Will PayPal's planned SSL updates in 2015-2016 impact my installation of s2Member?
In the early part of 2015, PayPal sent a notice to merchants informing them they might have to take action. PayPal plans to upgrade various SSL certificates on their side. PayPal explained that over the course of 2015 and 2016, they would be taking steps towards strengthening their SSL certificates across all of their sites.
The changes include upgrading the signing algorithm and version of the root certificate we support. This effort will allow PayPal to further protect our valued customers from current and future security threats.
Does This Impact s2Member or s2Member Pro?
No, not really. These changes are occurring on the PayPal side of things. s2Member and s2Member Pro both communicate with PayPal through the WP_Http class. This is a part of the WordPress core, and it is designed to support SSL communication.
However, you should check your webserver for compatibility with the new SHA-256 certificate technology. This will be required by most web services in 2015. We suggest that you contact your hosting company to inquire about compatibility with remote HTTPS communication through the WP_Http class, and ask them to be sure their servers will support the new SHA-256 certificate technology. There are high odds that your server will not need to be updated, but it is a great idea to check on this ahead of time, just in case!