E-Commerce Security and Performance Best Practices Running an online store means earning trust while delivering fast, reliable service. Security and performance work together: a secure site that loads slowly can lose visitors, while a fast site with gaps in protection invites risk. The goal is to protect customer data and keep checkout smooth, without sacrificing speed.
Security considerations Use TLS 1.2+ with HSTS and secure, HttpOnly cookies on all pages. For payments, follow PCI-DSS basics: tokenize data, avoid storing full card numbers unless you are PCI compliant. Encrypt data at rest and in transit; manage keys carefully and rotate them. Store passwords with Argon2id or bcrypt, add rate limiting and MFA for admin access. Enforce strong session handling: short lived sessions, server side tokens, and same-site cookies. Implement CSRF protection and robust input validation to prevent XSS and SQL injection. Apply security headers, Subresource Integrity, and regular vulnerability scans; patch dependencies promptly. Use a WAF and rate limiting to deter brute force attacks; monitor logs for anomalies. Performance optimization Deploy a Content Delivery Network (CDN) to serve assets quickly from the edge. Cache content at multiple layers: browser, server, and edge; tune cache headers. Optimize images: responsive sizes, modern formats, and lazy loading where appropriate. Minify CSS/JS, bundle assets, and enable HTTP/2 or HTTP/3 for faster transfers. Improve database performance with proper indexing and query optimization; avoid N+1 queries. Offload non‑critical tasks (emails, reports) to background workers; keep order flows fast. Optimize search and navigation with efficient indexing and pagination; reduce expensive calls. Regularly review third‑party scripts; consider async loading and script granularity. Putting it into practice Begin with a simple baseline: run a security and performance audit, then address high‑impact items first. Enable TLS across the site, configure a basic WAF, and set admin MFA. Implement a CDN and image optimization plan, then push caching rules to improve core pages. Schedule monthly reviews: patch libraries, check backups, and test restores. Document incident response and maintain a clear change log so teams respond quickly when issues arise.
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