What to Do When Your WordPress Site Gets Hacked (And How to Prevent It)
Over the past year, hacking attempts targeting WordPress sites have surged—especially for health and wellness practices (eek!). Hackers are becoming increasingly sophisticated, employing advanced techniques to breach even the most well-secured sites. Additionally, brute force attacks—where hackers simply attempt endless combinations of usernames and passwords—are also on the rise.
If your website has been compromised or you even suspect suspicious activity, you must act quickly to minimize damage and restore security.
We know that sounds scary, but we’re here to help! We’ve put together this step-by-step guide on what to do if your WordPress site was hacked and how to prevent future breaches. Here at WP Wellness, we take security, and WordPress (hence, our “WP,”) VERY seriously.
Immediate Steps to Take
- Restore from a Backup: Restore your site from a clean backup. This quickly removes malicious code and malware. If you don’t have a backup, move to the next steps (and then plan to back up regularly in the future).
- Audit User Accounts: Review all user roles—delete unknown or suspicious accounts, especially those with admin privileges.
- Change All User Passwords: Reset passwords for every user, particularly administrators. Use strong, unique passwords, and consider a password manager for secure storage.
- Identify Unauthorized Admin Access: Scan your site for unusual activity—strange login times, unfamiliar IP addresses, or unknown plugins—and remove or disable anything suspicious.
- Update FTP and Hosting Credentials: Change your FTP, cPanel, and hosting login details to prevent re-entry by hackers. (More on security and hardening your WordPress site here).
- Scan for Ghost Plugins: Use security tools like Wordfence or Sucuri to detect hidden malicious plugins. Remove any unauthorized or suspicious files found.
How to Prevent Future Hacks
- Choose a Secure Hosting Provider: Opt for managed hosting providers like WP Engine, Kinsta, or SiteGround, which offer advanced security, firewalls, malware scanning, and automatic backups.
- Keep Everything Up to Date: Update WordPress core, themes, and plugins at least bi-weekly to patch security vulnerabilities.
- Implement Strong Security Measures
- Enable 2FA across all accounts
- Install security plugins (Wordfence, Sucuri, iThemes Security)
- Limit login attempts and block suspicious IPs
- Use SSL certificates to encrypt your site
- Regularly Back Up Your Site: Schedule daily or weekly backups and store them securely off-site for quick recovery if needed.
- Monitor Your Site Regularly: Set up security alerts and conduct periodic audits to catch threats early.
Troubleshooting: The White Screen of Death
Seeing a blank white page? That’s the “white screen of death”—a common symptom of plugin conflicts, exhausted PHP memory, or malicious code.
If this happens, don’t delay. Take the steps outlined in this article, or reach out to WP Wellness—we’ll diagnose and fix the issue ASAP. Sometimes, disabling plugins or increasing PHP memory limits is all it takes to restore your site.
Final Checklist to Diagnose, Remedy, and Prevent Site Breaches
As you’ve learned in this article, there’s plenty you can do to secure your site after an attack and prevent future ones, but here’s a quick recap:
- Restore from a clean backup
- Review and delete suspicious user accounts
- Change all passwords (admin, FTP, hosting)
- Scan for and remove ghost/malicious plugins
- Check for unauthorized admin activity
- Update WordPress, themes, and plugins
- Secure your hosting environment (use a provider like WP Engine)
- Enable security plugins and two-factor authentication
- Schedule regular backups and audits
- Monitor your site for suspicious activity
WP Wellness is Here to Help
Hackers aren’t going anywhere, and unfortunately, they’re constantly evolving their techniques. However, with proactive security measures, routine updates, and vigilant monitoring, you can effectively protect your site and prevent attacks from hackers. If you think your WordPress site has been compromised or you’d like a quick checkup to see what you could improve, our WP Wellness team is here to help you recover and strengthen your defenses.
Need help with your WordPress site? Contact WP Wellness today!
