My WordPress Website is Hacked - What Should I Do?

Oh no... your WordPress website is hacked.

Why does this happen? Here are the main reasons:

The biggest mistake? People build their WordPress site and forget about it. No updates. No maintenance. They pick passwords like "password123" or stick with "admin". Then they install plugins without proper vetting, downloading from unreliable sources or keeping outdated ones full of security vulnerabilities. Even worse? Some use pirated themes and plugins. And without security monitoring, they're waiting for a hack to happen.

How to Spot if Your Site is Compromised

Not sure if you're actually hacked? Here are the warning signs:

• Your site loads really slowly or crashes often
• You're getting strange error messages
• You see content you didn't create
• You see strange code in your website's source code
• Your site redirects to weird websites
• Google warns visitors about your site
• You get locked out of your own admin area

So your website is hacked. What now?

You have two options:

Start fresh. Build from scratch and take security very seriously this time. If you go this route, we recommend deleting your web hosting account completely and starting fresh. You can easily reset your web hosting account from your Site.eu dashboard. If you need help with website migration, we've got you covered.

Or try to clean up the compromised site. But here's the challenge: cleaning up a hacked website is very difficult. You never know which backdoors they installed or which files they modified.

How Do You Prevent a Hacked WordPress Website?

Prevention is better than cure. Here's what you need to do:

1. Only install plugins from trusted sources. Make sure they get updated regularly.
2. Same goes for themes. Stick to well-maintained ones.
3. Remove stuff you don't use. Old plugins are security risks.
4. Use strong passwords. Really strong ones.
5. Keep WordPress core updated. Always run the latest version.
6. Hide wp-admin from unauthorized users. Use security plugins for this.
7. Limit login attempts. Stop brute force attacks in their tracks.
8. Use two-factor authentication. Add that extra layer of protection.
9. Install a security plugin. We recommend WordFence. Set it to scan every 2-3 weeks. And actually follow its recommendations.

How to Clean Up a Hacked WordPress Website

Want to clean up instead of starting fresh? You'll need to find out two things:

How did they get in? And which files did they modify?

It's tough work. Some companies specialize in WP cleanup services.

Wordfence has a helpful guide too: How to Clean a Hacked WordPress Site Using Wordfence

What NOT to Do When Hacked

When panic sets in, people make bad choices. Don't be one of them:

• Don't ignore it hoping it goes away. It won't. It'll get worse if you don't do something.
• Don't pay ransoms. You're funding criminals. And they probably won't even fix your site.

Multiple Websites? Spread the Risk

Here's something important. If you have multiple websites in one web hosting account and one website gets hacked? They get access to all your websites.

Consider spreading your websites over multiple web hosting accounts at Site.eu. We recommend this anyway. Not just for security reasons like this.

It's also better for SEO. And spreading websites over multiple servers gives you the best redundancy too.

Bottom line? Take website security seriously. Especially with open source systems like WordPress. Don't forget about SSL certificates too - they're essential for a secure website.

Don't Lose Hope

Getting hacked feels terrible. We know. But here's the good news:

Thousands of WordPress sites get cleaned up successfully every day. Yours can be one of them. Whether you choose to start fresh or clean up the compromised site, you can get your website back.

See this as a lesson. Learn from this experience. Make security a priority. And your website will be stronger than ever.