In my previous post, I mentioned that WordPress automatic updates [above minor level] were not enabled by default. I referred to a WordPress technical article to assist with fixing, but decided to go one step further – utilize the new Site Health tool for WordPress. I used this tool to point me in the right direction on what needed to be done: enable all updates automatically and also to enable the latest PHP version on the back end.
Instructions on enforcing automatic WordPress updates and using the latest PHP can be found here!