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Security & maintenance

My WordPress site was hacked: what to do now

ByJupiWebUpdated1 min read

Short answer

Document the symptoms, contact your host, protect access and preserve a clean recovery point before making changes. A visible malware warning needs a careful cleanup, not a rushed plugin install or password change alone.

If you see unknown administrator accounts, spam pages, a browser warning or a host suspension, treat the site as a security incident. Write down what you saw, when it started and what changed recently. Do not delete files or overwrite evidence before you have a recovery plan.

Contain and get help

Contact the hosting provider through its official support route. Ask whether the account or shared server is affected, whether they can preserve a snapshot and what they recommend before taking the site offline. If customer data or payment systems may be involved, escalate to a qualified security and legal contact promptly.

WordPress.org’s hacked-site guide recommends documenting symptoms, checking with the host, scanning and reviewing every access point. Create a forensic copy even if it may be infected. Restore only from a backup you have reason to trust; a backup taken after the attacker entered may restore the same problem.

Clean, secure and verify

Have the cause identified and the malicious changes removed. Update WordPress, themes and plugins from trusted sources, remove anything unused or abandoned, rotate credentials after cleanup, invalidate active sessions and enable two-step verification. Check domain, DNS, hosting, CMS, email, database, repository and payment accounts. Test forms, orders, redirects and outgoing email before reopening the site; then review Search Console and any malware warnings.

JupiWeb’s care options start at €19 per month and list hosting, SSL, daily backups and security updates. A care plan is preventive maintenance, not incident response. Use the security check-up to review the controls after recovery.

Try it

Website security check-up

Review backups, updates, two-step verification, HTTPS and account access to spot practical maintenance gaps.

Questions

Should I just restore yesterday's backup?

Only if you know it predates the compromise and understand what data would be lost. Preserve a snapshot for investigation and ask the host or a security professional to help choose a clean recovery point.

Is changing the WordPress password enough?

No. Review every access route, including hosting, domain, email, database, FTP or SFTP, administrator users, API keys and third-party services. Remove unknown users and secure the recovery email.

Can I clean a hacked site myself?

It depends on the incident and your skill. If the site serves malware, handles payments or has unknown administrator access, involve the host and a qualified incident responder rather than guessing at infected files.

Want us to handle it?

We say what the work includes, what it costs and when it goes live, before we start.

Fixed price · never hourly