WordPress currently powers over 455 million websites, highlighting the fact that this open-source content management system is a lucrative target for cybercriminals and why security should be WP users’ top priority.
Yes, there are indicators that your WordPress or other website has been hacked, and yes, there are solutions.
Remember that a malicious attacker can gain access in a variety of ways. It could be malware or a malicious plugin, or it could be something more sinister, such as your email being hacked or your smartphone/computer being infected with spyware.
1 – You are unable to access your account
If you are unable to access your account, this is a sure sign that you have been hacked. Nonetheless, despite being a classic sign, it is one of the less common problems. Many hackers don’t want you to realise you’ve been hacked. This allows them to continue collecting your customer information and/or keeping you working on your website so they can continue to exploit it.
There are some fantastic WordPress hacks that require you to log in twice or three times. The first two or three times, it will tell you that your password is incorrect, but the third time it will let you in. This is due to the WordPress hack processing your request.
2 – Unidentified Files and Scripts
Those of you who are familiar with programming may be able to clean your own website of malware and security risks.
If you have the necessary skills, you can examine your WordPress code and discover unknown scripts and possibly unknown files.
This is frequently due to malicious plugins leaving files behind that can later be used by hackers or other malware.
3 – Your website has slowed down
This indicates that someone is using your website for malicious purposes. It could be anything ranging from people hotlinking from your images and consuming your bandwidth to spammers being redirected from your Google safe website to one of their nefarious ones.
4 – Unusual Website Additions
Adding pop-ups to your website is a silly trick. It’s ridiculous because it alerts you to the hack and makes you react.
In reality, they will include links to spam websites where your unsuspecting viewers will be taken advantage of. After a while, search engines will ban you for having a suspicious website.
5 – Your traffic or affiliate revenue has decreased
This is yet another telltale sign that your website has been compromised. The attacker is stealing your traffic and possibly even your affiliate commissions. A WordPress hack is frequently detected by unusual behaviour in your analytics.
- How to Repair It
First and foremost, you must determine the source of the attack. If not, check the server access logs. Once you’ve determined the source of the attack, you can take steps to block that IP address.
Then you should begin changing your passwords, both for your WordPress account and for any FTP or hosting accounts associated with your site. Make use of strong, difficult-to-guess passwords.
To read our blog on “How To install WordPress manually using cPanel,” click here
