Whenever you sell goods and services via the internet, you are asking your customers to place a great deal of trust in your integrity. Without ever meeting you or seeing your goods and only by virtue of the claims on a website, they are making the commitment to part with their hard-earned money for the merchandise they want. When you are serving international buyers, this “ask” that you are making becomes all the more daunting.

Online data security, defined.

Cultivating this trust is a challenge no matter how you slice it, but it can be made easier if you implement a robust system of data security. This should consist of four essential elements.

• Privacy. It is your job to safeguard the special relationship you have with your customer. That means seeing to it that only you have access to their information. To that end, you need to use tools like firewalls, antivirus software, and 3-D Secure (3DS) payment processing. Additionally, you should partner with a payments technology company that has experience with payment processing for international businesses to ensure that cross-border confusion is kept to a minimum.
• Integrity. This principle has to do with the state of the customer’s data. As a business owner, you need to make sure that any details that have been provided to you remain intact, unchanged, and safe from cybercriminals. 
• Authentication. This principle is at the core of consumer trust because it gives assurance that both the buyer and the seller are who they claim to be. As a merchant, you must demonstrate your credibility and the legitimacy of your products and keep the promises you make. For their part, the customer must be willing and able to prove their identity. Implementing systems such as 3-D Secure 2 is a great way for merchants to require this proof from their customers. Doing so becomes even more important in the global sales arena since fighting fraud after the fact is exponentially more difficult when the perpetrator lives in a different country.
• Non-repudiation. This principle involves the necessity of non-deniability on both sides of a transaction. Both merchant and customer should complete the transaction in its entirety once it has been initiated.

When all of these components are in place, everyone involved in the purchasing process can gain assurance that it will be completed securely.

Why maintaining optimal data security is a must for your international business.

Now that we have clarified the pieces that combine to make up the data security puzzle, let’s take a deeper dive into why incorporating it into your international business is one of the most important preemptive steps you can take.

• Helps you to attract and retain customers. Wooing foreign buyers is particularly challenging, so it makes sense to do everything you can to keep the ones you get. In terms of data security, transparency should be one of your top priorities. Make sure your foreign shoppers know exactly what you are doing to protect their data. Display certificates, make it easy for them to contact you with any questions, and show all shipping, warranty, and return information. Doing these things enhances your credibility and helps to build the kind of trust that leads to repeat sales.
• Leads to a well-designed, clear website. Pages that are designed with clarity and ease of navigation in mind inspire trust and help your international buyers to see that your business is a legitimate one. Poorly conceived sites that do not put data safety first often endlessly badger customers for permission to accept cookies or request that they disclose data. By contrast, a well-crafted set of digital pages provides all the forms, certifications, company policies, and product documentation clearly and accessibly. Moreover, if customers are asked to enter additional details to authenticate their identity during 3-D Secure payment processing, an exemplary site will provide explanations that reduce frustration and help buyers understand why these extra precautions are necessary.
• Streamlines your business behind the scenes. When your internal business functions are performing optimally, you will be perfectly poised to provide your foreign customers with the stellar customer service they demand. Security lapses and software glitches can ultimately mean that the products they have ordered are not delivered during the time window you promised, which may well result in your losing their business. Simply by paying attention to regular software updates and maintenance, you can lessen the likelihood that your site will be vulnerable to hackers or digital saboteurs. Additionally, you should make it a top priority to meet any and all data security standards and compliance requirements set forth by your industry, as well as by the countries you are doing business in. Prominently displaying certificates demonstrating your compliance can boost your credibility with wary international customers.
• Reduces the likelihood of ransomware attacks. You have probably heard of this phenomenon in which a digital criminal bypasses your security barriers and uses malware to encrypt your customer data. You are then contacted with the news that you can only get your data back if you pay a significant sum of money, often in untraceable cryptocurrency, to the bad actors. Although you can never totally inoculate yourself against this type of attack, having strong security protocols in place can go a long way toward minimizing the chances that you will be a victim. Backing up your data with more than one secure third-party provider can also reduce your risk.

Domestic businesses are not safe from the ravages of fraud, email phishing, ransomware, SQL injection, and other types of data security threats. However, global-facing businesses need to be even more aware of the dangers.

Along with the products you sell, the customer and employee information you store is the lifeblood of your international ecommerce company. Even promoting the perception that you are not doing everything you can to protect it can scare potential customers away and cause you to lose existing ones. Especially in the case of buyers who don’t even live in the same country and may speak other languages and use alternate currencies, it behooves you to do everything possible to bolster trust and solidify your credibility. Thorough, visible data security that evolves with the constantly shifting threat landscape will be the most effective weapon in your arsenal.