Last weekend (22/23 June) we rolled out a routine maintenance patch for the Content Management System (CMS) used on our clients’ websites.

Just like the Windows Updates you may install on your desktop computer each month, the CMS we use is also updated regularly to keep it running reliably and safely.

Did you know that one of our typical CMS-based websites has over 4,000 system files?!

In this latest release 44 files were updated, which addressed twelve bugs and seven security issues.

Whilst we extensively customise the CMS for our own Primary Image customers (making our own changes to make the software even easier to use), the base software is called WordPress and it’s used by million of websites around the world (in fact it’s used by 1 in 5 websites!).

Security is our priority

Unlike many other web design companies, we install updates as soon as they’re available to keep your website secure. WordPress strongly recommend the updates are installed straight away, however many webmasters don’t do this and leave their websites vulnerable.

We did a quick search of local Southend websites and found, of those running WordPress, only one out of the fifteen sites we looked at was running the latest secure version. In fact one website, a local school, was using a version that hadn’t been updated for over two years. In that time nine major security updates have been released!

As well as installing updates and doing subsequent testing to ensure everything is working smoothly, we also add a strong layer of security, uniquely developed by Primary Image, to further protect your website.

In the latest round of CMS updates, we also upgraded various modules, such as contact forms, automatic tweeting for news stories, events management systems, spam protection and more. The exact work will depend on the functionality of your website, however the updates were all performance and security related – you will not notice any significant changes to how your website operates.

Looking after your website

We always do these routine updates out of normal hours and, in this case, performed the work over night during the past weekend, which ensures minimum disruption in case any of the websites experienced issues during the installation of the upgrades. In the event, none of the websites had any issues and there was no downtime whatsoever!

You’ll also be pleased to hear that a significant upgrade to the CMS is coming soon, with brand-new features, completely free of charge to all our existing website customers.

If you have any questions, as always don’t hesitate to contact us! Remember this work is all part of our inclusive CMS Hosting and Maintenance package.