10 Signs Your Website Has Been Hacked (And What To Do About It)
Learn to identify the warning signs of a compromised website and take immediate action to protect your business.
10 Signs Your Website Has Been Hacked (And What To Do About It)
After cleaning over 1,500 infected websites across 40+ countries, I have seen every type of hack imaginable. Here are the most common signs that your website has been compromised.
1. Unexpected Redirects
If visitors are being redirected to spam sites or pharmaceutical pages, your site is likely infected with redirect malware. This often happens through compromised JavaScript files or .htaccess modifications.
2. Google Warnings
Seeing "This site may be hacked" or "This site may harm your computer" in search results? Google has detected malicious content on your site.
3. Suspicious Admin Users
Check your WordPress users or admin panel. Hackers often create hidden admin accounts with names like "admin2" or random strings.
4. Strange Files in Your Directory
Look for files with random names like wp-tmp.php, class.api.php, or files in unexpected locations. These are often backdoors.
5. Slow Website Performance
Cryptocurrency miners and spam scripts consume server resources, significantly slowing down your website.
6. Spam Content Appearing
Hidden links, Japanese/Chinese characters, or pharmaceutical content appearing on your pages indicates SEO spam injection.
7. Email Delivery Issues
If your emails are bouncing or going to spam, your server IP may be blacklisted due to spam being sent from your compromised site.
8. Hosting Provider Suspension
Many hosts automatically suspend accounts when they detect malware to protect other customers on the shared server.
9. Traffic Anomalies
Sudden spikes in traffic, especially from unusual countries, can indicate your site is being used for phishing or spam.
10. Customer Complaints
Sometimes customers are the first to notice issues like fake login pages or suspicious payment forms.
What To Do Next
- Do not panic - but act quickly
- Take your site offline if possible
- Change all passwords immediately
- Check backups for clean versions
- Contact a professional for thorough cleaning
If you need help cleaning your website, feel free to reach out. I offer emergency same-day service for critical situations.