Tech and security
Hosting, CDN and traffic peaks
Hosting is the server (or cloud) the store runs on. A CDN (content delivery network) is a network of servers around the world that serves part of the site (images, scripts, sometimes pages) from a point closer to the shopper. Together they determine whether…
Online store backups
A backup is a copy of the site, the database (products, orders, customers) and files, stored separately, from which the store can be restored after a failure, a mistake or a break-in. A backup only makes sense if restoring from it has been tested.
Bots and price scraping in an online store
Bots are programs that visit a site automatically. Some are useful (search crawlers), some are harmful: scraping copies prices and the catalog, credential stuffing tries stolen logins, scalper bots buy up scarce goods, and card testers check card numbers on…
Payment fraud and 3-D Secure
Payment fraud in an online store is an attempt to obtain goods or money using someone else's card data, by deceiving the customer, or through a dishonest payment dispute. 3-D Secure (3DS) is a protocol by which the issuing bank additionally verifies that the…
App, PWA or website: what a store should choose
PWA (progressive web app) is a website that can be installed on a phone like an app and can work with a poor connection. A native app is a separate program from the App Store or Google Play. A responsive site is an ordinary site in a browser that adapts to…
Online store security: the minimum
Online store security is a set of simple actions that reduce the chance of the site being hacked and customer data leaking: updates, strong passwords with two-step login, limited access rights, backups and protection from automated attacks. Perfect security…