How to Install Security Patches in Magento

With more people than ever shopping online, it’s important to provide comprehensive security measures to protect their personal and bank details. One way you can do this is by keeping your shiny Magento website up to date with the latest patches.

In this blog post, we’ll explain everything you need to know about Magento security, including:

• What are Magento security patches?
• Why should I install Magento security patches?
• How do I install security patches in Magento?
• What’s the easiest way to install security patches?

What are Magento security patches?

Over 270,000 businesses use Magento globally and attribute the powerful ecommerce platform for up to an 80% increase in revenue! While it’s great to be popular, the inevitable downside is more hackers target Magento for illicit activities.

Ever the innovators, the Magento team decided to take action against these malicious internet pirates by releasing regular security patches – code changes that strengthen vulnerabilities.

Fixes are self-installing patch scripts, meaning they automatically locate, update and save results. However, they rely on unedited core code files for installation, so they might not work if you’ve made website alterations.

Why should I install Magento security patches?

Although security patches might seem like hard work, especially if you’re not familiar with coding, the alternative is far worse. Without the proper measures, your ecommerce platform is a free-for-all – anyone can mine data, send spam and crumble your reputation.

The main reasons for staying on top of updates include the following…

GDPR compliance: As you should know, EU legislators introduced strict guidelines for collecting, storing, and managing customers’ data. If you don’t implement enhanced security measures, you could face crippling fines.

Stolen card details: There’s nothing more destructive to a brand’s reputation than hackers obtaining bank information. The damage is irreparable, and you’re bound to lose profits thanks to the consequent social media outrage.

Compromised servers: Have you ever received a suspicious spam email from a business? If so, it’s probably the result of a server hack. Once criminals gain entry into a server, they can infect others, steal data and direct visitors to fraudulent websites.

Malware: Malware is intrusive software designed to damage computer systems, such as viruses, Trojans, worms, adware ransomware. They all do something a little different, but the impact stays the same – a devastating loss in reputation and income. Additionally, your website will disappear from search engine results until the issue is resolved.

How do I install security patches in Magento?

Installing security patches vary from business to business, depending on hosting environments and server access.

For this post we’ll explain how to install security patches as an upgrade for Magento 2 – because using the latest version is best practice. If you have an earlier version of Magento, you should seriously consider switching over for the improved security features.

1.    Backup your files and databases

First things first, remember to back up your files and databases. Then, if anything goes wonky (as it usually does in the wacky and wonderful world of web development), there’s no need to stress.

You can do this by connecting to your website using secure file transfer protocol (SFTP) and downloading the information to your hard drive. For Magento databases, visit cPanel -> phpMyAdmin and export the data.

2.    Authorisation through Magento Marketplace

To prove it’s you, you’ll have to receive authorisation through the official Magento website – create a free account to log in if you don’t already have one.

From here, go to My Account -> Marketplace and find the access keys under My Products. Then, make a new access key (you can call it whatever you like).

3.    Installation of a new security patch

Now, it’s smooth sailing. Simply go to System -> Web Setup Wizard -> System Upgrade and paste your key to gain complete control over upgrade options.

To finish, follow the steps of the Magento installer.

What’s the easiest way to install security patches?

If the above sounds complicated or you have an earlier version of Magento, the easiest way to install security updates is by enlisting help from professionals. We’re not trying to sell you something you don’t need, but unless you want to grapple with SSH consoles, SUPEE patches and self-installing script, it might be the only way.

Bing Digital is a team of certified Magento specialists, offering over 20 years of knowledge and expertise in ecommerce. We’ve kept websites free from harm and breaches by offering businesses an unbeatable service from start to finish:

Security audits and backup: We begin by remotely connecting to your servers and running a thorough security audit. Checks weed out malware, old extensions and broken patches that could be damaging your website’s performance. We then copy your files and install them on our local test server.

Security patch installation: All security patches are effectively uploaded and installed by our skilful team. If required, we flush the PHP opcode cache to ensure changes take effect. Finally, we resolve any compatibility issues that may have popped up during the process.

Reporting: Once we’ve done the hard stuff, we’ll give you a full report of work completed, covering any separate issues we encountered when running the security installation. You can view the test site to make sure everything is working correctly before your sign-off. Best of all, we continue to monitor issues afterwards for unbeatable peace of mind.

Talk to a Magento security expert today

It’s always better to be safe than sorry, which is why we’re always on hand to ensure your website is as protected as possible. Our extensive security services remedy existing problems, install the most up-to-date safety features and offer regular reports on subsequent performance.

If you lack the coding skills or time to keep your Magento website malware-free, get in touch today to speak to one of our certified Magento specialists. We can advise you on the best course of action for your site and provide an in-depth quote for your Magento security requirements.

Contact the team to arrange a free consultation. Alternatively, we’re just a phone call away on 020 8242 1954.