Why Securing Shopify Store Mobile App is Necessary?

The Shopify Store has been a go-to eCommerce Platform for budding entrepreneurs as well as brick & mortar stores.

That is because the Shopify platform enables people to launch their very own eCommerce websites. Now, there are other platforms but Shopify offers easy setup, a gamut of integrations, faster loading speeds & excellent security.

Providing reliable security (in terms of user data & website security) is one of the most important aspects. While Shopify eCommerce platforms take care of all the security needs, many entrepreneurs are venturing into the booming mCommerce market to drive business growth.

So, Shopify store owners are developing easy-to-use feature-rich Shopify mobile applications to tap into the market & gain more customers and sales. However, in this digital era, many customers are apprehensive of where their data is being stored & how is their data being handled/used.

So securing of Shopify apps becomes just as important as securing your Shopify online store. Let’s quickly understand about some major security threats that mobile apps face, its impact on businesses, the things that a hacker looks for and some common ways to secure your Shopify mobile application.  

Prominent Cybersecurity Threats

A leading cybercrime magazine has stated that by 2022, online businesses especially retail will witness the most number of online attacks by hackers. Another research has revealed a startling fact – almost 33% of eCommerce platforms experience cyberattacks in various forms.

However, mobile applications can also experience various forms of cyberattacks.

Here are some critical facts to help you understand the alarming situation of cybercrime:

• Almost 30% of online traffic is there to attack your mobile application/website.
• A whopping 93% of malware or other bugs are usually sent over via email.
• More than 50% of small to medium businesses say that the intensity of cyberattacks has increased.

What is the Impact of Hacking on e-commerce Companies?

• Only 40% of global eCommerce businesses claim that they can handle a cyberattack.
• More than 55% of eCommerce companies around the world experience one or the other form of a successful cyberattack.
• Currently 60% of small businesses that experience a cyberattack

What do hackers usually look out for?

Customer Data – Personal & sensitive customer data that may include name, phone number, email address, residential/billing/shipping address to steal identities.

Company Data – Financial information about a particular company to steal their money & critical data.

Credentials – Usernames & associated email ids & passwords to gain unauthorized access to your account.

How are Shopify Store Mobile Apps Vulnerable?

When you dig a little deeper in the Shopify platform, you will find a useful feature (Shopify Apps) that lets you turn your Shopify store into a mobile application. While it is an easy way to build a mobile application, the app that helps in creating a mobile app requires some permissions from your online Shopify store to run efficiently.

Some of the permissions which are required by the app are: 

• To view product catalogs
• Order Managing
• Customer Account Management

Many other permissions need to be given to the Shopify apps (app builders) for the effective functioning of your Shopify mobile app. 

However, there is a catch:

1. View Data – In this permission, the app just views that data available on your Shopify store & then builds a personalized mobile application.
2. Modify Data – In this permission, the app can not only view but edit or alter data. If this permission is acquired by a person who is outside your workgroup i.e. a hacker, then he/she can cripple your Shopify store.

There are many hacking tutorials which are readily available online with a simple google search. These tutorials enable hackers to steal sensitive information like credit card details, usernames, passwords & much more. Hackers can also use sophisticated techniques like DDoS & load balancers to cripple your Shopify store.

So, securing of Shopify apps is very important in today’s era of rising digital crimes.

Basic Measures to Secure your Shopify App

Shopify apps that let you create mobile applications are primarily responsible for taking care of all the security concerns.

Additionally, the service providers must ensure some robust cybersecurity practices to streamline the entire Shopify mobile app development process. Some of the best practices are:

1. Integration of Authorized API: Authorized API’s have a high level of reliability & security. If low-level/loosely coded API’s are used, then it can have serious implications on the mobile application. Hackers can readily get access & authority over your Shopify mobile application & online store. That is why API authorization must be centralized to ensure robust security.
2. Penetration Testing: Periodic penetration testing can easily ensure that security parameters are updated. It also helps in checking any new vulnerabilities since hacking mechanisms change every day.
3. Minimum Permissions: A personalized Shopify mobile app should work seamlessly while requiring as little permissions as possible. More permissions can lead to increased vulnerability of sensitive data.

This is why Shopify mobile applications must be secured.

If you are planning to develop a feature-rich Shopify mobile app that boasts of excellent security, then you should check out Storifi. It is an innovative no-code platform-based mobile app builder that streamlines the entire Shopify mobile app development by enabling people to build easy-to-use Shopify mobile applications within minutes.