On the evening of October 20, 2026, I read the first reports of serious security vulnerabilities in PHP. PHP is the programming language that powers many websites and online stores, including those built with PrestaShop and WordPress.
On October 21, we at Tajriba took immediate action. Not because our systems had been hacked, but to prevent that from happening.
Security over availability
Between 13:00 and 13:30, we took the websites and online stores offline as a precaution. This was a significant decision, as we understand that every minute of downtime can affect a business.
Even so, we considered the risk of remaining online at that point greater than the impact of a temporary interruption.
Behind the scenes, we applied security updates, took additional measures, and checked the environments.
From 17:00, the first websites and online stores came back online after the updates and checks. By 23:00, restoration was complete.
What did we learn?
This incident confirms the importance of actively monitoring security news, being able to act quickly, and not relying solely on regular updates.
That is why we have further strengthened our approach to security. We now use additional security updates for older PHP versions and check for malicious files more frequently.
Preparation makes the difference
We are satisfied with how we handled the situation. By intervening promptly and proactively, we made a deliberate choice to prioritize our customers’ security.
A temporary interruption is inconvenient. But an actual security incident can have far greater consequences.
At Tajriba, security remains an important part of our services.
