{"id":12910,"date":"2024-12-10T15:57:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-10T14:57:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/?p=12910"},"modified":"2025-02-06T08:07:48","modified_gmt":"2025-02-06T07:07:48","slug":"risks-outdated-php-versions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/risks-outdated-php-versions\/","title":{"rendered":"Beware of the risks of outdated PHP on your website"},"content":{"rendered":"

At Combell, securing your hosting is our top priority. But your website also needs to be well-protected. That\u2019s why our customers can always count on the latest PHP versions. Did you know that an outdated PHP version can put your website at risk in several ways?<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Update your PHP version for free today<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Via our control panel<\/em><\/p>\n

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When your website or webshop is hosted by Combell, you can rest assured. As a hosting provider, we maintain the foundations on and around your site.<\/strong><\/p>\n

To protect your online business, we take the most secure precautions on our end, such as robust firewalls and monitoring against DDoS attacks.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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What is PHP?<\/p>\n

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PHP is a programming language that makes websites interactive and dynamic, such as those built with WordPress or Joomla. It enables your site to process data and respond to visitor actions, like completed forms or searches.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Why you should update your PHP version<\/h2>\n

As a website owner, you must also take steps to secure your site. If your website uses PHP, it\u2019s crucial<\/strong> to keep the PHP version up-to-date.<\/p>\n

Your website might look great, but its real power lies under the hood.<\/strong> PHP, the technology behind popular platforms like WordPress, Joomla, and Drupal, is a key component.<\/p>\n

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Websites with outdated PHP are easy targets for hackers<\/h3>\n

Websites using outdated PHP are extremely vulnerable.<\/strong> Older PHP versions no longer receive security updates from the PHP community, which means newly discovered vulnerabilities are left unresolved.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Failing to update makes your website or webshop\u2014something you\u2019ve likely spent years building\u2014an easy target for hackers.<\/strong> These attackers actively search for websites running outdated PHP versions to exploit them.<\/p>\n

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\"Hackers
Hackers tend to attack sites running old PHP versions.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Data loss<\/h4>\n

Even if the rest of your site is up-to-date, an outdated PHP version still leaves your website exposed. Trust us\u2014it\u2019s only a matter of time before your site gets hacked.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Hackers use malicious automated scripts to find and infect insecure websites with viruses. This can lead to data loss, theft of sensitive information, or even a fully compromised site.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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New PHP versions make your site safer and faster<\/h3>\n

Keeping your PHP version up-to-date ensures your site remains secure, lightning-fast, and modern.<\/strong><\/p>\n

At Combell, we provide our customers with the latest PHP versions free of charge from day<\/strong> one to help your site perform optimally and protect it from risks.<\/p>\n

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Curious if your PHP version is still supported with security updates?<\/h4>\n
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Check the overview of supported PHP versions<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Tip<\/p>\n

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Don\u2019t want to handle updates yourself and have a WordPress website?<\/strong> With Managed WordPress<\/a>, we take care of all PHP updates for you, along with other updates for themes, plugins, etc. This ensures your website always performs at its best.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Outdates PHP causes more problems<\/h2>\n

Hackers killing your website; you can't get any worse, right? In case you're not easily impressed, we list the other security problems<\/strong> that old PHP versions cause.<\/p>\n

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Performance issues<\/h3>\n

An outdated PHP version can disrupt your site\u2019s performance. Customers expect fast loading times, and a slow website drives them straight to the competition. Luckily, newer PHP versions come with handy optimizations:<\/p>\n

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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Faster loading times:<\/strong> New PHP versions ensure your site runs smoothly.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Bug fixes:<\/strong> Errors in older versions are resolved, making your site more stable.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Improved user experience:<\/strong> A faster website keeps visitors happy and increases their likelihood of staying longer. \ud83d\ude09<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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\"Sites
Sites running outdated PHP versions might load slower.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n
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Compatibility issues<\/h3>\n

Developers focus on the latest PHP versions when creating themes, plugins, and other tools. As a result, older versions fall behind. Here\u2019s what you might encounter:<\/p>\n

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<\/path><\/svg><\/span>Themes and plugins stop working:<\/strong> Updating a theme or plugin might cause your site to break.<\/span><\/div>\n
<\/path><\/svg><\/span>CMS issues:<\/strong> Platforms like WordPress and Joomla may not function well (or at all) on outdated PHP versions.<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Missing out on new features<\/h3>\n

New features often accompany new PHP versions. By installing the latest versions, you benefit from the latest advancements and improvements<\/strong> in the programming language.<\/p>\n

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Caution!<\/p>\n

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Switching to a new PHP version is more than just tweaking a setting. You must ensure your site is compatible with the latest version; otherwise, it might stop working after the update.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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Update your PHP version today!<\/h2>\n

Regularly updating your PHP version is crucial to fix security vulnerabilities and ensure your website runs at its best.<\/p>\n

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Update your PHP version for free today<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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Via our control panel<\/em><\/p>\n

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Check out our guide on how to change your PHP version.<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Outdated PHP versions pose a big risk to your website. Find out why it is important to stay up-to-date and what dangers an outdated PHP version poses.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":33,"featured_media":12915,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[75],"tags":[252],"acf":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small.jpg",1200,420,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-50x50.jpg",50,50,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-300x105.jpg",300,105,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-768x269.jpg",768,269,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-1024x358.jpg",1024,358,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small.jpg",1200,420,false],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small.jpg",1200,420,false],"post-featured":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-850x290.jpg",850,290,true],"post-featured-opt":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-750x256.jpg",750,256,true],"post-featured-opt-md":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-850x290.jpg",850,290,true],"post-featured-opt-sm":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-485x165.jpg",485,165,true],"post-featured-opt-xs":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-375x128.jpg",375,128,true],"post-most-popular":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-50x50.jpg",50,50,true],"post-author":["https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/files\/risicos-van-verouderde-php-versies-header-small-60x60.jpg",60,60,true]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"Amber","author_link":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/author\/amber\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"Outdated PHP versions pose a big risk to your website. Find out why it is important to stay up-to-date and what dangers an outdated PHP version poses.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12910"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/33"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12910"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12910\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":12998,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12910\/revisions\/12998"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12915"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12910"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12910"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.combell.com\/en\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12910"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}