Digital Chicks

03/06/2026

Interesting read - the full report is available for download.

1,981 site scans · 424 WordPress sites analysed · 52.8% running a plugin with a known CVE.

31/05/2026

If you update your WordPress themes & plugins once in a blue moon… tonight's the night. 🌕

Outdated or deprecated plugins are one of the most common reasons WordPress websites get hacked or stop functioning correctly. A few clicks today could save you a major headache tomorrow.

Not sure which updates are safe to run? That's a great question - and exactly the kind of thing we can help with. Drop us a message!

31/05/2026

Google's latest algorithm update is causing significant traffic shifts for many websites as the rollout concludes. Website owners are reporting major ranking volatility following the two-week update process. So what are you seeing with the Google May 2026 core update?

Link to the Search Engine Roundtable article in the comments.

30/05/2026

I sat on this for a couple of days, and I thought there would be more details. But here it is... Meta’s free social media empire is getting a (new) price tag. Under a new “Meta One” umbrella, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp, and even Meta AI are being sliced into paid tiers with perks for power users, creators, and businesses.

Would you "pay for perks" on any Meta platform?

Link in comments.

29/05/2026

23/05/2026

WordPress 7.0 introduced something brand new: a built-in way for your website to connect directly to AI services like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Claude. 🤖

That's exciting, but it also means AI API keys (digital credentials that can be worth thousands of dollars) are now being stored inside WordPress dashboards for the first time. Security researchers flagged it almost immediately after launch, and the conversation has been buzzing ever since.

Two questions kept coming up in my comments and messages - so let's answer both right here.

❓ "Does this affect my WooCommerce / Gravity Forms / LearnDash etc. keys too?"

Nope. Those plugin keys live in a completely separate part of your site and weren't touched by this update. The new concern is specifically about AI service credentials stored in WordPress 7.0's brand-new Connectors screen.

❓ "What if I'm not using AI tools at all?"

Then this specific risk doesn't apply to you. 👍 The Connectors screen is empty unless you deliberately add something to it. No AI connections = no AI keys to steal.

The security basics still matter for every site - strong passwords, two-factor authentication, updated plugins, and regular backups. But on this particular issue, non-AI users can breathe easy.

Questions about your own site? I'm always happy to help. Send me a message! 💚

21/05/2026

It's here! On May 20th, WordPress 7.0 just officially dropped - and if you're already eyeing that update notification in your dashboard... step away from the button. 😄

I know, I know. It's hard to ignore. But with a major release like this one, waiting a week or two is genuinely the smartest move for your live business website.

Here's what's new in WordPress 7.0:
✅ A faster, more modern admin dashboard
✅ Built-in AI tools - no extra plugin required
✅ Show or hide content blocks based on your visitor's device (mobile/tablet/desktop)
✅ Better revision history for your page templates - roll back mistakes with confidence

It's all genuinely useful stuff. You're going to love it once it's safe to update.

👉 I've written a full, plain-English guide with everything you need to know - including how to prepare and when to update safely. See link in the comments!

19/05/2026

Microsoft is changing Edge’s plaintext password behaviour (aka large security hole) soon.

After a security researcher determined that Microsoft Edge loads every single saved password into memory the moment you open the browser, and leaves them sitting there in plain text for the entire session, Microsoft has committed to changing Edge so that saved passwords are no longer loaded into memory on startup as clear text.

Regardless, as I have said before, don't save your passwords in the browser ever! This is a perfect example of why.

See the link to the Malwarebytes article in the comments.

19/05/2026

Heads up, small business friends! 👋

𝐓𝐨𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐨𝐰, WordPress drops one of its biggest updates in years - version 7.0 is officially landing on May 20th, and if your website runs on WordPress, this one is worth knowing about.

Here's a sneak peek at what's coming:

✅ A refreshed, faster dashboard
✅ Built-in AI tools - no extra plugin needed
✅ Show or hide content based on your visitor's device (mobile, tablet, or desktop)
✅ Better revision history so you can undo template mistakes without the stress

Sounds exciting? It really is! But here's my friendly heads-up: when that update notification pops up in your dashboard tomorrow, please don't click it right away. Major releases need a week or two to settle, and your plugins need a moment to catch up, too.

Tomorrow I'm sharing a full, plain-English guide to everything you need to know before you update — including the one thing you should do TODAY to get your site prepared.

Stay tuned! And as always, if you have questions, I'm just a message away. 💚