Recognizing and repairing WordPress hacks

This presentation focuses on recognizing the signs of a hacked WordPress site (signs spam is being generated by the site, malicious redirections, etc), investigating the location of the hack (using wp-cli to find the location of altered code, plugin based scanners, and external scanning tools), repairing the site after the hack (replacing core files, backing up the database, and applying forced code updates), and then testing it. The presentation will focus on realistic expectations for hack mitigation – that it is usually not a question of getting a site back to where it was before a hack, but rather how close you can get it. The importance of backups is emphasized. An attendee should leave the presentation with an understanding of the general WordPress hack mitigation process and the importance of having a solid backup strategy.

Speaker

About Mike Reid

I am a PMP certified project manager for Xorre, and I am based in Virginia Beach, US. I've been involved with WordPress since around 2015, mostly with the Global Marketing team as a rep. I'm active in the local WP Virginia Beach meetup and an organizer for WCVB 2020. I have also been to around twenty WordCamps around the US as a speaker or attendee.