Over the past year, Lakekit volunteers have been working behind the scenes to tighten the security and performance of the network that supports lake organization websites across Wisconsin. A major part of this effort has focused on evaluating and cleaning up the extensive plugin inventory that has accumulated over the years.
Like any large WordPress multisite, Lakekit’s platform benefits from a wide range of tools that add functionality, improve workflow, and support the needs of dozens of individual lake organizations. Over time, however, plugins can become outdated, redundant, or unsupported. When that happens, they introduce unnecessary risk—particularly in the form of vulnerabilities that malware can exploit. Maintaining a disciplined and current plugin environment is one of the most effective ways we can keep your site secure.
To address this, the volunteer team initiated a comprehensive review of all plugins in use across the network. This included both the tools that are visible to site administrators and the background components that support system functions. The objective was to determine which plugins remain essential, which have modern replacements, and which no longer meet current security or performance standards.
The result has been a significant reduction in potential exposure. Approximately 25% of the plugins previously installed on the multisite have now been removed. Many of these tools were deprecated, inactive, or lacked recent security updates. By removing them, the volunteers have reduced the system’s attack surface, simplified maintenance, and positioned the platform for more consistent long-term performance.
This cleanup effort will continue as the team monitors plugin updates, evaluates new tools cautiously, and ensures that every active component serves a clear purpose. Lake organizations that rely on Lakekit may not see these changes directly, but they will benefit from the increased security, stability, and reliability that come with a carefully managed website environment.
The volunteers supporting Lakekit remain committed to keeping the platform safe and functioning smoothly—background work that helps every participating lake association communicate more effectively with their community.
