How do I remove the WordPress virus and secure my site?

Effective WordPress virus removal and methods to protect against future threats. Discover how to secure your site and avoid future problems.

I provide professional WordPress-related services, focused on malware removal and securing sites against future threats. I recommend visiting the sub-site WordPress specialist, where you will find more information about my offer. You are also welcome to contact me for advice and technical support. My telephone number is (+48) 579 066 987.

How to recognise and remove a WordPress virus?

If you suddenly notice a drop in your site's performance, strange redirects or unexpected changes in your page content, this could be a signal that your site has fallen victim to a WordPress virus. Remove the threat to restore the site to normal operation. Here are the steps to help with this process:

• Carrying out a full scan: Use tools such as Sucuri or Wordfence to conduct an in-depth scan of your site.
• Reviewing and deleting suspicious files: Check the server for unknown files or altered scripts.
• Restore from backup: When all else fails, restore the site from a recent backup before the infection.

Scanning and cleaning tools

A number of tools exist for the effective detection and removal of WordPress viruses:

• Sucuri: A malware scanning and removal tool that also offers real-time protection.
• Wordfence: A comprehensive security solution for WordPress, monitoring traffic and blocking malicious access.

Both tools offer free versions and paid subscriptions with advanced protection features.

Securing your WordPress site against future attacks

Removing a WordPress virus is one thing, but preventing future attacks is just as important. Here are some key steps:

• Software update: Regularly update WordPress, themes and plugins to the latest versions.
• Strong passwords: Use strong, unique passwords for the administrator account and update them regularly.
• Protection of configuration files: Ensure the wp-config.php and .htaccess files have the appropriate permissions to protect them from unauthorised changes.

Regular security audits

Conducting regular security audits is key to ensuring your site remains secure. In my practice in Poznan, I regularly monitor my clients' sites, carrying out detailed checks to detect and fix any potential security vulnerabilities.

Security of plug-ins and themes

Many attacks on WordPress sites result from the use of plugins and themes that contain security vulnerabilities. It is therefore very important to only choose plugins and themes that come from trusted sources.

Safety recommendations:

• Regularly update all installed plug-ins and themes.
• Remove any unused plug-ins and themes.
• Carry out review and testing of new plug-ins on a working copy of the site before deploying them in production.

Implementation of monitoring systems

Monitoring systems, such as the aforementioned Wordfence, can monitor your site in real time, offering instant notifications of suspicious activity and blocking attacks before they start.

Consultation and technical support

If you need help securing your website in Poznan, I offer a full spectrum of consultancy and technical support services. You can contact me via WordPress specialist or call directly on (+48) 579 066 987. Together, we will minimise the risk of attacks and increase the security of your site.

For more on creating your own WordPress themes, see the article Creating your own WordPress template from scratch.