A website is designed using content management and browsing software that is currently on the market. As new software is introduce you may experience irregular results when the website is viewed. I can provide ongoing support for WordPress, hosting, browser software and plugins with a website maintenance package.
Word Press Software
WordPress software is updated periodically to add new security features and functionality. This can be done automatically by your hosting company and can occasionally cause issues on your site. This will usually be fixed by updating the plugins and theme, as their developers will be aware of these updates and will test for issues periodically.
WordPress Themes
The theme will also receive updates, with new security features and new functions. Before updating a theme, take a back-up of the site first so you can roll back to the old version before the update if the new theme version causes problems.
Back ups
If your website is hosted by me then I take a daily back-up which i store for 30 days on a rolling contract. When i build a site I also add back-up plugin called Updraft Plus Backups.
Click Settings on the left-hand side menu and click Updraft Plus Back-ups – Click the Back-up Now button. This can take up to 10 minutes, depending on the size of your website. I will also set the plugin to automatically take a back-up, periodically.
Security
I will install a plugin called Wordfence that will help keep the site secure and block attacks from external sources. It is a free version of the plugin, but I have found it to be more than adequate for protecting all the WordPress websites I run.
Why does my site always need updating?
Regular updates to software, theme and plugins are launched as technology changes and security threats are identified. WordPress is open-source software, meaning the source code is freely available for anyone to use, modify, and distribute.
Before you update your website, back-up the site first so you can roll back to the old version before the update if the plugin causes problems.
What is the risk in delaying an update?
1. Minor updates typically address improvements, not vulnerabilities: Minor version updates (e.g., from 6.6.19 to 6.6.21) usually include bug fixes, performance enhancements, or small feature improvements. They do not generally relate to critical security issues unless this is specifically mentioned in the changelog.
2. As long as the version of the theme or plugin you’re using doesn’t have any publicly disclosed vulnerabilities, there is no immediate cause for concern. If a serious security issue had been discovered, it would likely be addressed in a major update or a clearly labelled security patch.
3. Premium plugins are not as commonly targeted by automated attacks as widely used free plugins. While no plugin is completely immune, the lower exposure means that minor version gaps are rarely a significant risk.
4. Good hosting and security practices mitigate risk: If your website is hosted on a secure platform, uses a firewall (such as a web application firewall), and you regularly update WordPress core and other plugins/themes, your overall risk is already low. In such environments, it’s highly unlikely (but not impossible) that a minor version difference in a plugin would pose a real threat.
5. Security notices can be easily monitored. You can monitor the plugin’s update history and scan reports from reputable sources such as Wordfence, which tracks vulnerabilities and alerts users if any version of an installed plugin is known to be insecure.