How To Fix Your Website When It Gets Hacked?

It's not uncommon for sites
even large ones with lots o
protection - to get hacked
Security is a major proble
these days. And if your site get
hacked, it can get damaged in
number of ways. You could lose all your data, or los
its ranking due to malicious activity. So while you ca
take periodic backups, you cannot prevent someone
from hacking into your site. The best and mos
practical thing to do in such an event is to recover you
site as fast as possible so that the effect of the attack i
neutralized/minimized.

Here are some tips shared by Google for getting your
website back on track after it has been hacked.

* Clean up malicious scripts

Hackers can target your site for any number o
motives. From taking down your website and deletin
its content to simply adding backlinks discreetly
there's a lot that can be done. If you notice suspiciou
content appearing on your website, delete thos
unnecessary pages immediately. However, don't jus
stop there.
Hackers will often insert malicious scripts into you
HTML and PHP files. These could automatically b
creating rogue backlinks or even new pages. Mak
sure you check your website's source code and see fo
any malicious PHP or JavaScript code that could b
creating such content.

* Maintain your CMS

Websites often get hacked due to vulnerabilities in
CMS that get patched with updates. If you're runnin
an older version, your site is more susceptible t
attack. Make sure you keep your CMS updated, an
use a strong password for login. If possible, enabl
two-step verification to secure the login process.

* www vs. NON - www

www and non-www URLs are not the same. http:/
www.example.com is not the same as http:/
example.com - the former refers to a sub-domai
'www', whereas the latter is the root of your site. Whe
checking for malicious content, verify the non-ww
version of your site as hackers often try to hid
content in folders that may be overlooked by th
webmaster

OTHER USEFUL SECURITY TIPS

Avoid using FTP when transferring files to you
servers. FTP does not encrypt any traffic, includin
passwords. Instead, use SFTP, which will encryp
everything, including your password, as
protection against eavesdroppers examinin
network traffic.

Check the permissions on sensitive file
like .htaccess. Your hosting provider may be abl
to assist you if you need help. The .htaccess fil
can be used to improve and protect your site, bu
it can also be used for malicious hacks if they ar
able to gain access to it.

Be vigilant and look for new and unfamiliar user
in your administrative panel and any other plac
where there may be users that can modify you
site.