Wordfence Security will scan all WordPress core and plugin files and let you know wherever/whenever a file does not match the original:
http://wordpress.org/plugins/search.php?q=wordfence+security
However, you might occasionally see a changed file reported that actually came in as a “quiet update” from a plugin developer. Then, Wordfence also has some features for dealing with bots and failed logins.
I added Captcha to login after yesterday’s attack, and I have asked a developer about making a plugin that will do that only after a *failed* login to keep my host happy without making registered users prove themselves human in order to log in.
If a hacker successfully registered himself as an administrator, it’s very likely he installed a backdoor, which can be very difficult to find. Unless you eliminate this possibility, it may not matter what security plugins you’ve installed. The only sure way to fully clean a site is to wipe it all and restore from a known clean backup.
Moderator
t-p
(@t-p)
Thread Starter
prue85
(@prue85)
Thanks for all the help guys – I have decided to do a system restore of my laptop and also get my host to do a reset of my account allowing me to start from scratch.
Is it possible for me to install word press locally to re-build the site before I reset it to minimise down time (so I don’t get black listed by google)?
Thanks again 🙂
Thread Starter
prue85
(@prue85)
Thanks Krishna 🙂 Am I able to upload my finished site from my local machine to my host via FTP once completed?
Thread Starter
prue85
(@prue85)
Given that I will essentially be starting from scratch to build my website again is that the right link? I will need to copy other info other files? I don’t really understand whats in the databases…
All I want to do is re-build my site offline so that I can disable completely the one that’s currently online (corrupt) then completely disable it and upload the one I built offline. Will this be possible with the first link you sent?
If you are not experienced in setting up WordPress locally, this program will be the easiest as it installs WordPress and gives you a ready to Work site: http://www.instantwp.com
Then you can download your database and then import into it and go through every table to look for intrusions/ malware and remove them. If anything goes wrong you can reinstall and work again without any outside help. Once you find your site ready to go online, you can delete everything in your site, reinstall WordPress and again import your database back to your site. You may need to keep a note of your plugins, theme, etc. and for more safety, download your media/image files too. You may need to replace the site URLs by a search and replace function when importing to your servers (local/online). Once you start working, you will understand everything – perhaps by trial and error if you are new to these procedures. But then, don’t worry, that’s how everyone learns.
