Hackers are constantly prowling the security perimeters of businesses of all sizes, often choosing the lowest-hanging fruit to be their next marks. 

If you sell products and services to customers in international markets, you are especially vulnerable, particularly during high-traffic times of the year when your safeguards might be more relaxed. 

The good news is that there are concrete steps you can take to enhance data protection at this time, and throughout the year.

Be a data collection minimalist.

In an era when personalization is the word of the day, you may be understandably tempted to gather a treasure trove of details about your customers that you can use for later marketing initiatives. 

However, at least in the realm of international sales, it makes sense to obtain only what you need in order for the customer to register for an account, or complete a purchase as a guest.

Comply with privacy regulations.

Depending on where your customers live, you will be required to be in regulatory compliance with the laws that apply to the area. These may, for example, include the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) pertaining to Europe, or other standards that exist in China, Brazil, India, and other nations.

The GDPR was passed by the European Union and applies to any organization that collects or targets the data of anyone living in the EU. The scope of the GDPR is wide, requiring thorough research as well as the expertise of a legal professional.

Generally speaking, however, the legislation covers the following: the lawfulness, fairness, and transparency of data processing; processing limited to the specified purpose; data minimization and accuracy; storage limitations; focus on data integrity and confidentiality, and organizational accountability for remaining in compliance with GDPR.

In another part of the globe, the China Personal Information Protection Law (PIPL) applies  to organizations and individuals processing personally identifiable information (PII) in China. It is also relevant for those who process the data of Chinese citizens outside China. 

The standard requires consent for processing or transferring data; appropriate notice of privacy; a personal impact protection implementation assessment in some cases, and the necessity to appoint a local representative in China.

In South America, Brazil’s Lei Geral de Protecao de Datos (LPGD) puts forth rules for handling, collecting, storing, and sharing personal data by organizations. It covers all entities offering services, or otherwise involved in the handling of data in Brazil. 

It requires consent to store or manage data, a privacy notice, a personal information protection assessment if requested by authorities, and the appointment of a data protection officer.

The Information Technology Act 2000 and SPDI Rules apply to data protection in India, safeguarding the use, disclosure, alteration, or destruction of sensitive data. These stipulations require companies to make available a privacy policy that fully describes what is being collected, as well as its intended purpose. Additionally, consent from subjects must be obtained.

These are just a few examples. If you are transacting with consumers in any international region, local expertise is recommended in order to ensure compliance with applicable data privacy and security laws and regulations.

Transition to an HTTPS system.

In addition to regulatory compliance, take a look at your technology. If your site still operates under HTTP, it’s time to make the switch to HTTPS. As it stands, visitors to your current site will receive a warning that the location is not secure. 

You cannot afford to sustain the lost sales and damage to your brand’s reputation that a sketchy-seeming website will engender, particularly among international customers who may already be wary about doing business with companies outside of their borders.

One of the requirements in order to implement HTTPS is to obtain an SSL certificate. 

This security protocol encrypts the communications that take place between your servers and visitors’ browsers, thus masking the information from hackers who may be trying to intercept it.

Require authentication and strong passwords.

The more extensively you bolster your security systems, the better equipped you’ll be to combat digital bad actors. This is particularly important during the holidays when you are processing an unusually high number of sales, making it easier for hackers to exploit any chinks in your protective perimeters.

The key is to already have safeguards and protocols in place. Start by requiring that customers set strong passwords that include a minimum length, as well as prescribed special characters or numbers. 

You can implement 3D Secure, an extra level of protection that shields those who make online credit or debit card purchases. Once this system is in place, customers are prompted to verify their identity with their card issuer before a purchase can be completed.

Another strategy that many international sellers are using involves implementing reCAPTCHA systems. These require that customers react to a visual or audio prompt in order to ensure that they are not automated hacker bots.

Use encryption.

During the holidays, sensitive data will be flying between buyers and sellers at a magnified rate. Now more than ever, it is important to protect this information from interlopers who are intent on stealing and profiting from these sensitive customer payment details.

Technologies such as tokenization and encryption provide robust ways for you to mask payment specifics. These systems work by transforming what the customer enters into a random series of letters and numbers that hackers cannot use. 

Only authorized vendors have the ability to decode, convert, and employ this information for the originally intended purpose.

Update frequently.

When your themes, software, and systems are not regularly updated, data thieves can easily slip through your vulnerabilities and plunder at their leisure. 

Therefore, it is important for you to ensure that you have a regular upgrade and maintenance protocol in place, so that your systems are always protected with the latest patches and updates.

In addition, IP-based attacks can pose a danger to the integrity of your systems. Minimize the chance that you will be hit with one of these by using rotating residential proxies that help to maintain your online anonymity.

Implement thorough staff training.

Even the best regulatory compliance program, firewalls, antivirus programs, and protocol sets will fall short in keeping customers secure if you don’t make staff an integral part of your security solution. 

In addition to a full set of documentation that details your data security procedures, you should also run in-person or virtual workshops that provide details of how employees can protect themselves, as well as your international customers, from digital thieves.

To that end, provide information on red flags that might signal a fraudulent sale. Train personnel on how to interpret the data coming from your automated systems, so that suspicious transactions can be investigated before they go through. 

And don’t feel guilty about running a tight data security ship. 

Although staff or international customers might complain now and then when asked to jump through extra password or verification hoops, letting them know that these precautions exist for their own protection will go a long way toward reducing irritation.

The upcoming holiday season gives you unparalleled opportunities to broaden your reach, as you delight a whole new group of overseas customers with your products. 

Having strong data security procedures in place will help to ensure that your risk of digital breaches is as low as possible this Christmas and beyond.