WordPress websites are always vulnerable to attack if proper security measure is not taken. Thus, it is important to check virus in WordPress website regularly. In this article, we would discuss how to check virus in WordPress website and the steps to follow next.
How to check virus in WordPress website?
The easiest way to scan any WordPress website for malware or virus is to use a security plugin.
Here are some popular tools that you can use to run the scan:
Wordfence
This is one of the easiest plugins to use. Search for the plugin in the WordPress.org repository. Download and install the same. It would search for malware automatically regularly. You may also run manual scans if you are suspicious of a possible attack on your website.
If any issue is found once the scan is complete, Wordfence would recommend the next set of actions. Both paid and free versions of this plugin are available.
Sucuri
This is yet another great tool for scanning malware. Use Sucuri SiteCheck to easily and quickly scan your website for any issue. Just feed your website URL and let the tool scan for any malware. You can also download and install this plugin on your WordPress website. This plugin is available in both paid and free versions.
iThemes Security
Another excellent tool is this one. This has over 30 security features to keep a website safe from any kind of attack. You can try the free version first to know how effective it is. Accordingly, you can choose the paid version for more features.
Watch this YouTube video:
Easy guide to scan for malware
While all of the tools mentioned before would scan for malware or virus equally well. For this article, we are using how to get Wordfence to work as an example.
- Go to your WordPress dashboard
- Navigate to Plugins
- Choose Add New
- Search for Wordfence
- Under Wordfence Security- Firewall & Malware Scan, click on the Install Now option
- Click on Activate once installed
- Accepts the terms of use if prompted
- Give your email id to complete the installation process
Wordfence would scan for malware automatically but if you want to scan manually then navigate to Wordfence from your dashboard. Click on Scan and then select Start New Scan.
Once the scan is done, you would see a detailed report of the scan results.
Now go ahead to delete the files that seem suspicious. You need to choose the Delete All Deletable Files option. A warning message would appear.
Once you are sure, click on the DELETE FILES option.
Backup your website
Once you have run the scan and got a breakdown of the results, back up your files before deleting the suspicious-looking files that the scan showed. This is to ensure that if you accidentally delete any critical data considering it to be malware, you should be able to restore it.
- Backup your WordPress website using a plugin such as the UpdraftPlus plugin
- After installing the plugin, go to Settings
- Choose UpdraftPlus Backups
- Click on Backup Now
You may choose any other trusted plugin to back up the website. If you want you can also back up your website even before running the scan.
Suggested read: Know how to fix malware infected WordPress
To secure the website
It is important to secure the website to prevent any further attacks. For that you need to:
- Change the passwords of all the logins to the website
- Set up Two-Factor Authentication
- Audit user profiles as some might have been created by the malware
- Implement security checks regularly
- Back up your website again
Although it may seem like a lot of work it is worth the effort to secure your website. Moreover, since you know now how to check virus in WordPress website it should be easy for you. If you like the information, share it with others who might be looking for ways to check virus in WordPress website.
