Are Website Updates Important?

Yes, Yes, Yes!!!

Planetguide Website SecurityIf you do not update your website on a regular basis, it is not a question of whether you are going to get hacked, but when. In our present day and age, security should be one of the top priorities for businesses both large and small. We have all heard about large companies being hacked with data stolen, but the same things can happen to smaller companies.

Choose a Secure Website Platform

There are many reasons why websites will get hacked such as bad passwords and viruses, but one of the top reasons is because of the vulnerability in the website’s framework and platform. WordPress is not only one of the easiest platforms to use, but it is one of the most secure sites for your business to be built on. WordPress powers over 28% of the internet for website platforms. At Planetguide, we strongly advocate WordPress sites not only because our customer’s can add and delete content on their own, but also because it is regularly updated. New updates and patches come out every months for WordPress.  Each new WordPress major update has security features that are designed to protect against hackers while improving other design processes.  Websites that stay on older versions of WordPress are more likely to get hacked, as hackers can find out what WordPress version your website is on and worm their way in through backdoor portals.

Why are there so many different types of updates?

There are a variety of updates that range from patches to major security updates and each one impacts the security of your website. Before implemented your updates, make sure you make a complete backup first of your website.

Patches are really focused on bug fixes, or other non-security related issues. It does not mean though that they do not also include security issues into them. Website patches are literally a bandaid that “patches” a problem until the critical update is implemented. These updates should not break your environment, but it’s always a possibility.

Plugins & Extensions Updates can be a little tricky. Just because your plugin or extension does not say it needs to be updated, does not mean that it is up to date. Free plugins are dangerous. Some are fine and are regularly updated and supported, and others can literally open the door for hackers to come in and take what they want. Sometimes these items are not supported or are no longer available. Always check your plugins to make sure they are still relevant in the internet world and remove all plugins that are not used or are obsolete. Plugins and extensions are fun, but be careful and wise in the ones that you choose. Downloading plugins in one situation in technology where you do not want to be the first one trying it out. Let others work out the bugs before you bring it into your website.

Security Updates are extremely important and must be implemented as soon as possible. A security update is a solution to a vulnerability in the website. A Security update should not break your website, but it too is always a possibility.

Major Release Updates are the reason why people hate to implement updates…they cause problems for your website. When a major release update is implemented, forms can break, the website layout can change, images can disappear and more.These updates can cause a lot of issues for website owners, especially highly extensible environments like Content Management Systems (CMS) that allow for easy extensibility through extensions, plugins, templates, and themes. Prior to implementing a Major Release Update, prepare to fix problems associated with the update to your website.

If you are interested in learning more about what you can do to maintain your website and protect it from hackers, call Planetguide.com at 504-888-5384.