Magento Security Audit: Ensuring the Safety of Your E-commerce Store

Common Magento security vulnerabilities and risks

According to Security Magazine, there is a hacker attack every 39 seconds. No matter how big or small your organization is, you must ensure that all your data and systems are secure from malicious intrusions. We have already shared the information about How to protect your eCommerce site and business from Cyber Attacks. It's not enough to have firewalls in place; it's also essential to be proactive about implementing the latest security updates to keep your system secure. Additionally, educating all users about cybersecurity best practices is necessary.

The Magento platform is popular amongst e-commerce businesses due to its abundance of features and community support.

Compared to other e-commerce website development solutions, Magento faces 0.71% of attacks.

Despite this popularity, the platform is also highly vulnerable to common hacker attacks and risks. In 2022, a surge of cyber attacks were experienced by Adobe and Magento stores targeting the vulnerability CVE-2022-24086, a critical mail template and security vulnerability.

This article will explain how undergoing a Magento Security Audit can help mitigate risks and protect your business from losses, ensuring its development and prosperity.

Common Magento security risks

To develop a strong defense, you should first understand the different types of cyberattacks and how they can affect your system.

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS): Injection of malicious scripts into web pages viewed by users, enabling attackers to steal sensitive information or perform unauthorized actions.

Code Execution Attacks: Targeting the server hosting the Magento website to gain control over the system, enabling attackers to steal data, install malware, or manipulate information.

SQL Injection Attacks: Exploiting vulnerabilities in the website's SQL code to gain unauthorized access to the database, risking exposure of sensitive data or manipulating stored information.

CSRF Attacks: Cross-Site Request Forgery attacks trick authenticated users into unknowingly performing unwanted actions, such as submitting forms, making transactions, or changing passwords.

Brute Force Attacks: Attempting to gain access to the Magento backend by systematically guessing passwords using automated tools.

Server Attacks: Targeting the server infrastructure of the Magento site can lead to unauthorized access, data breaches, or disruption of services.

Website Defacement: Unauthorized modification of the website's appearance, content, or functionality, often used to spread malicious messages or cause reputational damage.

Credit Card Hijacking: Theft of credit card information entered during checkout, potentially leading to financial losses and compromised customer trust.

Botnetting: Infected systems form a botnet network, allowing attackers to carry out coordinated attacks, spread malware, or engage in distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks.

Remote Code Execution: Exploiting vulnerabilities to execute malicious code on the Magento site, providing attackers with unauthorized access and control over the system.

A comprehensive Magento security audit should cover three key areas: performance, security, and health. Evaluating the website security itself's performance is essential to ensure that security measures do not compromise user interface and usability.

The security aspect involves assessing

• security patches
• code modifications
• payment gateway security
• and user authentication.

Additionally, the health check focuses on core edits, third-party extensions, data integrity, and administrator privileges. A Magento 2 security audit ensures a secure, high-performing, and healthy e-commerce website by addressing these areas. This will lead to efficient business operations with reduced risks. A Magento security audit is essential to protect your website from potential risks.

Main components of Magento Security Audit

Conducting a Magento security check involves a systematic approach to scanning for potential threats, identifying vulnerabilities, reviewing security patches and updates, and checking for security risks. Let's discuss the most common and valuable.

Scanning for Potential Threats:

• Identify and prioritize potential risks based on the likelihood of exploitation and the potential impact on the organization.
• Scan your website to identify common security issues, such as XSS vulnerabilities, SQL injection risks, and outdated software versions.
• Conduct network scanning to identify any exposed ports or services that could be potential entry points for attackers.

Identifying Vulnerabilities:

• Analyze the results of vulnerability scans and rank the identified vulnerabilities based on their severity and potential impact.
• Verify the identified vulnerabilities by manually inspecting the affected areas of your Magento website's code, configuration, and infrastructure.
• Use penetration testing techniques to simulate real-world attacks and uncover any hidden vulnerabilities that may not be detected by automated scans alone.

Reviewing Security Patches and Updates:

• Stay up-to-date with the latest Magento security patches and updates released by Magento and the Magento security team.
• Review the release notes and security bulletins provided by Magento to understand the vulnerabilities addressed by each patch or update.
• Ensure that all relevant security patches and updates are promptly applied to your Magento installation to mitigate known security risks.

Checking for Security Risks:

• Review your Magento website's configuration settings, including file permissions, server settings, and admin panel access controls, to ensure they are correctly configured and aligned with security best practices.
• Evaluate the security of third-party extensions and modules installed on your Magento website, ensuring they come from reputable sources and have undergone proper security checks.
• Assess your web server's security configuration, including SSL/TLS implementation, secure headers, and protection against common server-level vulnerabilities.

Ongoing Monitoring and Maintenance:

• Implement a robust system for continuously monitoring and maintaining your Magento website's security.
• Regularly monitor server logs, intrusion detection systems, and security event logs to identify any suspicious activities or signs of a security breach.
• Stay informed about the latest security threats and vulnerabilities affecting Magento websites through reliable sources such as Magento security advisories, forums, and security communities.
• Establish a timely response and mitigation process for any identified security issues, including incident response and recovery plans.

Despite the overwhelming nature of these tasks, taking specific steps can help ensure your website's protection. In the next chapter, let's discuss specific practices that can ensure the security of your website.

1.  PCI-DSS and Ensuring a Secure Magento Store for E-commerce

As an e-commerce business owner, providing a secure checkout experience is crucial for gaining customer trust. To safeguard sensitive payment data, the PCI (Payment Card Industry), an association of leading credit card companies, oversees the security of Magento stores and ecommerce platforms.

What are PCI Compliance and its Security Requirements?

PCI compliance mandates that all Magento websites adhere to standard and secure credit card handling practices. Non-compliance can lead to hefty fines and severe penalties. Here are the security requirements outlined by PCI:

Build and Maintain a Secure Network and Systems:

• Install and maintain a firewall configuration to protect cardholder data
• Avoid using vendor-supplied defaults for system passwords and security parameters

Protect Cardholder Data:

• Implement measures to protect stored cardholder data
• Encrypt transmission of cardholder data across open, public networks

Maintain a Vulnerability Management Program:

• Safeguard all systems against malware and regularly update antivirus software
• Develop and maintain secure systems and applications

Implement Strong Access Control Measures:

• Restrict access to cardholder data based on business need-to-know
• Restrict physical access to cardholder data
• Identify and authenticate access to system components

Regularly Monitor and Test Networks:

• Track and monitor all access to network resources and cardholder data
• Regularly test security systems and processes

Maintain an Information Security Policy:

• Establish and maintain a policy that addresses information security for all personnel

2.  Regular Backups

In an unexpected attack, having a reliable backup becomes crucial. A proper backup can swiftly restore your hacked website and serve as a vital disaster management strategy. Consider the following points when creating backups:

• Determine the necessary files covering your website's configuration, appearance, and functionality.
• Choose an appropriate backup frequency (daily, weekly, or monthly) based on your website's content update frequency.
• Decide whether to perform manual backups or automate the process.
• Verify the functionality of the backup by thoroughly testing the restoration process.
• Consider working with your hosting provider to implement a professional database backup solution for large websites.

3.  Enhancing Security with SSL Certificates

Additionally, utilizing SSL certificates as part of e-commerce security best practices is essential. SSL certificates authenticate website identity and encrypt information sent to the ecommerce stores' server, protecting customers' and ecommerce sites' sensitive data like credit card information and login credentials.

By implementing these best practices, including PCI compliance, regular backups, and SSL certificates, you can significantly enhance the security of your Magento store and provide a safe environment for your customers' transactions.

4.  Penetration Testing, according to OWASP Top-10

The process involves simulating real-world attacks to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses in your Magento store. You can proactively address potential threats by following the OWASP Top-10 guidelines outlining the most critical web application security risks.

The OWASP Top-10 vulnerabilities include:

• Injection
• Broken Authentication
• Sensitive Data Exposure
• XML External Entities (XXE)
• Broken Access Control
• Security Misconfiguration
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
• Insecure Deserialization
• Using Components with Known Vulnerabilities
• Insufficient Logging and Monitoring

By conducting Penetration Testing based on these vulnerabilities, you can identify and remediate potential security flaws, ensuring your Magento store is more resilient against attacks. Conducting this type of testing at least once a year is recommended to protect your website against hackers.

5.  Ensuring Compliance with GDPR

When dealing with customer data, complying with regulations such as the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) is crucial. GDPR sets guidelines for the processing and protection of personal data within the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA).

To comply with GDPR, businesses should:

• Obtain explicit and informed consent from customers before collecting their data.
• Implement appropriate security measures to protect customer data from unauthorized access or breaches.
• Allow customers to access, modify, or delete their data as per their rights granted by GDPR.
• Have proper data breach notification procedures to report any data breaches to the relevant authorities and affected individuals.

Ensuring compliance with GDPR protects your customers' data and demonstrates your commitment to data privacy and trustworthiness.

6.  Service Level Agreement (SLA) for Prompt Response and Decision-Making

Having a Service Level Agreement (SLA) with a technical contractor is crucial for maintaining the quality of service in the event of a malicious attack on your website. The SLA specifies necessary response and decision-making timelines to ensure swift actions are taken.

At Perspective, we include the following details in our SLA:

• Fixed time to respond in case of an incident or attack
• Fixed time for quick initial decision-making
• Fixed time for permanent resolution.

For example, the SLA may outline that our contractor will respond within 2 hours and work towards restoring your site's functionality, regardless of whether the incident occurs during or outside of business hours.

7.  Educating Employees and Customers

To minimize the risk of cyber-attacks and enhance overall security, educating your employees and customers about threats such as suspicious links, phishing attempts, and cyber-attacks is vital. Raising awareness and providing guidance on detecting and reporting such threats creates a more secure environment and mitigates potential risks.

By combining Penetration Testing, GDPR compliance, having a Service Level Agreement, and promoting security awareness among employees and customers, you can significantly strengthen the security of your Magento store and protect sensitive data.

You can increase your business's protection level by following our discussed practices. Specifically, we have prepared a list of the best Magento Security Extensions to help ensure website protection.

Right Magento Security Extensions for your online store

Magento has a lot of possibilities when it comes to securing your online store. One of the most effective ways is to invest in a security extension. Security extensions are essential to keeping your store safe and secure, providing additional protection against malicious threats.

Identify your security needs: Assess your online store's vulnerability to threats. Consider factors such as security hazards, such as the nature of your business, the volume of transactions, the sensitivity of customer data, and any previous security incidents.

Research trusted security extensions: Look for extensions highly recommended by the Magento community. Read reviews, check ratings, and evaluate the reputation of the extension providers.

Check compatibility: Ensure that the security extensions you're considering are compatible with your current or latest version of Magento. Check for any potential conflicts with other extensions or customizations in your store.

Evaluate features: Compare the features offered by different security extensions and assess how well they align with your security needs. Some essential security features may include malware detection and removal, firewall protection, vulnerability scanning, two-factor authentication, and web application firewall (WAF) capabilities.

Consider scalability: If your online store is expected to grow, consider whether the security extension can scale with your business. Look for extensions that can handle increased traffic and support additional functionalities without compromising security.

Assess ease of use: Choose a security extension that is user-friendly and easy to configure. Look for extensions that provide clear documentation and support if you encounter any issues or need assistance.

Verify reliability and support: Ensure the extension provider has a proven track record of promptly addressing security vulnerabilities and releasing regular updates. Look for extensions that offer timely support and have a history of providing excellent customer service.

Consider the cost: Evaluate the cost of the security extensions against the level of protection they offer. While investing in reliable security is essential, consider your budget and choose extensions that provide the best value for money.

Seek recommendations and expert advice: Consult with experts in the Magento community or seek advice from experienced developers or security professionals familiar with Magento's security ecosystem. They can help you make an informed decision based on their knowledge and experience.

Remember that maintaining a secure online store requires ongoing effort and vigilance. Regularly update your security extensions and stay informed about the latest online threats and recommended security practices.