Just updating the WordPress core will not make it completely secure. It is also necessary to install the latest versions of the plugins used by your web site. Most of the time, if you do not use the latest versions of the plugins, there is a risk of vulnerabilities in your web site.
There are several options for updating plugins used by your WordPress website:
Method 1: Administration panel
- once logged in the administration area - in the left panel select Plugins
- select the plugins you want to update and click the Update button
Method 2: Update WordPress plugins using FTP
- log in with your FTP username and password (using the File Manager or an FTP client (FileZilla, Total Commander, etc.)
- access in public_html the wp_content directory -> plugins (here you will find the list of plugins installed for your site structured on directories)
- select the desired plugin directory, you can rename or delete it, download the latest version of the plugin, unzip it locally and load the plugin directory with the latest version in the general plugins
- after uploading files via FTP, log in again to the WordPress administration panel and make sure that the plugins have been successfully updated and are active.
If you want, you can set automatic updates for plugins or themes.
You can set this by adding a line to the functions.php file of the theme or plugin you want to update.
// Enable automatic updates for plugins
add_filter('auto_update_plugin', '__return_true');
