Finding malware on your website is stressful, but a calm plan works best. Infected sites may redirect visitors, send spam or show warnings in search results. Acting quickly limits the damage to your visitors and your reputation. Follow these steps in order.
Signs of a malware infection
- Visitors are redirected to unknown sites.
- Search results show strange titles or foreign words.
- Your hosting account sends large amounts of e-mail.
- New admin users or unknown files appear.
- Browsers or search engines show a security warning.
Step-by-step cleanup
- Put the site in maintenance mode to protect visitors.
- Change all passwords: hosting, FTP, database and admin users.
- Take a copy of the infected site for investigation.
- Scan files with a malware scanner and note the infected ones.
- Restore a clean backup from before the infection.
- Update the CMS, themes and plugins to the latest versions.
- Remove unused plugins and unknown admin accounts.
- Request a review if search engines flagged the site.
Find the entry point
Cleaning without closing the hole means the attacker returns. Check which plugin or theme was outdated. Look at access logs around the date of the first change. Weak passwords and old file managers are other common causes.
Prevent the next attack
Keep everything updated and remove what you do not use. Turn on two-factor authentication for admins. Run regular scans, so you catch problems early. Our website security service adds daily scanning and automatic cleanup.
When to ask for help
Some infections hide deep in the database or in core files. If the problem keeps coming back, ask an expert. Open a ticket with our team and describe what you found. We can help you restore a clean copy and secure the account.
Regular backups make every cleanup easier. Read our knowledge base to set them up today.
Tell your visitors if needed
If customer data may have been exposed, inform affected users quickly. Explain what happened and what they should do, such as changing passwords. Honest communication protects your reputation and may be required by law.
