I started to review a new client’s WordPress website when I spotted some code that screamed out to me… HACKING! This new hack is called, Nemonn. I’ve done a cleanup of the website and all is well again, but it’s a good time to share how any WordPress owner can test to see if their website has been hacked and even prevent most future hacking incidents.
Hacking doesn’t always take down a website or cause it to be blacklisted by the search engines, however it can do considerable damage to your reputation and to your readers’ in-boxes. Some hacks reach in and steal your email and use it to distribute SPAM. Some hacks, and this is what Nemonn looks like, create multiple links to promote dubious websites. So, although your site looks fine it’s best to do some testing and get your site back to a clean bill of health.
Take the Test: There are several free services online, however I found that SUCURI (https://sucuri.net/) quickly and correctly identified that the WordPress site was corrupted by a hacker. In this case, a bold red message stated, “Site infected with malware.”
An Ounce of Prevention: The best prevention is strong passwords. I know it seems draconian when Internet sites recommend that you add a number, a capital letter and a punctuation mark to your passwords. It’s your time and your money they’re trying to save. The hackers have programs that run a series of passwords on your site until they get access, so you have to out-smart them.
What to Update: Change your passwords on your hosting account, FTP account (through your hosting provider), and the password you use to gain access to your WordPress dashboard. I also recommend changing the password on your email account(s) and that means updating it on computers and smart phones too in order to maintain access to your emails.
Hacking doesn’t mean you have to go back to square-one and start from scratch with your WordPress site or blog. Cleaning out infected files, though, is the best plan to go forward.
