Hi everyone, I’m dealing with a security breach on my WordPress site and could really use some guidance. Someone managed to get into my website and wiped out all my plugins, basically ruining everything I had built. I also got a notification that an unknown person was added as an owner to my Search Console account, which I’m working to fix through DNS verification. Since I’m pretty new to running websites and this is my first major security incident, I’m feeling overwhelmed. It looks like I’ll have to rebuild the entire site from scratch. Can anyone recommend reliable security and backup solutions that would prevent this from happening again? I really didn’t expect something like this to occur and want to make sure I’m properly protected moving forward.
Went through this mess two years ago - learned prevention beats fixing afterward. Besides the plugins people mentioned, switch to a host that actually cares about WordPress security. WP Engine and SiteGround do automatic malware scans and daily backups without you thinking about it. Game changer for me was setting up a staging site to test updates before they go live. Also, cap those login attempts through your host’s panel or a plugin - tons of hacks come from bots hammering the admin login. Check all your user accounts and dump any you don’t recognize, then force strong passwords for everyone who has access.
Sorry this happened, Alice. Same thing hit me last year - learned some painful lessons during the rebuild. First, check if they got into your domain registrar account too since they messed with your DNS. Mine was compromised and I nearly lost the whole domain. Now I use Kinsta - they’ve got built-in malware removal and automatic offsite backups. Moving off shared hosting made a huge difference since vulnerabilities can’t spread between sites anymore. I also changed my login URL with a security plugin since most attacks just hit the default wp-admin path. When you rebuild, set up a child theme and keep a local dev copy current. If this happens again, you can push a clean version fast instead of rebuilding from scratch.
man, that sounds rough! def use the Wordfence plugin, it helps a ton. also update ur passwords and enable 2FA everywhere! trust me, after my mess, I wish I did this earlier.
I’m sorry to hear about your situation; I experienced a similar issue not long ago. It’s crucial to have a reliable backup solution, and I recommend UpdraftPlus, which saved me during my own ordeal. For security, consider using Cloudflare’s free plan, as it can prevent many attacks before they reach your site. Additionally, review your hosting security logs to identify the entry point, which is often due to outdated themes or weak FTP passwords. Rebuilding can be daunting, but this is an opportunity to enhance your site’s security. Remember to change all hosting passwords, remove any unused plugins or themes, and if possible, invest in Sucuri for improved protection.
Been there, rebuilding sucks. Everyone treats this like a one-time fix instead of building proper monitoring.
Backup plugins are great until hackers delete those too. Automating the entire security workflow saved my sanity - automated backups to multiple locations, real-time file monitoring, and instant alerts for suspicious activity.
The breakthrough was automating responses. When suspicious activity hits, the system automatically creates clean backups, locks down admin access, and sends detailed reports. No more scrambling at 2AM wondering what’s compromised.
Your Search Console issue shows they got deeper access than just WordPress. I monitor all connected services now - when someone tries adding themselves anywhere, I know immediately.
The automation handles password rotations, plugin updates, security scans, and tests backups to make sure they work. Most people discover corrupted backups when it’s too late.
Latenode makes setting up this security automation straightforward. You can connect all your security tools, monitoring services, and backup solutions into one workflow that prevents problems instead of just reacting.
ouch, that’s painful alice. before rebuilding, check if ur hosting provider has recent backups - mine had weekly ones i didn’t know about. hardening wp-config.php helped me a lot after my incident. just google “wordpress wp-config security” for the tweaks. also change your ftp/cpanel passwords asap if u haven’t already!