YouTube icon

Oct 6, 2022

When it comes to online security, SSL certification, and PCI DDS as a whole, the stakes are incredibly high for online sellers and their creators. Moreover, the process of achieving compliance is complex. The e-commerce specialists at can assist. This is a comprehensive guide to web security and security for creators and explains how to maintain compliance as you grow your online sales.

SSL is a must for Online Sellers

When you look at the beginning of your website's URL, you will notice either an "HTTP" or "HTTPS." The final letter "s" is essential to online sellers since it means your site is secure.

SSL (Secure SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is an online security method that secures the data of users as it travels through your servers and your client's browser. This type of Transport Layer Security (TLS) keeps sensitive customer information protected. If you don't have SSL the hackers are able to intercept information (like customer's information about their credit card at the checkout) and interpret it into text.

    What Happens If Your Online Store Does Not Have an SSL Certificate?

SSL certificates are required for running an online shop, and website owners must renew their certificates every two years. But what happens if online sellers fail to maintain their SSL certificate?

  • Search Rankings: Both browsers and search engines are known to make websites less attractive to organic searches that do not have SSL certificates, by pushing them lower in online ranking, which means that your site may not be found by fewer customers. Learn more about Search Optimization (SEO) or Search Optimization (SEO) by taking the courses offered through CreatorU.
  • Security Warns: Your website will be labeled as not secure, and web browsers such as Google Chrome will inundate potential users with warnings to avoid visiting your site.
  • Hacking Threats When your clients have been hacked, you may lose the trust of your community--and you could find yourself financially responsible.

Thankfully, the solution here is simple. When you work with a secure e-commerce website (like ) this platform maintains SSL certificates for each of your supported sales pages.

By maintaining SSL certificates, these e-commerce platforms will help you to keep PCI conformant, which is essential for online sales.

PCI DSS Compliance and E-Commerce

PCI (Payment Card Industry) DSS is a global set of standard for data security that applies to all e-commerce websites accepting online payments. They regulate websites' security online to protect the payment information of customers. PCI standards are regularly revised to guard against new threats to security of data, and your e-commerce site should be able to adapt to the latest PCI DSS changes as they come out.

    What Happens If your E-Commerce Site is Not PCI Compliance?

Non-compliance to PCI DSS standards can financially ruin online sellers--especially small businesses. Payment processors begin to slap your bank with huge penalty fees (up to 6 figures per month of non-compliance) that the bank will pass to the business.

There is also the possibility of the possibility of closing your bank account and paying higher processing fees charged by payment processors. Even modest non-compliance fees (starting at $5,000 per month) can quickly bankrupt small-scale businesses.

Making sure you are in compliance with the latest online security standards can be difficult for businesses of every size. It is therefore obvious why many online sellers partner with an e-commerce platform offering an integrated PCI DSS conformity like .

: Sell From Your Own Website

    Do websites have security?

Most importantly, every sale page is fully compliant and secure. Sales pages are equipped with security options, such as SSL, SCA, GDPR and PCI DSS compliance.