30-08-22

More secure with PHP 7.4

Some of you may have noticed that there was a warning showing on your WordPress administration dashboard telling you that you needed to update your version of PHP and that the present version php7.3 was insecure:

Your site is running an insecure version of PHP (7.3.33), which should be updated.

This is because the version PHP7.3.33 has reached it’s end of life and is no longer actively supported. We have therefore undertaken the work to update all sites now to the latest supported version of PHP, (7.4), so your site will now be running faster and even more secure.

More information about what PHP is and why keeping it up to date is important

PHP is the programming language used to build and maintain WordPress. Newer versions of PHP are created with increased performance in mind, so you may see a positive effect on your site’s performance.

There are two main benefits to keeping PHP up-to-date:

• Your website will be faster as the latest version of PHP is more efficient. Updating to the latest supported version (currently 7.4) can deliver a huge performance increase; up to 3 or 4x faster for older versions.
• Your website will be more secure. PHP, like WordPress, is maintained by its community. Because PHP is so popular, it is a target for hackers – but the latest version will have the latest security features. Older versions of PHP do not have this, so updating is essential to keep your WordPress site secure.

And then there are a number of secondary benefits:

• A faster WordPress website will be rewarded by search engines, so you’ll rank higher in search!
• A faster website will retain visitors better (they’ll leave if it takes too long to load), making your website more effective.
• A more secure website is better protected against hackers, and the cost and reputational damage associated with a hacked website.

These benefits are good for you, and good for your website’s visitors.