Why You Should Upgrade to Magento 2.4: Security Enhancements, Bug Fixes, and More
“Is Magento dead? Someone told me that Magento was old news and I should look elsewhere….” Despite being the dominant player in eCommerce software, this came up on a Client call the other day. The truth is that Adobe is putting tons of R&D into Magento. It remains a highly customizable e-commerce solution that allows Merchants to build, manage and scale their online stores in more ways than most are aware of.
In this article, we’re going to cover some of the new features and benefits of using Magento Open Source 2.4. We will also cover why our team believes it’s critical to upgrade your Magento 2.3 (or older) website now.
Magento 2.4 Security Improvements
First and foremost, the most important updates made to Magento 2.4 are the security improvements. We know website hackers will always be trolling, but we also know that some of the sharpest minds are actively improving security to keep bad actors out of your file system. Magento has been constantly updating for security to ensure the latest versions are keeping your website as secure as possible.
One of these security enhancements is two factor authentication. While 2FA has been around for several years, Magento version 2.4 activates 2FA by default for administrators. Administrators no longer have to wonder how two-factor authentication is enabled. Learn more about why two factor authentication is essential.
Additionally, Magento 2.4 now displays messages that could identify potentially malicious content. Malicious content refers specifically to code that is downloaded onto a web browser without an administrator’s knowledge. This code is then used to embed viruses into websites. Magento 2.4 now displays warnings so this potential virus can be detected before any damage is done.
These are just two of the 35 new security updates rolled out in Magento 2.4. If that doesn’t convince you that updating your site is a good idea, we have more to share…
Magento 2.4 Improved Functionality
Default site search on Magento 2.3 and older has long been a pain point for store owners and users. Why is it so hard to get relevant results for product keyword searches?! Adobe has finally addressed this plaguing problem in version 2.4 by replacing the former MySQL search with the ElasticSearch engine. This will greatly improve the accuracy of site search on your Magento website, without the use of an expensive 3rd party extension.
Anyone who has had to make content edits using Magento 2 will be over the moon for this next update; Page Builder! Adobe has scrapped their legacy TinyMCE editor in favor of a proper content editor. Unlike TinyMCE, Page Builder features a “drag-and-drop” interface that allows users to intuitively manipulate layouts and content. You’ll no longer need a Computer Science degree to swap a banner image or update a text overlay! The added flexibility of being able to make content changes yourself, as opposed to hiring a Developer, is alone worth the upgrade.
The list of upgrades and bug fixes made to Magento 2.4 goes on and on. While you may still receive some of the updates and fixes on Magento 2.3, you definitely won’t see all of them.
Magento 2.3 End of Life is Coming Soon
Still not convinced upgrading to Magento 2.4 is the move for you, our final point will almost certainly assure you that it’s the right decision… Magento 2.3 end of life is April 2022.
What does this mean?
Magento will no longer offer support or security fixes for Magento 2.3 starting in April of 2022.
What does this mean for you?
If you haven’t started to think about upgrading to Magento 2.4, now is the time to start.
Next Steps
Feeling overwhelmed? Email Bytes.co to set up a time to chat. We can dive into more detail about what upgrading to Magento 2.4 means for your e-commerce website and plan accordingly. If you’re a current client of ours or need help with the upgrade, our team of developers are experts in all things Magento and would love to help you out! Don’t wait until your website gets hacked, or for March 2022. Start the upgrade process today!
