Here are 12 signs your WordPress site is hacked and how to fix it:
- Sudden drop in website traffic. If you notice a sudden drop in website traffic, even though your Google Analytics is set up properly, this could be a sign that your WordPress site is hacked. A sudden drop in traffic can be caused by different factors, such as malware on your website redirecting non-logged-in visitors to spam websites. Another possible reason for the sudden drop in traffic could be that Google’s safe browsing tool is showing warnings to users regarding your website.
- Bad links added to your website. If you see any bad links added to your website, this is a sign that your site has been hacked. Bad links are usually used to generate traffic for spam websites or to infect visitors with malware.
- Your website’s homepage is defaced. If you see that your website’s homepage has been defaced, this is a clear sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often deface websites to promote their own websites or to spread malware.
- You are unable to log in to WordPress. If you are unable to log in to your WordPress dashboard, this could be a sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often change the login credentials for WordPress sites so that the site owner cannot access it.
- Suspicious user accounts in WordPress. If you see any suspicious user accounts in WordPress, this is a sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often create new user accounts on hacked websites so that they can gain access to the site in the future.
- Unknown files or directories on your server. If you see any unknown files or directories on your server, this is a sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often upload malicious files to hacked websites.
- Your website is sending spam emails. If you notice that your website is sending spam emails, this is a sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often use hacked websites to send spam emails.
- Your website is running slow. If your website is running slow, this could be a sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often install malware on hacked websites that can slow down the performance of the site.
- Your website is redirecting visitors to other websites. If you notice that your website is redirecting visitors to other websites, this is a sign that your site has been hacked. Hackers often use hacked websites to redirect visitors to spam websites or to infect visitors with malware.
- Your website is showing Google’s safe browsing warning. If you see Google’s safe browsing warning when you visit your website, this is a clear sign that your site has been hacked. Google’s safe browsing tool shows warnings to users when they visit websites that are known to be infected with malware.
- You are receiving emails from Google about your website being hacked. If you are receiving emails from Google about your website being hacked, this is a sign that your site has been hacked. Google often sends emails to website owners when their sites are hacked.
- Your hosting provider has contacted you about your website being hacked. If your hosting provider has contacted you about your website being hacked, this is a clear sign that your site has been hacked. Hosting providers often scan their servers for malware and will contact website owners if they find malware on a website.
If you think your WordPress site has been hacked, you should take the following steps to fix it:
- Change your WordPress passwords. The first thing you should do is change your WordPress passwords. This will prevent hackers from accessing your site even if they still have access to your old passwords.
- Scan your website for malware. You should use a malware scanner to scan your website for malware. There are many different malware scanners available, such as Sucuri and Wordfence.
- Remove any malicious files or directories. If the malware scanner finds any malicious files or directories, you should remove them immediately.
- Update your WordPress plugins and themes. You should update your WordPress plugins and themes to the latest versions. This will help to protect your site from known security vulnerabilities.
- Install a security plugin. You should install a security plugin to help protect your site from future attacks. There are many different security plugins available, such as Wordfence and Sucuri.
- Back up your website. You should always back up your website regularly. This will help you to restore your site if it is hacked.
By following these steps, you can help to protect your WordPress site from being hacked.
