OptimWise - Web Design & Development Simpsonville/Greenville SC

Truth: Any public website can be hacked. WordPress sites aren't immune. No matter how proactive you are in securing your site, at some point you may wonder if your site has been infiltrated. Let's look at a few ways to scan your WordPress site for malware.

Video Overview: How to Scan a WordPress Site for Malware

Remote Malware Scan

A remote scanner analyzes the front end of your website (the web pages your customers see). It can't see inside WordPress or into your server. Therefore, its detection abilities are limited.

Remote scanners will detect obvious malware on your site. They also can tell you if your domain has been blacklisted, meaning search engines and security companies marked it as infected.

Here are online WordPress malware scanners you can use:

• Quttera (our favorite)
• Sucuri SiteCheck
• Hacker Target
• Is it Hacked?
• Astra

WordPress Malware Scan Plugins

Many plugins will scan your WordPress site for malware. Because they run inside your WordPress site, they can scan your site's files and database. Such malware scans are more thorough than the remote scans. Let's look at a few of our favorite WordPress security scanning plugins.

• Wordfence scans core files, themes and plugins against WordPress.org repository versions to check their integrity. It scans for malware, including backdoors and trojans. It also scans for phishing URLs.
• NinjaScanner – Virus & Malware scan scans for malware.
• Anti-Malware and Brute-Force Firewall scans for known security threats and backdoor scripts.
• AntiVirus scans database tables and theme templates for malware.
• BulletProof Security scans for malware.
• Malware Scanner scans for malware.
• Quttera Web Malware Scanner can run an external and internal scan for malware.

WordPress security plugins use a lot of resources, and they can slow down your site. After you finish malware scanning, make sure to delete any plugins that you don't intend to keep on your site.

Leave WordPress Security to the Experts. Sign Up Today!

If website security has you worriedly wringing your hands, get one of our WordPress Maintenance Plans and enjoy some peace of mind. We can set up your plan to include security scans and malware removal. Rest easy. We're watching your site.