plan specifically covering payment card data breaches.

How to verify it is resolved:

  • Perform external vulnerability scans and application penetration testing to confirm vulnerabilities are remediated.

  • Validate firewall/WAF rules to ensure unnecessary endpoints are blocked.

  • Confirm PCI DSS compliance through periodic audits.

  • Test multi-factor authentication and account lockout policies.

  • Review SIEM dashboards and alerts for e-commerce–specific attack signatures.

External references