Steps to Recover From a Website Attack: Prevention Is Better Than Cure

No one wants to believe their website will be hacked.
But the truth is, it’s not a matter of if — it’s when.

The good news?
With the right tools and plan in place, you can recover fast — and better yet, prevent the damage from happening in the first place.

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💥 What Happens During an Attack

When malware hits, several things may occur:

• Your homepage is defaced
• Users are redirected to spam or phishing sites
• Sensitive data is stolen
• Google blacklists your domain
• Your reputation takes a major hit

And all of that can happen silently — without you even knowing.

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🧯 How to Recover from a Website Attack

1. Take the site offline temporarily to prevent further damage
2. Scan for malware externally — don’t just rely on plugins
3. Compare core WordPress files against known-good versions
4. Check plugin & theme integrity
5. Clean infected files or restore from a secure backup
6. Force logout and reset all user passwords
7. Notify affected users if any data may have been exposed
8. Request Google re-review if blacklisted
9. Document the attack and implement prevention tools

This process is stressful — especially when you don’t have visibility.

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🧠 How WPMissionControl Helps Before, During & After

WPMissionControl gives you everything you need to respond fast and prevent future attacks:

✅ External malware scanning
✅ Core file integrity checks
✅ Performance + uptime logs to pinpoint when the issue began
✅ SSL, plugin, and version monitoring
✅ Real-time alerts via Slack/SMS/Email
✅ Public status pages to maintain trust and transparency

Our goal?
Catch problems before your customers do.

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✅ Prevention Checklist

• Use strong, unique admin credentials
• Keep WordPress, plugins, and themes updated
• Avoid “nulled” or pirated plugins/themes
• Run regular external malware scans
• Monitor file changes + uptime automatically

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Recovery is important.
Prevention is essential.
Take action before you’re forced to.