Listen to this post: How to Keep Plugins and Themes Secure and Up to Date (WordPress)
A WordPress site can look calm on the surface, like a shopfront after closing time. But behind the glass, it’s still a working building with doors, keys, staff access, and stock. Plugins and themes are part of that building, and when they’re out of date, you’re leaving a window unlatched.
Updates aren’t just about new features or nicer layouts. Most updates exist because someone found a weakness and the developer patched it. Miss the patch, and you’re betting your site will be ignored. That’s not a bet worth making.
Why plugin and theme updates are a security task, not a chore
Every plugin and theme adds code to your site. More code means more places for bugs to hide. Some bugs are harmless, others let attackers do things they should never be able to do.
Recent reporting in January 2026 has highlighted how quickly a single vulnerable plugin can become a problem at scale. One example is a widely used plugin (Modular DS) where attackers began actively exploiting a serious flaw to take over sites and create admin accounts, with site owners urged to update to the patched version as soon as possible. That pattern is common: once a weakness becomes public, automated scans start hunting.
The WordPress team’s own guidance is blunt: keep WordPress core, plugins, and themes up to date. Their WordPress security guidance treats updating as one of the most important habits you can build.
The quiet risks people forget about
Security issues don’t always look like a skull-and-crossbones warning. They often start small.
- A plugin update you postpone “until tomorrow”.
- A theme you keep “just in case”, even though you switched months ago.
- A plugin you installed for a one-off campaign, then forgot existed.
That forgotten code still runs on your server. Attackers don’t care if you’re using the settings page, they care that the files are there.
And here’s the uncomfortable truth: you don’t need to be a high-profile brand to be targeted. Most attacks are automated and opportunistic. If your site responds in the right way to a probe, it becomes the next door that opens.
Choose plugins and themes like you’re hiring contractors
Before you even think about update routines, you need a clean starting point. “Secure and up to date” is much easier when the plugin or theme was maintained properly in the first place.
When you’re assessing a plugin or theme, look for signals of care:
Update history: Frequent updates over time usually mean the developer is active. A plugin that hasn’t been updated in years is a risk, even if it “still works”.
Compatibility notes: Does it claim compatibility with recent WordPress versions?
Support responses: If the support area is full of unresolved security complaints, walk away.
Reputation and distribution: Stick to trusted sources, most commonly WordPress.org. Avoid “nulled” themes and plugins. They often come with hidden backdoors, and you’ll never get reliable updates.
If you want an official overview of what “hardening” means beyond updates, WordPress maintains a practical checklist in the Hardening WordPress handbook. It’s written for site owners and admins, not just developers.
Build a real update system (not a guilty reminder)
Many people treat updates like brushing snow off a car. You can do it in a rush, but if you keep ignoring it, you’ll eventually be late and stuck.
A better approach is a system that fits your site’s pace and risk.
A simple update cadence that works
Here’s a sensible baseline for most small to mid-sized WordPress sites:
| Task | Frequency | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Check for plugin and theme updates | Weekly | Stops the slow build-up of missed patches |
| Apply security fixes marked urgent | Same day | Active exploits move fast once known |
| Review installed plugins and themes | Monthly | Removes forgotten code and reduces risk |
| Test critical site functions | After updates | Catches conflicts before users do |
If your site takes payments, stores accounts, or publishes daily, tighten the timing. If your site is brochure-only, weekly is still sensible, it’s just less stressful.
Automatic updates: helpful, but not “set and forget”
WordPress supports auto-updates for plugins and themes. Used well, they reduce the time a vulnerability sits on your site.
WordPress documents how it works, including notifications and troubleshooting, in its guide on plugin and theme auto-updates.
When auto-updates are a good idea
Auto-updates work best for:
- Security plugins, caching plugins, and small utilities from reputable developers
- Minor releases that mostly patch bugs and security holes
- Sites where the cost of being hacked is higher than the cost of a minor layout glitch
When you should be careful
Be cautious with auto-updates if:
- Your theme is heavily customised
- You rely on a page builder plus multiple add-ons (these can clash)
- The site has complex e-commerce flows or membership rules
A practical compromise is to enable auto-updates for low-risk plugins, then manually update high-impact components (your theme, page builder, checkout plugins) after a quick check.
Use a staging site so updates don’t feel like gambling
Updating on a live site can feel like changing a car tyre on the motorway. A staging site gives you space to test without panic.
If your host offers one-click staging, use it. If not, you can still create a separate staging environment, it just takes more setup.
What should you test before pushing updates live?
Front-end basics: Home page, key landing pages, menus, forms.
Money pages: Basket, checkout, payment confirmation, email receipts.
Admin workflows: Editing posts, uploading images, SEO plugin settings.
Keep the tests short and repeatable. You’re not trying to prove perfection, you’re trying to catch the obvious breaks that upset users and cost revenue.
Backups and rollbacks: your safety net has to be real
Updates go wrong. Sometimes it’s a plugin conflict. Sometimes a theme update changes a template. Sometimes a hosting change makes file permissions behave oddly.
Backups only help if they’re:
- Recent
- Complete (files and database)
- Easy to restore quickly
Before you apply a batch of updates, take a fresh backup. If you use automated backups, confirm you can restore, not just that the backup exists.
A good habit is to keep at least two restore points: yesterday’s and last week’s. That covers both “update broke the site” and “problem started days ago but you only noticed now”.
Trim the plugin list, and delete what you don’t use
Deactivating is not the same as removing. Deactivated plugins still sit on the server. If a vulnerable file can be accessed directly, deactivation may not protect you.
Do a monthly tidy:
Delete unused plugins: If you’re not using it and don’t plan to, remove it.
Delete unused themes: Keep your active theme and one default WordPress theme as a fallback. Remove the rest.
Replace multi-purpose monsters: If one plugin does 20 things and you use two, consider leaner options. Less code reduces your attack surface.
This doesn’t mean “use the fewest plugins possible at all costs”. It means every plugin should justify its place.
Watch for “abandoned” plugins and themes
A plugin can be popular and still become risky if it’s no longer maintained.
Warning signs include:
- No updates for a long time
- Compatibility warnings after WordPress core updates
- Support forums that have gone silent
- The developer’s website disappearing or changing focus
If you spot these, plan a replacement before you’re forced into one during an emergency. Migration is easier when your site is calm.
Add basic hardening so updates aren’t your only defence
Updates reduce known risks. Hardening reduces the damage if something slips through.
Here are high-impact moves that don’t need advanced skills:
Use strong logins: Unique passwords, a password manager, and two-factor authentication where possible.
Limit admin accounts: Every admin login is a master key. Keep the number small.
Disable file editing in the dashboard: It reduces the harm if an attacker gains admin access.
Lock down permissions: File and folder permissions should be tight enough that random scripts can’t write where they like.
If you want a structured learning path written for site owners, the Learn WordPress tutorial, 7 tips to improve website security, is a useful quick guide that covers habits beyond updates.
Monitor your site like you’d monitor a bank card
Most people don’t stare at their bank app all day. They set alerts and check statements. Your website needs the same mindset.
What should you monitor?
New admin users: Sudden new admin accounts are a classic warning sign.
Unexpected plugin installs: If something appears that you didn’t add, treat it as a serious incident.
File changes: A monitoring tool can tell you when core files change.
Traffic spikes to odd URLs: Repeated hits to strange paths can be scanning activity.
A reputable security plugin can help with this. For example, Wordfence Security is widely used for firewall rules, malware scanning, and login protection. It won’t replace updates, but it can shorten the time between “something’s wrong” and “you know”.
A clean update process you can follow every week
When you sit down to update, follow the same order each time. Routine reduces mistakes.
- Take a backup (or confirm a fresh automated backup exists and can be restored).
- Update plugins first (start with smaller ones, leave major builders for last).
- Update the theme next.
- Run your quick test list (home page, forms, checkout, logins).
- Check error logs or security alerts if you have them.
- Remove anything you no longer use.
If you manage multiple sites, write that list down and use it every time. It’s the difference between “I think I updated everything” and “I know what I did”.
What to do when a critical vulnerability hits the news
When you hear about an actively exploited plugin flaw, speed matters, but so does calm thinking.
Step one: confirm whether you’re affected. Check if you have the plugin or theme installed, even if it’s inactive.
Step two: update immediately if a patch exists. Security fixes are rarely optional.
Step three: if no patch exists, disable and remove. Replace it with an alternative if it’s core to your site.
Step four: check for signs of compromise. Look for new admin accounts, strange redirects, new files, or unexpected scheduled tasks.
If you run a business site, it’s also worth having a relationship with a developer or support provider before an emergency. When panic hits, you don’t want to be searching for help with a broken dashboard and customers watching.
Conclusion: treat updates like locking the door
Most site hacks aren’t movie plots. They’re more like someone trying door handles until one opens. Keeping plugins and themes secure and up to date is you checking the locks, swapping weak hinges, and getting a better key.
Set a cadence, keep your plugin list lean, use auto-updates where they make sense, and always have a reliable backup before changes. Do that, and you’re not just “maintaining WordPress”, you’re protecting your time, your reputation, and your users’ trust.
