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The Potential Risk To Customer Confidence

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Here is a theoretical situation for you to consider. Let’s suppose you have been doing business with one specific company online for a number of years. You have never had any problem with them at all during that time.

And then the day comes that you discover your credit card details have been compromised during an online transaction. In time the problem is solved and you are reimbursed, but you cannot shake that feeling that someone else knows your card details. You cancel that account and get a new card.

Now if someone asked you how you found your experience with that company, what would you say? Would you remember the years of good service you had from them? Or would you remember that one major problem?

We all know the answer to that one. If you run your own business and you have an online presence, you must make sure you protect your clients in every way you can. The confidence of the people who keep your business going is paramount to your continued success. As soon as that confidence is dented, it can take a long time to recover it – if you ever manage to do so at all.

You can minimise the risks of doing this by enlisting the help of an application security analyst. You might think your business is as secure as it can be – but you might be in for a surprise.

The most eye opening experience you can have is to let an ethical hack try to access your systems from the outside – just as a malicious hacker would. This is far better than waiting for it to happen for real. Once any potential loopholes are found, they can be sealed. And that will enable you to announce to your customers that you have taken every conceivable step to protect them and their data.

Just imagine the difference this could make to your business. When you consider that many businesses simply don’t do this, you can really boost your customers’ confidence by taking care of your security. And it can put you ahead of the competition in ways you may not have thought about before.

It is normal to be wary about what a professional hacking company might find if they take a long hard look at your business. But wouldn’t you rather they found all the potential security risks than someone who doesn’t have your company’s best interests at heart?

In the end the confidence of your customers must be well placed. Otherwise the day may come when it will be tested and it won’t survive. And that could mean big problems for your business.