If your website hasn’t been updated in a while, it is not just slow, it is unsafe. WordPress itself is solid, yet outdated plugins and themes create gaps and vulnerabilities that attackers routinely exploit.
What Happened in the Last Month
- Weekly surge in disclosures. Wordfence recorded 43 vulnerabilities (38 plugins, 3 themes), jumping to 441 vulnerabilities (393 plugins, 16 themes), then another 93 vulnerabilities (83 plugins, 2 themes). These swings show how quickly risk can escalate.
- High-profile plugin risk. On 11 Aug 2025, researchers submitted an Arbitrary File Read flaw affecting Slider Revolution (impacting over 4 million installs). Sites running older versions needed urgent patching.
- Sustained researcher activity. Wordfence’s August 2025 monthly report logged 438 vulnerability submissions, underscoring the volume of issues found and fixed each month.
Why Older Sites are at Higher Risk
- Unsupported software. Old PHP, CMS cores, themes, and plugins miss security patches.
- Compatibility breaks. Newer patches can fail on outdated stacks, so owners delay updates, increasing exposure.
- Attack automation. Once a flaw is disclosed, bots scan and exploit vulnerable versions within hours.
A Simple Plan to Get Safe and Stay Safe
- Audit your website. Inventory plugins, themes, PHP version, and hosting configuration.
- Patch and replace. Update supported tools, replace abandonware and plugins that are no longer being updated, and remove what you do not use.
- Harden security. Review your website admin users, enable a Web Application Firewall, set daily off-site backups, and add uptime monitoring.
- Modernise performance. Improve Core Web Vitals with image optimisation, caching, and consider a CDN. Faster sites convert better and are easier to protect.
- Schedule maintenance. Monthly updates, quarterly plugin reviews, an annual platform refresh keep technical debt low and 6‑monthly speed optimisation.
Hosting Matters — the Hidden Cost of Cheap Hosting
Cheap hosting can look attractive, yet it often excludes maintenance, updates, and active security. Our managed hosting includes core, theme, and plugin updates, proactive security hardening, server-level malware protection, daily backups, uptime monitoring, and support, so your site stays fast, secure, and worry-free.
Spring 2025 Special: Website Refresh and Security Tune-up
As part of our Spring Refresh, you will receive your first year of managed hosting included, plus four months of SEO to lift visibility.
We will review your site, prioritise critical fixes, refresh and redesign website pages, set up managed backups, monitoring, and hosting.
Our hosting covers core, theme, and plugin updates, proactive security hardening, server-level malware protection, daily off-site backups, uptime monitoring, and friendly support, so your website stays fast, secure, and search-ready.
Available until 30 November 2025.
Ready to Stop Playing Catch-up?
Book a quick call here, and we will map your website refresh that delivers you visibility gains.
FAQs
1. Why is my WordPress website at risk if I haven’t updated it?
Outdated plugins, themes, and core files create security gaps that hackers exploit. Even if WordPress itself is secure, failing to update components puts your site at risk.
2. What happens when a plugin vulnerability is disclosed?
Once a vulnerability becomes public, bots can scan for and attack affected websites within hours. Fast patching is critical to avoid compromise.
3. How often are new WordPress plugin vulnerabilities found?
Every week. In August 2025 alone, Wordfence reported hundreds of plugin and theme vulnerabilities. Unmaintained sites are highly exposed.
4. Can cheap hosting increase my security risk?
Yes. Low-cost hosts often skip essential updates and security hardening. This leaves your website vulnerable to malware, slowdowns, and downtime.
5. What is the best way to secure an outdated WordPress site?
Start with a full audit. Update all plugins, themes, and core files, remove unused tools, and enable daily backups and a web application firewall.
6. How often should I update my website plugins and themes?
Update plugins and themes monthly. Review your plugin stack quarterly and refresh your platform annually to minimise risk.
7. Why do older websites load slower?
Outdated sites lack image optimisation, modern caching, and performance tuning. This affects user experience, SEO, and AI visibility.
8. Does site speed affect my ranking or visibility in AI search?
Yes. Site speed plays a role in how search engines and AI tools assess quality and reliability. Faster websites are easier for crawlers and AI models to process, which can improve visibility, indexing accuracy, and citation likelihood.
9. What’s the risk of keeping abandoned plugins on my site?
Abandoned plugins no longer receive security patches. Keeping them installed gives attackers a known way to gain access to your site.
10. How can I improve my website’s visibility and security this spring?
Schedule a full website refresh with Concept Designs & Marketing today. Update and secure your site, improve performance, and take advantage of managed hosting and SEO support.
