Emergency Hack Response
Your site is hacked. Do not panic. Do not randomly delete files. Call us first.
A hacked WordPress site is stressful, but the wrong response makes it worse. Deleting files destroys audit evidence. Installing multiple security plugins creates conflicts. Restoring from an old backup reintroduces the same vulnerability. We've handled hundreds of WordPress compromises, let us run the recovery.
The Specific Feeling of Discovering You've Been Hacked
It might have been a Google Search Console alert. Or a client who texted asking why your website is "showing something weird." Or you opened your own site and saw a redirect to a pharmacy storefront. Or Chrome flashed a red "Deceptive Site Ahead" warning you weren't expecting.
Whatever the trigger, the feeling is the same: a cold drop in your stomach. Because your website is your business's front door, and someone has broken in and is using it against you and your visitors.
The good news: WordPress hacks are recoverable. The bad news: how you respond in the next two hours determines whether the recovery is clean or complicated.
The Five Mistakes People Make Right After Discovering a Hack
1. Installing three security plugins simultaneously. They conflict with each other and none of them operate effectively.
2. Randomly deleting files that look suspicious. This destroys audit evidence and can break legitimate WordPress functions.
3. Restoring from backup immediately. If the vulnerability that allowed the hack isn't patched first, the restored site gets hacked again within 24 hours, often by an automated scanner that already knows the entry point exists.
4. Contacting hosting support first. They'll confirm the server is fine (it usually is) and escalate you nowhere useful.
5. Hoping it will resolve itself. It won't. Automated attack scripts will continue to use your site as a spam relay or redirect target for as long as it remains compromised.
The Emergency Recovery process
Step 1 — Contain: We put the site into maintenance mode to stop active harm to visitors while we work, without destroying the evidence we need to diagnose the attack.
Step 2 — Diagnose: We identify the attack vector — the specific vulnerability that was exploited — before removing a single infected file. This prevents reinfection.
Step 3 — Clean: Full file system and database remediation. Every infected file, every backdoor, every injected script — removed.
Step 4 — Harden: The entry point is permanently closed. Passwords, secret keys, and file permissions are reset. Vulnerable software is updated or replaced.
Step 5 — Restore reputation: Google blacklist removal request submitted. We monitor the warning removal and verify clean search engine status.
Step 6 — Prevent recurrence: We brief you on exactly what happened, why it happened, and what ongoing protection you need to prevent it happening again.
Post-Mortem Report
Case Study: The Redirect Hack That Ran for 11 Days Undetected
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Get a Free AuditCommon questions
Questions answered.
My site was hacked through a plugin I deleted. Is it still vulnerable?
Deleting the plugin removes the entry point but doesn't clean the malware that was already installed through it. The hack payload, backdoors, injected code, remains and must be manually removed.
Should I restore from backup?
Only after the vulnerability is identified and patched. Restoring a clean backup to a still-vulnerable environment results in reinfection, often within hours.
How long does emergency recovery take?
Initial support and malware removal for a standard WordPress site typically takes 4–8 hours. Complex infections with large databases or multiple backdoors may take longer.
Is my visitors' data compromised?
This depends on the type of attack. Redirect hacks and spam injection typically don't access customer data. Credential-harvesting attacks may. We assess data exposure risk as part of every recovery.
Request WordPress Support.
Whether you need emergency help or ongoing maintenance, submit your website details below. Our WordPress experts will review and respond within 4 hours.