Cybersecurity is More Important to Consumers than ever before
18 years ago, a virus by the name of MyDoom was unleashed against SCO Group. In 2004, it caused $38 billion dollars’ worth of damage through denial-of-service attacks. In today’s dollars adjusting for inflation, MyDoom was responsible for $57 billion in damages. It spread through spam emails designed to entice users to click on it. It appeared to be an innocent email and as many as 500,000 computers were affected. Once executed a program within the email would activate and through a backdoor, hackers could gain access to a victim’s computer. This and other viruses since, have put cybersecurity at the forefront of consumers’ minds. They are used to viruses and scams and most have basic anti-virus software. Consumers need to trust a website to make a purchase, and there are many ways this can be done. HyperText Transfer Protocol Secure encrypts data as it’s sent between a browser and website, providing a more secure environment for payments and other sensitive information. Websites with this protocol begin with “https://” and help consumers feel comfortable exchanging their sensitive information. Thanks to advances in coding over the years, https technology is now widely available for a low price. Another way to gain consumer trust is by implementing a 2-step verification process. The added security and trust are worth the work and cost to implement. It may seem insignificant, but these small changes go a long way in web design.
