Being complacent when it comes time to update your WordPress website can have a detrimental effect on your website’s security and functionality. Since WordPress is such an immensely popular CMS platform, it also makes it a tempting target for hackers and code distributors. Since WordPress uses open source coding, it is easily studied by just about anybody. Thus, WordPress updates always look to address known security vulnerabilities. Without updating your WordPress in conjunction with these security updates, your website can become susceptible to attack from malicious entities who search for sites running older versions of WordPress.

In addition to addressing security issues, WordPress updates also address a number of critical aspects. For instance, each WordPress update will include performance updates aimed at increasing speed and performance. Some updates will include new features that will improve the user experience, i.e better plugin installation, inline image editing, etc. It is also to important to note that a failure to update, means that the plugins currently used on your website could encounter compatibility issues. Not only that, but outdated WordPress plugins can be exploited by hackers and malicious code. There is very little to risk when updating your WordPress website, and the upside of having the latest WordPress running is too valuable to ignore.