PHP 5.6 and 7.0, the scripting language that underlies 57.1% of all WordPress sites will stop receiving security updates in December 2018. No security patches are issued for those versions of PHP afterward date, creating those sites less secure moving forward.

That could mean a loss of traffic and a ranking nightmare for WordPress websites still working with those recent versions of PHP within the event of a vulnerability.

When are Security Updates Ending?

Security updates for PHP 5.6 is ending on December 31, 2018.

Security updates and patches for PHP 7.0 are ending on December 3, 2018.

Why is Security Support Ending?

Security support for every version is scheduled  to last a restricted amount of years when it reaches what’s called end of Life (EOL). At this time there’ll be no additional security enhancements created for it, whether or not a vulnerability is discovered.

According to the official PHP web site, this is what EOL means:

All websites are needed to upgrade to the most recent version or risk becoming prone to hacking events.

What if You Fail to Update PHP?

All websites that fail to upgrade to the most recent version of PHP are insecure and at risk of hacking events once versions 5.6 and 7.0 enter their end of Life (EOL) time. this suggests that whether or not security vulnerabilities are discovered, no one can create a patch to repair the vulnerabilities in versions of PHP.

Additionally, several plugins, themes and WordPress itself can eventually stop working with these versions of PHP.

If you run a WordPress web site, the foremost prudent action to require is to upgrade to the most recent version of PHP.

How to check which Version of PHP is in Use?

The easiest way to tell is to log into your hosting board and notice a link to a part centered on PHP. There are on-line tools that may tell you however it’s best to log in on to your board and check it yourself.

There also are plugins that may tell you what version you’re working with. for instance, the WordPress phpinfo() plugin is a simple to use plugin that may tell you which version of PHP your WordPress website is working with. Once you recognize that version of PHP you’re website is running on, you’ll be able to take away the plugin. as an alternative you’ll be able to contact your hosting provider’s support and raise question identifying that version your website is working with and directions for a way to upgrade.

How to Upgrade PHP From 5.6/7.0 to Latest Version?

Step one – Backup Your website

It is vital to keep a copy your WordPress website. the simplest way to make it is with the UpDraftPlus plugin.

Step two – Check Plugin Compatibility

Make sure all of your plugins are updated to their latest version. Also, the update should have happened inside the previous couple of months to no longer than a year.

If the plugin has not been updated for a  while, visit the plugin’s authors online page and verify if the plugin is compatible with the most recent version of PHP (PHP 7.2).

If the plugin isn’t compatible then switch to the foremost popular and recently updated plugin that will do the same stuff. you actually shouldn’t be running any plugin that isn’t compatible with the most recent version. Poorly maintained plugins are often security risks.

Step three – Upgrade PHP Version

Log in to your internet hosting board, notice the PHP section and upgrade the PHP version for your web site. If this can be to difficult then contact your internet hosting support for some help.

Read the details of PHP support at the official PHP online page

https://secure.php.net/supported-versions.php