WordPress “Vaughan” Security Update Just Came In
That is, you should update. It is strongly recommended, as always. According to WP Core Contributor Aaron Campbell, 4.7.1 is a security release for all previous versions. Eight issues and 62 bugs have been fixed.
Not many people think about cybersecurity until it gets too late. How much does WP security matter? So much that the most famous breach, the so-called Panama Papers Breach, caused worldwide hysteria just a couple of years ago, and triggered the downfall of some of the most powerful people on this planet.
How did they do it? No evil pustulous masterminds wearing big glasses were needed for this operation. It could have been done by almost anyone. They breached the Mossack Fonseca clients’ confidential data through a vulnerable plugin. What’s even more interesting is that this attack could have been prevented had the maintenance person pressed a single button – update.
This button does not reside in some kind of a dark and obscure place. It’s very visible, and WordPress always recommends pressing it, if anything. All of us know it can be annoying, in spite of the new features an update usually bring. But it really doesn’t take much time, and it’s the second thing you should do to prevent any kind of disaster. (The first thing being, of course, a backup.)
Although it was really not their fault, WordPress became notorious for the Panama Papers Breach. But its fame has been older than that and has outlived the supposed shame, because of the diligent work and customer care that they provide. A couple of dozen people that are core developers are being assisted by thousands of contributors who are a part of the community, and many thousands of volunteers. This means many people on the watch, day and night.
Notwithstanding this fact, the first person responsible for your own security is you. In the bottom line, it’s always the brain that operates the muscles. Or fails to operate them, for that matter.
So, don’t bate. Update!