PHP Update Required – WordPress’s new Site Health tool
WordPress 5.1 “Betty” was released to the public yesterday. One of the new features added to 5.1 is the Site Health tool, which can be used to check the version of PHP running on your server. If WordPress detects you are using an out of date or insecure version, it will make recommendations on how to go about upgrading.
Keeping up to date with new versions of PHP is important to ensure the security of your website. There is also the additional benefit of potential performance improvements, each version of PHP released is typically able to handle more requests per second than the last.
As of writing this article, the supported PHP versions are 7.1, 7.2 and 7.3; anyone using earlier versions should upgrade as soon as possible. In addition, those using 7.1 should be looking to move up to 7.2 or 7.3 before security support ends on 1st December 2019.
At Port Eighty we work closely with our clients to ensure they know of any potential risks and make recommendations on how to improve their website security. We work with WordPress, Drupal and many other Content Management Systems across a variety of different sectors. We know the importance of maintaining a secure site for your company’s reputation. In this post-GDPR world, security cannot take a back seat!
Contact us today if you would like help moving your website to one of our PHP 7.1+ servers!