Signs Your WordPress Site Is Hacked
May 31. 2022
Sometimes, no matter how hard you try to improve your website security, your website can still get hacked. The worst part is that you might not even know it happened! The technology is advancing and so are the efforts of hackers to quickly obtain the data they need. However, there are some telltale signs that can help you determine if your WordPress site is compromised or hacked. That’s what we’re here to help you with – by the end of this article, you’ll learn how to recognize if someone is trying to mess with your WordPress website. Now, let’s get to work!
Telltale signs that your WordPress site is compromised or hacked
Did you ever wonder if it’s possible to check whether your WordPress site was hacked? The answer is yes! In fact, there are many different ways to determine if there was any unwanted access to your site.
We at WP Full Care know that the safety of your website is your priority so we’ve gathered 6 most common signs your WordPress site is hacked:
- An unexpected drop in your website traffic
- Your WordPress site has bad links
- Your site’s homepage is defaced
- You unable to log in to your WordPress site
- You’re finding suspicious user accounts
- There are unknown scripts and files on your server
1. An unexpected drop in your website traffic
Even if your Google Analytics is properly configured, a dramatic decline in traffic in your analytics statistics could indicate that your WordPress site has been hacked. There are many reasons why a sudden drop in traffic can happen. For example, if there is malware on your website, it could be routing non-logged-in users to different spam websites.
Another cause for the abrupt drop in traffic could be that consumers are receiving warnings about your website from Google’s safe browsing tool. That shouldn’t come as a surprise given that Google blacklists over 10,000 websites per day for malware and thousands more for phishing. As a result, it’s essential that every website owner pays close attention to their website security.
2. Your WordPress site has bad links
One of the most common indications of a hacked WordPress is data injection. What happens is that hackers install a backdoor on your WordPress site that allows them to change your files and database. Some of these techniques include spammy website links. They usually add these links at the footer of your website, but you could easily find them somewhere else.
Keep in mind that deleting the links does not ensure that they will not reappear. To make sure bad links are gone for good, you must locate and eliminate the backdoor used to inject this data into your website.
3. Your site’s homepage is defaced
This is undoubtedly the most obvious sign, as it is prominently displayed on your website’s homepage. That’s why the majority of hacking attempts avoid defacing your site’s homepage in order to go unnoticed for as long as possible.
Some hackers, on the other hand, may deface your website to reveal that it has been hacked. These hackers frequently alter your homepage with a message of their own. Some may even attempt to extort money from webmasters. That’s why it’s important to reach out to professionals who’ll ensure you never have to go through something like that.
4. You unable to log in to your WordPress site
Are you unable to access your WordPress site? It could be that hackers have erased your WordPress admin account. This means you won’t be able to simply reset your password from the login screen and quickly resolve this problem.
As someone deleted your account, you’ll need to find a different solution. Other options include utilizing phpMyAdmin or FTP to create an admin account. But keep in mind you still won’t be in the clear. Unless you discover how the hackers got into your site, it will stay insecure. You can avoid this if you invest in personalized support for your website!
5. You’re finding suspicious user accounts
If you set up your WordPress site to allow users to register without using any spam registration protection, you’re probably used to seeing many spam accounts. They’re just spam accounts you can easily delete, right?
However, if you don’t recall permitting user registration and you’re still seeing new user accounts in WordPress, you’re probably dealing with hackers. The suspicious account will almost always have the administrator user role. The worst part is that, in some situations, you might not even be able to delete it from your WordPress admin area.
6. There are unknown scripts and files on your server
If you use a site scanner plugin like Sucuri or similar, and it ends up detecting an unfamiliar file or script on your server, you’ll receive a notification. Once you receive the notification, you’ll need to find and delete these files. You use FTP software to connect to your WordPress site and find these files. Make sure to check the /wp-content/ folder because it is the most typical location for harmful files and software.
These files are usually titled similarly to WordPress files in order to remain undetected. You’ll need to audit the file and directory structure to recognize them. However, keep in mind that erasing these files will not guarantee that they won’t resurface.
Did you recognize any of the signs your WordPress site is hacked?
If you recognized any of the signs from this article, make sure to reach out to your developers so they can thoroughly check if your WordPress site is hacked. If so, you’ll need to have your website cleaned which can sometimes take a while. To be on the safe side and ensure your website is as safe as possible, reach out to professionals from WP Full Care and let them take care of every aspect of your website. You can focus on other aspects of your business knowing your website is in great hands!