How to find malware in your website and prevent reinfection

Cybercriminals are constantly evolving, and their attacks can go undetected until it’s too late. This may lead to stolen customer data, damaged SEO rankings, and a loss of customer trust. That’s why learning how to find malware on your website is a technical necessity and a business imperative. 

This guide is your blueprint for detecting and eliminating malware, providing proactive tips to prevent future reinfection. With the right approach, you can fortify your website, safeguard sensitive information, and ensure your site remains malware-free – because in the battle against cybercrime, the best defense is a vigilant offense!

What is website malware?

Website malware refers to malicious software that is designed to infiltrate, damage, or exploit websites and web servers. Hackers typically inject malware into websites to steal sensitive data, hijack resources, or even take full control of the site. 

Common types of website malware include viruses, worms, trojans, ransomware, and spyware. These infections can lead to data breaches, compromised customer information, or the website being blacklisted by search engines.

Malware spreads through various vectors, such as vulnerabilities in outdated software, insecure plugins, or compromised third-party services. Once malware has infected a website, it can silently run in the background, executing harmful actions like redirecting users to malicious sites, injecting spam content, or opening backdoors for further exploitation.

For website owners, the consequences of malware infections are severe: decreased site performance, loss of customer trust, and legal liabilities for handling sensitive information irresponsibly. Additionally, infected websites often suffer from reduced visibility in search engines, as malware infections can trigger penalties and blacklisting. Understanding what website malware is and how it operates is the first step to safeguarding your digital assets from cyber threats.

Signs your website has malware

Identifying malware on your website can be tricky, especially if the infection is subtle. However, there are several telltale signs that your site may be compromised. Common symptoms include:

• Unexpected redirects, where users are sent to suspicious or malicious sites without their consent. 
• A sudden drop in website performance, with pages loading much slower than usual or server resources being overused without explanation.
• Unfamiliar pop-ups or ads, especially if they weren’t placed by you, or changes to your website’s content that you didn’t authorize. 
• If your site is flagged by Google or another search engine as unsafe, this could indicate that malware has been detected, which can also result in a search engine blacklist. 
• If users or security tools report phishing attempts or your website sends out spam emails, these are major red flags that malware has infiltrated your system.

Recognizing these signs early on is crucial because the longer malware goes unnoticed, the more damage it can do to your site’s integrity, performance, and credibility. Regular monitoring and proactive defense measures can help detect these issues before they escalate into larger problems.

Why prevent and thoroughly remove malware from your website?

Preventing and removing malware from your website is essential to protect your site’s functionality, maintain trust, and avoid financial and legal repercussions. Malware infections can disrupt website operations, causing slowdowns, crashes, or data loss. More alarmingly, they can compromise sensitive customer data, exposing your users to identity theft or fraud.

A compromised site can damage your reputation, leading to lost business, as customers may no longer trust your brand. Search engines like Google often blacklist infected websites, drastically reducing your site’s visibility and search rankings. 

🔎 Did you know? Google blacklists 10,000+ websites every day. With Google’s 30-day ban on website reviews to prevent repeat offenders from distributing malware, cleaning up a hacked site thoroughly is more critical than ever.

Additionally, failure to prevent or remove malware can lead to compliance violations, especially if your site handles sensitive data like credit card information or personal identities, putting you at risk of legal penalties.

“Many site owners underestimate the full cost of a malware infection, focusing only on immediate recovery rather than long-term impact. They mistakenly believe that restoring their site to a normal appearance is sufficient. However, without exhaustive cleanup and root-cause analysis, vulnerabilities remain open. This leaves sites susceptible to reinfection, which in turn can worsen damage, trigger penalties from search engines, and lead to prolonged downtime.”

Ryan MacDonald, Chief Technology Officer at Liquid Web

How to check your website for malware

Finding malware on your website requires a combination of manual methods and automated tools. Regular scanning and monitoring can help you detect infections early and minimize damage. Here’s a breakdown of how to check your site for malware:

Manual malware detection methods

File analysis

Checking your server’s file system for malware involves reviewing files for unauthorized changes or the presence of unfamiliar files. Pay particular attention to core system files, scripts, and configuration files, as hackers may inject malicious code into these to exploit your website. Compare current files with known good backups or version control logs to spot discrepancies.

Database checks

Hackers often target your website’s database to insert harmful code or extract sensitive information. Review your database for unusual entries, including suspicious user accounts, unauthorized changes to content, or unknown scripts. Look closely at tables storing login credentials, form submissions, and plugin data. SQL injections are a common attack vector, so examine your database for signs of malicious code that may have been injected to gain unauthorized access.

Source code examination

Inspect your website’s source code to identify malicious injections. Hackers often insert hidden or obfuscated code using techniques such as base64 encoding, which makes malicious scripts harder to detect. Watch out for unfamiliar inline scripts, iframes, or encrypted code that doesn’t belong. Since even small snippets of injected code can cause major security issues, meticulously reviewing your site’s codebase is essential for spotting potential threats early.

Free malware scanning tools for websites

Google Safe Browsing

Google Safe Browsing is a free tool that checks websites for malicious activity. If Google detects malware on your site, it will notify you through Google Search Console and might display a warning to users, which can hurt your website’s traffic and reputation. Regularly monitoring your site using this tool is an essential part of keeping your site clean.

Sucuri

Sucuri’s free website scanner is designed to detect malware infections, outdated software, and vulnerabilities in your website. It can also check if your site has been blacklisted by any security authorities. Using Sucuri, you can quickly identify potential issues and take action to secure your site before the infection spreads.

Qualys

Qualys offers a robust free scanner that detects vulnerabilities on your website, including malware. This tool is designed for businesses that need to identify security risks, track their web server’s health, and ensure their site remains free from malicious software.

Automated malware detection with professional tools

Automated malware scanning tools are invaluable because they provide continuous protection without the need for manual intervention. They scan your website in real-time, immediately alerting you to suspicious activity or potential malware threats. This enables you to take quick action before the malware can spread, cause significant damage, or lead to blacklisting by search engines.

The best automated scanning tools include features like real-time file and database monitoring, vulnerability detection, and the ability to automatically remove detected malware. They often offer customizable scan schedules, ensuring that your website is scanned regularly. 

Some tools also provide detailed reports and alerts for suspicious activity, so you stay informed and can act swiftly. Solutions such as Sucuri, Wordfence, and SiteLock offer robust, user-friendly scanning with options for both small business websites and larger, more complex setups.

Staying vigilant against evolving malware threats with Liquid Web

Protecting your website from evolving malware threats requires more than just basic precautions. Liquid Web offers a range of advanced solutions that can help you identify, remove, and prevent malware on your website, ensuring ongoing protection and performance.

One key feature of Liquid Web’s managed hosting services is their real-time security monitoring and malware detection systems. With these automated tools in place, you can proactively scan your website for any signs of malware or vulnerabilities without having to rely solely on manual checks. This automated scanning helps detect malicious code, unauthorized changes, and other threats before they cause serious damage.

In addition to scanning, Liquid Web provides automatic updates for your website’s core software, plugins, and third-party applications, which are often entry points for malware attacks. By keeping your website’s software up to date, Liquid Web minimizes vulnerabilities that hackers typically exploit. The integrated Web Application Firewall (WAF) is another layer of protection, blocking suspicious activity before it even reaches your site.

Another standout feature is 24/7 expert support, which ensures that any detected malware can be promptly removed. If your website is compromised, Liquid Web’s team of security professionals can assist in both removing the malware and identifying the weaknesses that led to the infection. This level of support gives you peace of mind, knowing your website is backed by an experienced team.

Protect your website from malware with Liquid Web: Expert solutions and real-time security

Finding and removing malware from your website is crucial to maintaining a secure and trustworthy online presence. Regular monitoring, a combination of manual checks and automated scanning, and proactive measures are key to preventing future infections.

By partnering with a reliable hosting provider like Liquid Web, you get comprehensive security solutions that include real-time malware detection, automatic updates, and expert support to protect your site from evolving threats. 

Don’t wait for malware to harm your website – secure your site today with Liquid Web’s powerful hosting and security services!

Note on the original publish date: This blog was originally published in January 2020. It has since been updated for accuracy and comprehensiveness.