How Hackers Checkout Products for Free on Any Website and How to Defend Against Them
How Hackers Checkout Products for Free on Any Website and How to Defend Against Them
As online shopping is affordable, it has also increased hackers’ interest in finding loopholes in e-commerce websites. As this approach is carried out, some individuals with malicious intent behind them have gotten clever ways to check out the commodities for $0 which means profits in lost revenue by thousands. We must know these hacks and how to protect ourselves against them, both for consumers and website owners.
1. Understanding How Hackers Exploit E-commerce Websites
Online shopping is however, the most suitable way of buying certain products but hackers can exploit your personal information through e-commerce websites that have relatively weak security measures. A few exploiters managed to check out the products without paying off for them and this resulted in a huge monetary loss. This is necessary for both the users and website owners to learn about these hacks, know how they work, and defend against them.
a. Coupon Code Manipulation
Coupon Code – Coupon code fields have seen exploitation by hackers injecting or manipulating the value of discounts. They may find, for instance — a perfectly valid coupon code that when applied inappropriately can leverage huge discounts on an item at the cost of very little or nothing.
Ex) A hacker finds a way to input the same coupon code multiple times, effectively stacking on discounts that were issued only once per usage.
b. Tampering with Cart and Checkout Parameters
Hackers make changes to the data of users during checkout which is being altered between their browser and website server. They could use the code to change variables like product price or shipping cost so they aren’t paying at all, or as much.
Use a browser developer console or proxy service — A hacker intercepts the checkout process and changes the price of an item inside their shopping cart before finalizing payment.
c. Exploiting Payment Gateway Vulnerabilities
The payment gateway — the service that handles credit card transactions over the internet, may have vulnerabilities in its integration with our site which hackers might exploit. Those things could help them avoid payments entirely, or make fraudulent purchases)
A criminal registrant does not allow the payment gateway to receive data and returns a spoof message that indicates success while unauthorized.
d. Using Bots to Automate Fraud
Bots can quickly and efficiently carry out a high number of thefts, each being intentional so there is no overarching increase in the amount of products stolen.
Example: A bot scanning multiple e-commerce websites that attempts to conduct tests on coupon codes or price manipulations until the website is found with a vulnerability.
2. How to Defend Against Hackers: Protecting Your Online Store
And, of course, as a website owner — having your e-commerce platform protected from hackers is crucial. How to Protect Yourself Against These Attacks
a. Enforce High-Security Measures
Https Used: Make sure your website is HTTPS encrypted, so the data transferred between customers and servers are safe.
Whenever a function came up, he did the compiler magic on stuff that was worse than our abysmal site optimizer and I upgraded the software.
Install a Web Application Firewall (WAF): A WAF can help filter out malicious requests, and protect against common attacks such as SQL injection or cross-site scripting.
b. Secure the Checkout Process
- Validate Input Data: Add strict validation for all user inputs, particularly during checkout to avoid the cart and payment details being manipulated.
- Restrict Coupon Code Usage: Create restrictions around how many times a coupon code can be used and check for anomalous usage in real time.
- Use Tokenization: Tokenization is the process of tokenizing sensitive information such as payment data, if that may be part of your checkout flow to avoid risk in case of unauthorized access during this point.
c. Monitor for Suspicious Activity
- Alerts: Set up automated alerts for monitoring your website, such as multiple cart add/coupon usage or repeated failed payments.
- Conduct Regular Security Audits: Conduct regular security audits and identify & rectify the vulnerabilities on your website.
- Record User Activity: We may record user activity during the checkout process including IP addresses and device information to detect and investigate fraudulent behaviors.
d. Educate Your Team and Customers
- Training: Educate your team on the latest security threats and how to recognize and respond to suspicious activity.
- Customer Awareness: Inform customers about the importance of securing their accounts with strong passwords and being cautious of phishing attempts.
3. How Consumers Can Protect Themselves
Consumers also need to be aware of the risks associated with online shopping and take steps to protect themselves from potential fraud:
a. Use Strong, Unique Passwords
Always use strong, unique passwords for your online shopping accounts. Consider using a password manager to help create and store complex passwords.
b. Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
Wherever possible, enable 2FA on your shopping accounts. This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of verification, such as a text message or authentication app.
c. Be Cautious of Phishing Scams
Phishing scams are common and can trick you into giving away your login credentials. Always verify the authenticity of emails or messages claiming to be from online stores.
d. Monitor Your Accounts
Regularly check your bank and credit card statements for any unauthorized transactions. If you notice any suspicious activity, report it to your bank or card issuer immediately.
Conclusion
The increased popularity of e-commerce also raised the stakes for hackers. Knowing how hackers make free product checkouts and what defenses can be employed will for sure go a long way to benefit businesses and consumers. Take steps to secure your business, and be mindful of the threats and risks you face every time go online or enter personal information over the Internet.
