WordPress is an amazing tool and we use it for virtually all of our client sites, but it’s essential to keep it upgraded. Because of its immense popularity, it is a popular target for hackers. Simply by keeping it up-to-date you’ll be secure from virtually all of those attacks. In fact, 83% of hacked WordPress sites weren’t upgraded to the latest version, and most of the rest of the attacks were from insecure web hosts. We upgrade all of our clients to the latest version of WordPress within two days of every update, we recommend only top-notch hosting companies (such as ClickHOST and HostGator), and as a results we have yet to experience any kind of hacking-related issue with any site we manage.
What’s involved in a WordPress update?
WordPress updates have gotten easier over the years. WordPress now has a one-click update option, which is both awesome and scary. It’s awesome because it makes it very easy to update your site. It’s scary because if something goes wrong you’re in big, big trouble. Rather than the one-click update, we take our time and do it right.
Here’s how we do it:
- We back up all of your files.
- We back up your database. At this point, if anything goes wrong we can quickly revert back.
- We update any plug-ins that need to be upgraded for compatibility or security purposes.
- We load all of the updated WordPress files.
- We open up the site and make sure everything is working properly.
It’s not a difficult process, but it can be time consuming. If you need help keeping your site updated, just talk to us and we’ll be happy to help you take care of it.
Here is a great piece that shows more about why sites get hacked and everything involved in the WordPress update process:
(via wpbeginner)
