A lot of people use WordPress to create and manage their websites. It is the most popular content management system (CMS) in the world, with over 65% of the users of open-source CMS websites opting for it. Ironically, this makes WordPress sites an excellent target for hackers who are out there to detect and take advantage of your vulnerabilities.
Hackers use malware to gain unauthorized access to your WordPress website to deface its content. This is not surprising given that WordPress receives 487 billion spam messages every month. What’s more, hackers make sure to let everyone know that they have defaced your site.
Different hackers pursue different goals when defacing your website. Some do it for fun; others do it for religious or malevolent reasons. It is painful to see your efforts undermined or ridiculed whatever the motive. You need to take immediate action to minimize damage. If you fail to do so, defacement will take a toll on your future activities.
Early Warning Signs
Remember that the hackers defacing your site will spread the word far and wide. There is no let-up in the frequency of their attacks on WordPress sites. Be on the lookout for some of the key signs indicating that the security of your site has been compromised:
- Warning notifications about security breaches. Never disregard these, as they might be detecting harmful scripts running on your website.
- Spam user accounts with admin user rights. If you’re unable to log in with your admin account, someone else is likely replacing you.
- Suspicious fluctuation in the website traffic. Any unexplained drop or spike is cause for concern, which you cannot ignore.
- Weird links to your site added through a backdoor on the WordPress website. They give hackers continued access to your content.
- Unexpected slowdown making your website unresponsive. This means someone is meddling.
- Problems in sending emails using WordPress. Someone with unauthorized access might be tampering with your site.
If you identify any of these warning signs, act quickly and decisively. Any time lost will make it harder to resolve the issue at a later stage.
Why It Matters to Act Promptly
Defacement affects everyone irrespective of the field of activity. Not only does it disrupt your business activities, but also it tarnishes your reputation and affects your marketing strategies. For instance, if you are operating a writing service, defacement will have a negative influence on you, your clients, and your partners.
Many students buy essays online to complete their writing assignments. Malign actions of hackers will affect their access to the badly needed services. In addition, once the word is out, the fact of a security breach might discourage professional writers from working with you.
4 Ways to Completely Remove Defacement
We recommend four major ways to completely remove defacement from your WordPress website and protect yourself from future attacks.
Scanning the site
The first step is to scan your site for malware. Sometimes, hackers are able to access your system without any clear signs. The way in which the malware affects the site, causing defacement, is not always obvious.
Hackers use different methods to deface your site. They include disguising your codes so as to make their actions hard to detect, inserting malware in hidden parts of the site, or creating back doors through which they maintain access to the website.
You need to use a powerful security scanner to detect the malware. Not all plugins are able to identify hidden malware and codes, so make sure you get and use a good one.
Removing Infected Files
This is a logical next step. The sooner you take action, the better. The longer you delay your action, the longer you will need to work to clean up your site. Make sure you remove all the malicious codes and the backdoors using a powerful plugin.
Some plugins offer an ‘auto clean’ feature, which you can run to clean the website. Once the process is over, you’ll get an automatic notification.
Restoring Backup
Your backup is a copy of your site, which you use to restore the damaged data. You can use a WordPress plugin, a web server, or an application installer to restore the site.
If you have installed a WordPress backup plugin, feel free to use it to restore your website. If you are using a web host, you might need to upgrade to a higher plan to gain access to your backup. In case you do not have a backup copy of your site, you will have to rework it manually. This means you would probably need the assistance of a website developer.
Protecting Your Site from Defacement
Take steps to protect your WordPress site from potential attacks in the future. To do so, you should limit your website plugins, limit access levels, scan the secure code of the site, and keep using the WordPress malware scanner regularly.
In general, make sure you keep all your software and systems up to date. Do not disregard notifications prompting upgrades. This includes your antivirus software too. Be diligent about maintaining cyber hygiene (i.e., practices for ensuring and improving your online security), using strong passwords, and multi-factor authentication as standard practices.
Final Thoughts
Defaced WordPress websites can cause a lot of distress and pain. You have invested too much of your time and energy to let hackers lay waste to your work. There are a host of hackers or pranksters who might deface your site to make a living, expose your vulnerability, or just have fun.
The impact on your work, irrespective of the field of your activity, will be significant. To minimize damage, you need to make sure that you take action immediately. Be alert to the early warning signs, don’t hesitate to take prompt action to remove defacement, and take measures to keep your website protected.
