What happens if my website software doesn’t get updated?

If you see a bunch of notifications asking you to update your website’s software, there’s usually a reason. While most people think that frequent updates are just a way to bloat your storage and fill it with unnecessary data, most updates will help keep your site running smoothly and avoid security threats.

Security Risks

People all over the world can find and report flaws in a system, leading the developer to update their programs; you then must apply the update for your site. Using WordPress as an example:

1. Security flaws are discovered in the current version of WordPress
2. The development team creates a fix for the issue in a “security patch”
3. Website owners are prompted to update their WordPress with a prompt stating, “WordPress X.X.X is available! Please update now!”
4. Once the site is updated, the security issue will be fixed

Hackers use scanners to search the web and find WordPress sites running on the old version. After they find your site, it’s easy to hack because they know exactly what the security weaknesses are.

Performance Issues

Using outdated software can cause issues with speed and compatibility, especially when working with multiple programs that need to interact seamlessly. If some programs are designed to be compatible with newer versions of others, an outdated program can fall behind and run incorrectly, often slowing down other features of the site. This leads to long loading times and lower search engine scores, which may cause your site to be visited less often.

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By Neon Goldfish