10 Ways to Assess the Damage When Your WordPress Website Has Been Hacked

You get a call from your buddy which tells you that your WordPress website has been hacked and is acting weird. All the time, effort, and resources invested in building the site may have just gone down the drain. Unfortunately, this is a reality that many website owners face, and it can be a major setback for their online presence. In this article, we will be discussing what to do when your WordPress website has been hacked.

Asses Damage

If your WordPress website has been hacked, the first step is to assess the damage. This will help you understand the scope of the hack and determine the best course of action to take. Here are ten ways to assess the damage when your WordPress website has been hacked:

#1. Look for Unauthorized Changes

The first way to assess the damage is to look for any unauthorized changes on your website. This includes checking your website’s files and directories for any changes. Here’s how to do it:

1. Log in to your website’s backend and go to the File Manager or use an FTP client to access your website’s files.
2. Look for any new files or directories that may have been created without your knowledge.
3. Check your website’s theme and plugin files for any suspicious code.
4. If you find any suspicious files or code, delete them immediately.

#2. Check for Malware

The second way to assess the damage is to check for malware on your website. Malware can cause serious damage to your website and its visitors, so it’s important to detect and remove it as soon as possible. Here’s how to check for malware:

1. Use a malware scanner to scan your website for any malicious code or files.
2. If the scanner detects any malware, remove it immediately.
3. Install a security plugin that can help you detect and prevent malware attacks in the future.

#3. Review Your Traffic Logs

The third way to assess the damage is to review your website’s traffic logs. This can help you identify any unusual activity on your website, such as an increase in traffic from suspicious IP addresses or unusual patterns in your website’s traffic. Here’s how to review your traffic logs:

1. Log in to your website’s backend and go to your website’s analytics or traffic logs.
2. Look for any unusual activity, such as an increase in traffic from suspicious IP addresses or unusual patterns in your website’s traffic.
3. If you identify any unusual activity, take action to block the IP addresses or investigate further.

#4. Look for Backdoors

The fourth way to assess the damage is to look for any backdoors that the hackers may have created to gain access to your website. Here’s how to look for backdoors:

1. Use a security plugin to scan your website for any backdoors.
2. Look for any suspicious files or directories that may be acting as backdoors.
3. If you find any suspicious files or directories, delete them immediately.

#5. Check Your Databases

The fifth way to assess the damage is to check your website’s databases for any unauthorized changes or access. Hackers often target databases to steal sensitive information, so it’s important to check them thoroughly. Here’s how to check your databases:

1. Log in to your website’s backend and go to your website’s database management tool.
2. Look for any new or modified tables or entries that may have been added.
3. If you find any unauthorized changes or access, take action to secure your databases and prevent future breaches.

#6. How Your Hosting Provider Can Help to Assess the Damage

Your hosting provider can be a valuable resource when assessing the damage to your hacked WordPress website. They can provide you with information about the extent of the breach and help you take the necessary steps to secure your website. Here’s how your hosting provider can help:

1. Contact your hosting provider as soon as possible to report the hack and ask for their assistance.
2. Your hosting provider can run a security scan on your website and provide you with a report of any vulnerabilities or issues.
3. Your hosting provider can also help you implement security measures to prevent future attacks.

#7. Why You Should Take the Website Down Immediately

If your WordPress website has been hacked, it’s important to take it down immediately to prevent further damage. Leaving the website up can infect other people their devices via the website and result in your website being blacklisted by search engines.

Here’s why you should take the website down immediately:

1. Hackers can use your website to distribute malware, steal sensitive information, or launch further attacks.
2. Search engines can detect the malware on your website and blacklist it, making it difficult for you to recover your website’s search engine rankings.
3. Taking your website down immediately can help prevent further damage and protect your visitors from harm.

We know it is a tough choice

Taking your website down immediately after a hack can be a tough decision to make. Your website is likely an important part of your business, and taking it down can have serious consequences. However, it’s a necessary step to take to prevent further damage and protect your visitors.

Leaving your website up after a hack can result in your website being used to distribute malware, steal sensitive information, or launch further attacks. This can cause serious harm to your visitors and your business. Additionally, search engines can detect the malware on your website and blacklist it, making it difficult for you to recover your website’s search engine rankings.

#8. Check File Permissions

Checking your website’s file permissions is an important step in assessing the damage after a hack. File permissions control who can access your website’s files and directories, so it’s important to ensure that they are set correctly. Here’s how to check your website’s file permissions:

1. Use an FTP client to access your website’s files.
2. Look at the file permissions for each file and directory.
3. If you find any files or directories with incorrect permissions, change them immediately.

#9. Check for Newly Registered Users in WordPress, MySQL and the Webserver System

Hackers often create new user accounts to gain access to your WordPress website or your hosting account. Checking for newly registered users in WordPress, MySQL, and the webserver system can help you identify any suspicious activity. Here’s how to check for newly registered users:

1. Log in to your WordPress website’s backend and go to the user management section.
2. Look for any newly registered users that you do not recognize.
3. Check your MySQL and webserver system for any newly registered users that you do not recognize.
4. If you identify any suspicious users, delete them immediately.

#10. Take Notes Of Anything Out Of the Ordinary

When assessing the damage after a hack on your WordPress website, it’s important to take note of anything that seems out of the ordinary, including file names, directory names, IP addresses, URLs, and other indicators of compromise (IOCs).

By taking note of these IOCs, you can investigate them further on the web to potentially get more information about how the attack works and which steps should be taken to protect your website and its visitors. Online communities and security experts often share information about specific attacks and their tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), which can help you understand the risks and take the necessary steps to prevent similar attacks from happening in the future.

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