According to a recent Forbes article, the number of private consumer records exposed by security breaches increased by over 1,000% between 2016 and 2018. Just one data breach is estimated to cost companies an average of $3.9 million, as well as a significant number of loyal customers. With the dramatic rise in hackers and security threats in the world of eCommerce, applying security patches is one of the easiest and most effective ways to ensure that your site (and your customers’ information) remains protected.
What’s a Security Patch?
One of the most appealing aspects of Magento is its dedication to being an open-source platform. Hundreds of thousands of people are involved in the thriving Magento community, contributing to projects, sharing ideas, and creating cutting-edge solutions for users around the globe. However, the open-source platform is also appealing to hackers who focus on finding weak areas in Magento’s security.
When a security issue is found in Magento, developers immediately get to work on creating a code to combat the specific breach. This code is referred to as a “patch” because it can be quickly applied to an existing Magento site, and it contains just the scripts required to fix the security threat.
The Importance of Security Patches
Neglecting your online store’s security can have a slew of negative impacts on your customers and your business. Today, several companies can even face hefty fines for not taking enough precautions with their customers’ data. Sony, Yahoo!, Facebook, and even British Airways have had to pay fines ranging from $300,000 to $200 million due to a lack of security measures that put their online patrons at risk.
Along with monetary consequences, ignoring security upgrades can end up breaking your site or revealing confidential data. The time and money it takes to recover from a breach like this are far more costly than simply applying security patches as soon as they’re released. If you’re not sure if your eCommerce store is updated with all the latest security patches, you can go to Mage Report to scan your site for free.
Finding and Applying Patches
All official security patches are released on Magento’s security page, along with detailed information about what the patch will fix. You can then find the correct patches for your version of Magento and follow the steps prescribed by the developers. It’s crucial to make sure that you download the right patch for your site version, and only download security patches from the official Magento website. Some clever hackers have been able to trick merchants into downloading fraudulent “patches” that resemble legitimate Magento downloads, so it’s safest to rely solely on the official security page.
Each security patch usually comes with a set of specialized instructions to apply to your site, but some updates can be trickier than others. That being said, it’s recommended to stick to these general guidelines to avoid making any mistakes to the live version of your website:
- Run the patch on a non-production version of your store. If you only have a production system, you should seriously consider backing up your files and your database before applying any kind of patch.
- If a patch fails, you may have missed a previous security patch. A Magento developer can check the files on your site to see if another patch needs to be downloaded first.
- Double-check to make sure that the update has successfully covered all the areas it was designed to protect.
An Easier Way to Upgrade in 2020
Security is essential, but it can also be time-consuming and frustrating for busy merchants. In order to ease your worries and help you keep your store safe throughout the new year, Wagento is offering an entire year of Magento 2 updates at a fixed monthly rate. A few major perks of the “No-Hassle Upgrades” program include:
- Security updates and bug fixes.
- Automatic upgrades (similar to a SaaS Platform).
- Magento security scanner.
- Redundant module checks.
- Integrations and third-party updates.
- Assistance with maintenance, API integrations, migrations, and more.
Retailers who sign up are free to choose a price that best matches their needs and their budgets, and they can finally focus on building their brands instead of maintaining their site’s security. If you’re ready to upgrade your own security hassle-free in 2020, click here to learn more!
