As highlighted in one of our blog posts last month, Online Payment Gateway Changes we have had various client feedback regarding OpenCart versions and how they are an important part of keeping your websites secure for your customers.
We wanted to update all our clients on reasons why OpenCart upgrades might be something you need to start considering.
Why is my OpenCart version important?
We have already begun work, testing and monitoring the upcoming online payment gateway changes with many of our clients and we are finding 1 common stumbling block. Most payment gateway providers are only producing updated payment gateway plugins for OpenCart version 3.x and above. This is mostly due to additional security hardening that OpenCart version 3.x can offer.
Unfortunately what this means for our customers on OpenCart version 2.x is that there will be limited options for self hosted payment gateways when these security changes come into effect. 3rd party hosted integrations which most of our clients are using should hopefully not be affected but this can not be guaranteed until the changes come into effect.
Should I upgrade to OpenCart version 3.x?
As a company, we have always recommended OpenCart version 2.2 as the most stable and up to date version of OpenCart. However, this is always under constant review due to the constant changes in security standards.
Security standards shift all the time but it’s not cost-effective to upgrade your websites every 6 months so our stance to stick with OpenCart 2.2 for as long as we have has always been a balance between cost and security for our clients.
It was around 4-5 years ago when we stopped offering OpenCart Support for OpenCart version 1.5 and we have now taken that next step in our OpenCart journey where we have been testing and starting to work with the latest version of OpenCart 3.x with great results.
What happens if I don’t upgrade?
Running an eCommerce website involves complying with a constantly changing online landscape. Many of you will remember when GDPR changes came into effect and websites have never been the same since, with cookie acceptance clutter now present on all websites.
Security standards for online websites are constantly under attack from new threats and changes in security standards. Updating your website should ideally happen every 2-3 years to stay current and compliant.
If you want to discuss upgrading your OpenCart website contact us today.
