Drupal 7 EOL: Risks and Security Strategies

Posted on October 22, 2024 by Sonal Bendle

Takeaway: With Drupal 7's end-of-life date set for January 5, 2025, public sector institutions face critical decisions about their web infrastructure. While migration to Drupal 10 offers clear advantages, organizations unable to migrate immediately need robust security measures to protect their sites.

Secure your Drupal 7 site post-EOL: Schedule a consultation

First—what are the benefits of migrating to Drupal 10?

Migration to Drupal 10 provides significant advantages for government—both federal and state & local—and higher education institutions:

Enhanced security architecture with modern encryption and access controls
Simplified content editing features
Advanced content workflow management
Better performance and scalability

For a detailed analysis of Drupal 10's features for government institutions, see our guide to Drupal 10 for government.

Challenges after Drupal 7 end-of-life

After January 5, 2025, Drupal 7 sites will face several immediate challenges:

No security updates for core or contributed modules
End of official Drupal Security Team support
Limited community resources for troubleshooting
Reduced compatibility with new versions of PHP and other dependencies

Security and compliance implications

Running an unsupported CMS creates significant risks for government agencies and educational institutions. These are some technical vulnerabilities you may experience:

New security exploits will remain unpatched
Contributed modules will lack security maintenance
Integration points become potential security weaknesses
Outdated PHP versions may expose additional vulnerabilities

Compliance requirements

State regulations strongly imply the importance of maintaining current, supported software
FERPA and other data protection standards mandate regular security updates
Security audits may flag unsupported systems as critical findings
Cyber insurance policies often require running supported software versions

Integration challenges

APIs and third-party services may stop supporting Drupal 7 connections
Payment processing systems require regular security updates
Student information system integrations need ongoing maintenance
CRM and marketing automation tools may lose compatibility

Immediate security measures for Drupal 7

For organizations that must maintain Drupal 7 sites beyond EOL, I suggest implementing these security controls:

Implement firewall protection
Enhance server-side security monitoring
Restrict administrative access by IP address
Maintain current backups with quick restore capabilities
Audit and remove unused modules
Lock down user permissions
Monitor file system integrity
Implement additional authentication layers

Long-term support options

Several vendors offer extended support for Drupal 7 sites after the official end-of-life date. Pantheon and Tag1 Consulting have partnered to provide security updates for Pantheon customers through January 5, 2027. HeroDevs offers Never-Ending Support (NES), which includes ongoing security patches and compatibility updates.

When evaluating support providers, consider these factors:

Response time for critical vulnerabilities: Your provider should offer clear SLAs for addressing security issues based on severity levels.
Scope of coverage: Understand exactly which modules and functionality will receive continued support. Many providers focus primarily on core updates while offering limited coverage for contributed modules.
Technical expertise: Look for providers with documented experience maintaining legacy Drupal installations and handling security incidents effectively.
Integration support: Ensure your provider can maintain compatibility with critical third-party systems your institution relies on.

Planning your migration budget

The best path forward is still to migrate to Drupal 10, but we understand it can take some time to plan for.

Our detailed analysis of Drupal migration costs breaks down the key factors affecting your project budget. To help you plan effectively, we built a Drupal Migration Cost Estimator that provides projections based on your site's specific characteristics:

Number of content types and pages
Custom modules and functionality
Complex field groups and views
And more!

Taking a strategic approach to migration can help minimize disruption while maximizing the benefits of your new platform.

For higher education institutions, we've created a comprehensive migration planning guide that addresses the unique needs of college and university websites.

Hidden costs of delayed migration

The technical debt accumulated by remaining on Drupal 7 grows over time. Integration updates, custom patches, and emergency fixes all add to the complexity of an eventual migration.

Support costs typically increase as fewer vendors maintain Drupal 7 expertise. You’ll often face higher rates for specialized legacy support.

Making the case for migration

When presenting migration recommendations to stakeholders, focus on institutional risk management and operational stability. Some key considerations:

Security and compliance: Running unsupported software creates unacceptable risk levels for institutions handling sensitive data. A single security breach often costs more than a complete migration project.
Operational efficiency: Staff time spent maintaining aging systems and troubleshooting integration issues represents a significant ongoing cost. Drupal 10's improved administrative interface and content workflows reduce these operational burdens.
Total cost of ownership: While extended support offers a temporary solution, combining monthly support fees with potential emergency fixes may get more expensive as time goes on than if you proceed with migration to Drupal 10.

For most institutions, the question isn't whether to migrate—it’s how to prepare your team and structure the migration for optimal results. Our team are experts in helping our public sector clients plan and perform Drupal migrations.

Keep your Drupal 7 site secure with Promet Source

The end of Drupal 7 support marks a critical juncture. Organizations have three clear options:

Begin migration planning now to complete the transition before the January 2025 EOL date
Implement comprehensive security measures and engage an extended support provider
Accept increasing security and operational risks by maintaining an unsupported installation

Organizations maintaining Drupal 7 sites during the transition period can benefit from professional Drupal support and maintenance services to ensure continuous security and stability.

Our security and migration specialists can help your team: