Drupal 7 End-of-Life: Why You Need to Act Now

As of January 5, 2025, Drupal 7 has officially reached end-of-life. After over a decade of powering websites, this milestone means one thing:

No more official security patches, bug fixes, or updates.

If you’re still running Drupal 7, it’s now unprotected, and the risks are real. But there are steps you can take today to secure your site and protect your business.

What Does Drupal 7 EOL Mean for You?

When software reaches end-of-life, it stops receiving updates from the community or maintainers. For Drupal 7, this means:

1. Security Vulnerabilities Go Unpatchedsome text
   • Any new security issues discovered will remain unaddressed, leaving your site open to exploitation.
2. Compliance Challengessome text
   • Standards like PCI DSS, HIPAA, and GDPR require supported, secure software. Running EOL software puts you at risk of audit failures, fines, and legal issues.
3. Degraded Functionalitysome text
   • Over time, as libraries and APIs evolve, Drupal 7 sites may break or experience performance issues.
4. Costly Emergenciessome text
   • Reacting to a security breach or unexpected downtime is far more expensive than proactive maintenance.

Your Options Now That Drupal 7 is EOL

If you’re still on Drupal 7, you have a few choices to move forward:

1. Upgrade to Drupal 10+

Migrating to the latest version of Drupal offers:

• Long-term stability with ongoing support
• Modern features and performance enhancements

But: A Drupal 7 upgrade is more like a complete rebuild. It requires time, resources, and careful planning.

2. Extend Support with HeroDevs Drupal 7 NES

For organizations that aren’t ready to migrate, HeroDevs’ Drupal 7 NES provides a reliable, secure safety net.

With HeroDevs, you get:
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✅ Security Updates: Protection against new vulnerabilities
✅ Compliance Support: Stay aligned with PCI DSS, HIPAA, and other standards
✅ Contrib Module Coverage: Full support for Drupal 7 core and key contributed modules
✅ Minimal Disruption: A simple, drop-in replacement for your existing site

HeroDevs gives you the time you need to plan a migration—without exposing your business to unnecessary risks.

Why Action Is Critical Now

Delaying action after Drupal 7’s end-of-life can result in:

• Increased security risks: Hackers target unsupported systems.
• Compliance failures: Leading to audits, fines, and legal repercussions.
• Unplanned costs: Emergency fixes are expensive and disruptive.

Legacy open-source software vulnerabilities have cost companies millions in damages. A well-known example is the Equifax data breach in 2017, caused by an unpatched vulnerability in Apache Struts. Hackers exploited this flaw to access sensitive data, impacting over 147 million people and costing Equifax an estimated $1.4 billion. Similarly, the Heartbleed vulnerability in the widely used OpenSSL library left thousands of organizations exposed in 2014, resulting in significant financial losses and expensive system patching. These incidents underscore the risks of relying on outdated, unsupported software without proactive security measures.

Conclusion: Stay Secure Beyond Drupal 7 EOL

Drupal 7 may be officially out of support, but you don’t have to leave your website vulnerable. Whether you’re ready to migrate or need an extended safety net, there’s still a path forward.

HeroDevs’ Drupal 7 NES allows you to:

• Extend your Drupal 7 investment securely
• Avoid compliance pitfalls
• Gain time to plan your next move—on your terms

Don’t leave your site unprotected. Learn more about HeroDevs’ Drupal 7 NES today.