Your website might look exactly the same as it did a year ago, but the technology behind it certainly hasn’t stood still. Online security is constantly evolving, and while developers are working hard to keep websites safe, hackers are always looking for new ways to find and exploit weaknesses. More recently, AI has added another layer to the mix, making it easier to identify security flaws that might previously have gone unnoticed.
Why does this matter?
A recent security vulnerability affecting PHP highlighted just how quickly things can escalate. The flaw had been known about since 2024, but was initially considered too difficult to exploit. With AI helping to uncover vulnerabilities, the risk changed. Information about the flaw was accidentally published before a patch was available, and both Cloudflare and Amazon reported attempts to exploit it.
Thankfully, none of our clients were affected, as we don't use PHP in our website development. However, it was a useful reminder that website security isn't something you can simply sort once and forget about.
Keeping your website in good shape
At Purple, we invest in our hosting platform to help prevent malicious traffic from reaching the websites we look after. We also keep an eye on security updates and improvements to our content management systems (CMS), so we can advise our clients on the best ways to keep their websites secure.
One of our recommendations is to upgrade your website's CMS software roughly once a year, unless an urgent security issue means it needs attention sooner. The cost will depend on your website and the functionality it uses, but regular upgrades and maintenance can help keep things manageable. Leaving upgrades for several years can mean a bigger job, more work to bring everything up to date and potentially more cost along the way.
A little maintenance goes a long way
We know that website upgrades might not be top of your to-do list, especially when your site is ticking along nicely and doing what you need it to do. But keeping the technology behind it up to date is an important part of looking after your online presence.
As AI continues to develop, security threats are likely to keep evolving too. We can't promise that any website will be completely immune to attacks, but we can take sensible steps to reduce the risks.
We'll keep an eye on the changes that matter, let you know when your website needs attention and help you work out the best way forward. After all, keeping your website running smoothly is a team effort, and we're here to help you stay one step ahead.