Dealing with malware and hacked sites

If Your Site Is Hacked

Act quickly to minimise damage and recover your site.

Signs of Compromise

• Unexpected redirects
• Strange files in your directory
• Google showing "This site may be hacked"
• Spam emails sent from your account
• New admin users you didn't create

Immediate Steps

1. Change all passwords - cPanel, FTP, WordPress, database
2. Scan for malware - Use cPanel Virus Scanner or Wordfence
3. Check for unknown files - Look for suspicious PHP files
4. Review .htaccess - Check for malicious redirects

Cleaning WordPress

1. Update WordPress, themes, and plugins
2. Delete unused themes and plugins
3. Replace core files with fresh copies
4. Scan database for injected content
5. Check wp_users for unknown admins

After Cleaning

1. Request review from Google Search Console
2. Update all passwords again
3. Install security plugin
4. Set up regular backups
5. Enable two-factor authentication

Prevention

• Keep everything updated
• Use strong passwords
• Regular backups
• Security monitoring