Is your WordPress site falling behind?

It is estimated that WordPress powers approximately 27 % of the entire internet, and it’s the most widely used content management system. That equates to millions of websites. Chances are, your website is run on WordPress also.

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While many websites are run on WordPress, many of these are outdated. As a website owner or manager, it is important to you keep your website updated – its security is dependent on this. The safety of your site could affect your credibility as a business, especially if you collect customer data. It is therefore imperative that you address areas of weakness.

How to keep your website safe:

1. Always have the latest version of WordPress installed. WordPress is constantly updated to make improvements and fix any vulnerabilities which may be present in the current version. Hackers can exploit these vulnerabilities that exist on websites that have not been updated. If possible, set WordPress to automatically update when a newer version is available.

2. Along with the latest WordPress version, plugins and themes should also be updated as soon as new versions are released.

Stay away from plugins that have not been updated for a while and also plugin developers with a bad reputation. Lean towards those that have good ratings and reviews.

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Use a child theme with your website – if you are not already using one, consider adding it. Child themes makes it easier to update themes, as you do not have to worry about losing changes made to your WordPress site – which is often the reason people hesitate to update their themes.

3. Update notification
Use a plugin such as WordFence, or similar, that will send a notification immediately if a plugin or theme becomes outdated and a newer version is available. It also provides other critical information about website security. Regularly scan your websites for potential loopholes. If you are unable to do it yourself, there are a number of firms offering WordPress web design in London (https://happy2host.com/) – they would be able to help you set up and manage this.

4. Update passwords
Update passwords regularly. Use long passwords containing letters, numbers and special characters. Whenever you allow access to your account, for example, for work to be done, change the password immediately afterwards, and do the same if someone who has access leaves your business.