Website Articles

There are some very simple steps that you (or rather, your web designer) can take to secure your website against the majority of hackers. Unfortunately, as we've mentioned many times before, most web designers don't bother.

So we're now offering to test your website for you.

It seems strange to us that when speaking to small businesses about website security, a lot of them respond that they're only a small company so they're not much of a target.

It's ironic because, if anything, the reverse is true. Small companies are an even bigger target than bigger companies.

We often describe our industry as being filled with cowboys and amateurs. But is it really that bad?

Yes. From our experience, there are generally 2 types of web design companies; those that know they're incompetent and don't care (the cowboys) and those with good intentions that don't know they're incompetent (the amateurs).

Here are just a few examples.

Mossack Fonseca, the Panamanian law firm, has hit the headlines recently with its major data breach. And, whilst the source and cause of the hack is so far unconfirmed, their website is looking like the prime candidate.

Wired, the online tech magazine, has reported that the Mossack Fonseca website hadn't been upgraded since 2013 and contained 25 known security vulnerabilities.

It is tragic that because of the system they were using, upgrading it would probably have only taken a few minutes. But because nobody took the time to do it, they are now suffering the consequences.

At OpenGlobal E-commerce, we realise that no system can be 100% secure. So, we're not going to try to claim that our system is impenetrable. But unlike most web design companies, we take security seriously. So, we follow a range of established industry practices to minimise the risks, and this includes upgrading the software running all of our client websites. If security is important to you, contact us now on 0845 269 9624 to find out about our website management service.

Online shops are commonplace these days, and companies that were once content to just have a brochure-style website are now looking to sell online directly.

So, from first principles, how do you start an online shop?