Advanced PHP Developer, Custom eCommerce, Custom WordPress

How Can I Tell If My Site Is Hacked?

March 14, 2022

A client recently asked us, "How can I tell if my site is hacked?"

This occured after they had received a number of phishing emails and they were concerned that perhaps they accidentally had given a hacker access to their website. This can actually happen if you click on a link in an email that looks legitimate but is not. You could then be taken to a login page that looks familiar but is actually a fake and an easy way for a hacker to get the password you type in.

Thankfully, I was able to determine this was not the case for my particular client. I also ran multiple security scans of both the client's WordPress install and custom eCommerce system that we built. Everything came up clean and secure.

I told the client to be especially vigilant going forward as I could clearly see a high number of thwarted intrusion attempts. That's when the client asked for more specifics, so I provided the following examples of what a hacked version of a site could look like:

  • Your website is no longer accessble by anyone or only a white (blank) screen appears
  • When you go to your website's domain, it displays a completely different site
  • Popups appear on your site that weren't there before
  • Your customers or previous visitors get phishing emails from the site (indicating your mailing list has been hijacked)
  • You can no longer log into your Admin
  • Areas of the site look different and it's not a change you are aware of
  • Whenever you visit the site, it forces a download to your computer
  • Error messages appear throughout your site

In general, you'll know something is wrong because the site will most likely look or behave differently.

Of course, the best way to prevent a hacked site is to sign up for one of our Maintenance & Security plans. We will keep your site updated, backed up and under constant surveillance for any potential hacker instrusions. Our firewall software will also prevent most hackers from even attempting to disrupt your site.

It's also really important to have multiple backups of your site's files and database. These backups should also be off-site and secure so you can get access to them whenever you need them and wherever you are. Our Cloud Backup is the perfect automated solution for you and we offer reasonable monthly, weekly or daily plans.

If you are interested in taking the worry out of keeping your site safe, please Contact Us now!