Lock down your Shopify store: the ultimate BFCM 2024 security checklist to protect your sales and data

Black Friday and Cyber Monday (BFCM) weekend is fast approaching, and for Shopify merchants, it’s the busiest time of year. While you’re prepping for the surge in traffic and sales, remember: it’s also the prime time for security risks. Bots, fraud, and data theft all spike during BFCM, making your store a target if you’re not prepared.

Here’s a security checklist to make sure your store stays safe while you focus on hitting your sales goals:

1. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA)

Make sure two-factor authentication is set up for every admin account on your Shopify store. This ensures that even if someone steals your password, they can’t log in without the second step of authentication. It’s simple but incredibly effective. Shopify has built-in support for 2FA that can make the process seamless.

2. Install a security app to shield your store

Adding a security-focused app can give you a safety net. Look at options like Shopify Protect, which offers built-in fraud detection and chargeback management for your orders. Another great option is ShopSecure, which specifically protects against cart scraping and content theft. Both apps will help you lock down potential vulnerabilities during high-traffic periods.

3. Update your apps and themes

Outdated apps and themes can leave your store wide open to exploits. Head to your Shopify admin and make sure every app and theme you’re using is updated to the latest version. Not only does this improve performance, but many updates include security patches that protect you from newly discovered threats.

4. Monitor traffic for suspicious activity

During BFCM, expect big spikes in traffic, but keep an eye out for anything unusual—like traffic from unexpected locations or sudden surges at odd hours. Use apps like Lucky Orange or Hotjar to monitor real-time behavior on your site. These tools can help you spot anything suspicious, like bots flooding your site or scraping your data.

5. Set fraud filters

Shopify has built-in fraud detection, but you can fine-tune it to flag risky transactions. Use Shopify Fraud Protect to automatically assess orders and protect you from chargebacks. You can also set specific rules—like flagging orders with different billing and shipping addresses, or orders that are much larger than your average order value.

6. Implement captchas on your forms and checkout

Bots love high-traffic times like BFCM, and they’ll try to exploit your checkout process. To stop them, use apps like reCaptcha or Shop Protector. These tools can add simple, non-intrusive captchas to your store, preventing bots from placing fake orders or scraping your inventory.

7. Back up your data

BFCM is not the time to risk losing your store’s data. Use apps like Rewind to automatically back up your product listings, customer data, and order history. If something goes wrong—whether it’s a hack or a server crash—having a backup means you can restore everything with minimal downtime.

8. Set up an order limit app

Cart scraping isn’t just about stealing prices—it’s also about snagging your inventory data, which can give competitors valuable insights into your stock levels. One way to combat this is by setting up an order limit. By limiting how many units of a product a single customer can purchase, you make it harder for scrapers and bots to pull large quantities of items into their carts just to extract your stock information.

Apps like DC Order Limits allow you to set maximum purchase quantities per product or per order, helping to shield your store from bots trying to scrape your inventory numbers. Not only does this safeguard your stock from malicious scraping, but it also keeps your real customers from being affected by inventory manipulation tactics used by competitors.

As you gear up for the BFCM rush, don’t just focus on the sales. Make sure your store is locked down and ready to handle the traffic—while keeping bad actors out. Following this checklist will help you stay secure so that while the orders roll in, you won’t be worrying about fraud, bots, or security breaches.

Your store’s success depends not only on how well you sell but on how well you protect what you’ve built.