As of release 3.5 Joomla is collecting stats data, thanks to the plugin of stats (works only when it’s enabled). It is found that there are so many websites which are not using currently supported release of Joomla 3.9.2. These data stats are based on Joomla, PHP, and database version. These statistics are quite important and shouldn’t be ignored.

The website update allows you to take advantage of the latest features and bug fixes. In minor and major releases, new features are implemented and can help you with many aspects of your website, such as its look and feel. One of the biggest reasons to update your website is the latest bug fixes. We work to fix any bugs in the code as soon as possible, and new bugs have been squashed with each new release.

The most important reason for updating your website is the security fixes for vulnerabilities. For every website owner to stay up with this is something important. The longer your website is outdated, the less secure it is and the more likely it will be hacked. As you may know, a hacked website can destroy your website or even breach your data.

First, we want to highlight some of the advantages of the current release. At the end of October 2018, Joomla released the Privacy Tool Suite with release 3.9 and had two patch releases so far. The latest release with the Privacy Tool Suite is 3.9.2, and it's as important as it sounds with the recent GDPR changes. The consent of the user to your Privacy Policy and/or Terms and Conditions is now a legal requirement in the EU, and this is handled easily and easily with the Privacy Tool Suite. You can even set it to expire (for any changes you make), and your users can consent again automatically! The Privacy Tool Suite also allows you to be aware of any actions taken on your website, as well as some other key features.

However, the newest release is not just about privacy! Our new enriched front-end option, more flexibility for your custom fields and faster product management are also included.

Secondly, let's talk about your extensions being updated. Developers do their utmost to keep their extensions up to date, so you should do the same with your website! The actual CMS update is not the only step in this process. You can usually update Joomla extensions! However, this is not always the case in the admin panel (backend) of your website. It is important to keep an inventory of all the extensions you use and to check with the developers for new updates frequently. This is just as important as updating the CMS, as an updated CMS may not work properly with outdated extensions.

 

Third, make sure your PHP release is updated. Just like outdated extensions, outdated or incompatible PHP releases may not work properly and will prevent the proper functioning of your website. Not only that, but an outdated PHP release is dangerous for your website's security. When your release is updated, data is better encrypted, and let's be honest, if attackers have access to your data, they have access to everything. Some other important aspects of keeping your PHP release up to date are to ensure that you have the support option (releases are only supported for such a long time). Newer releases also help to keep your website as fast as possible!

 

 Finally, when you are working on installing updates for your website, we would like to cover a few things to remember. Above all, you should always first take a backup. How important this is cannot be expressed sufficiently. The last thing you want to do is to update your website and your host will not have a recent backup available. When you update yourself, you should always do it one by one.  We would strongly suggest that you update your extensions first, one by one, and then your CMS. You should also test your site between each update. No, it doesn't mean just peering at the front. Look at the front and backend for a couple of random pages.

If you do not understand technical work or how to update your joomla website then just contact us. We have an expert Joomla development team for best and reliable Joomla development services. For development services in any CMS or Framework, contact us and share your requirements.