Website hacked? We'll clean it up and lock it down

Hacked WordPress or WooCommerce site repair for Australian businesses. We remove malware, spam pages and hidden links, update the site and lock it down, usually within a day or two.

Get a fixed price (02) 9121 6234

Trusted by established Australian businesses including

Signs your website has been hacked

Most hacks aren't obvious.
The site still looks normal to you and your customers, while it quietly publishes spam for Google to find.

Spam pages in Google
Searching Google for site:yourdomain.com.au shows pages you never wrote, often about casinos, gambling or pills.
Hidden links on your homepage
Blocks of links to gambling or scam sites hidden in the page code. Your customers can't see them, but Google can.
A page title you didn't write
Your site shows up in Google with a title or description that has nothing to do with your business.
A warning in Google or the browser
Google shows "This site may be hacked", or the browser shows a red warning before visitors reach the site.
Visitors sent somewhere else
Customers are redirected to spam or scam pages, sometimes only on mobile or when they arrive from Google.
Users or files you don't recognise
New administrator accounts, plugins or files appear in WordPress that nobody on your team added.

If we emailed you about your site, the email lists exactly what we found and how to check it yourself.

How we repair a hacked website

Deleting the spam isn't enough.
If the way in is still open, it comes back within days.
This is what a proper clean-up covers.

Two people looking at a business website on a laptop together

Website security checkWe’ve taken a copy of the site and checked for common ways hackers get in.

Potential entry point identifiedEntry point foundOutdated plugin requires attention.Outdated plugin, site backed up first.
Malware and spam foundMalware and spam removedHidden code and spam pages on the site.Files and database cleaned.
Security gaps still openSite locked downPlugins, passwords and admin accounts to update.Updated, passwords changed, admins reviewed.
Hacked warning in GoogleGoogle cleaned upSpam pages still showing in search results.Spam pages removed and a review requested.

Find the way in

Find out how they got in

Before we remove anything, we work out what happened and make sure there's a safe copy of the site.

We take a full copy of the website and database before making changes, so nothing important is lost.

Common causes include an outdated plugin or theme, a compromised login or a weak password. We identify the most likely way in so it can be closed, not just cleaned up.

We check for administrator accounts, plugins, files or changes that should not be there.

Website security checkWe’ve taken a copy of the site and checked for common ways hackers get in.

Potential entry point identifiedEntry point foundOutdated plugin requires attention.Outdated plugin, site backed up first.
Malware and spam foundMalware and spam removedHidden code and spam pages on the site.Files and database cleaned.
Security gaps still openSite locked downPlugins, passwords and admin accounts to update.Updated, passwords changed, admins reviewed.
Hacked warning in GoogleGoogle cleaned upSpam pages still showing in search results.Spam pages removed and a review requested.

Clean it out

Clean out the malware and spam

Everything that shouldn't be there is removed, not just what you can see.

We check the site's files and database for malicious code and hidden backdoors. Infected files are cleaned or replaced, and anything that could let an attacker back in is removed.

Casino, pharmacy and other spam pages are removed, along with hidden links buried in your site or database.

WordPress, WooCommerce, plugins and themes are replaced with clean copies from their official sources where needed.

Website security checkWe’ve taken a copy of the site and checked for common ways hackers get in.

Potential entry point identifiedEntry point foundOutdated plugin requires attention.Outdated plugin, site backed up first.
Malware and spam foundMalware and spam removedHidden code and spam pages on the site.Files and database cleaned.
Security gaps still openSite locked downPlugins, passwords and admin accounts to update.Updated, passwords changed, admins reviewed.
Hacked warning in GoogleGoogle cleaned upSpam pages still showing in search results.Spam pages removed and a review requested.

Lock it down

Close the security gaps

Once the site is clean, we close the obvious weak points and reduce the chance of the same attack happening again.

WordPress, WooCommerce, your theme and plugins are updated, and anything the site no longer needs is removed.

WordPress, hosting and other relevant passwords are changed, and any admin accounts that shouldn't be there are removed.

We disable risky settings such as file editing inside WordPress and restrict administrator access where possible.

Website security checkWe’ve taken a copy of the site and checked for common ways hackers get in.

Potential entry point identifiedEntry point foundOutdated plugin requires attention.Outdated plugin, site backed up first.
Malware and spam foundMalware and spam removedHidden code and spam pages on the site.Files and database cleaned.
Security gaps still openSite locked downPlugins, passwords and admin accounts to update.Updated, passwords changed, admins reviewed.
Hacked warning in GoogleGoogle cleaned upSpam pages still showing in search results.Spam pages removed and a review requested.

Clean up Google

Remove warnings and hacked search results

Once the site is clean, we help remove the traces of the hack that may still be showing in search or to visitors.

If Google has marked the site as hacked or unsafe, we submit it for review through Google Search Console once the clean-up is complete.

Hacked URLs and spam pages are removed from the site, and we help Google recrawl the clean version so they can disappear from search results.

We check for hacked titles, descriptions and other unwanted results that may still be appearing in Google.

Website security checkWe’ve taken a copy of the site and checked for common ways hackers get in.

Potential entry point identifiedEntry point foundOutdated plugin requires attention.Outdated plugin, site backed up first.
Malware and spam foundMalware and spam removedHidden code and spam pages on the site.Files and database cleaned.
Security gaps still openSite locked downPlugins, passwords and admin accounts to update.Updated, passwords changed, admins reviewed.
Hacked warning in GoogleGoogle cleaned upSpam pages still showing in search results.Spam pages removed and a review requested.

Check it stays clean

Make sure nothing comes back

Once the clean-up is complete, we check the site again and give you a clear record of what was done.

What we found, the likely way in, what we removed and what we changed. A report written for a business owner, not a developer.

We check the site and Google again in the days after the clean-up to make sure the malware, spam and warnings haven't returned.

Outdated software is a common way WordPress sites are compromised. If you want ongoing protection, our support and maintenance plans cover regular updates, backups and security checks.

Website security checkWe’ve taken a copy of the site and checked for common ways hackers get in.

Potential entry point identifiedEntry point foundOutdated plugin requires attention.Outdated plugin, site backed up first.
Malware and spam foundMalware and spam removedHidden code and spam pages on the site.Files and database cleaned.
Security gaps still openSite locked downPlugins, passwords and admin accounts to update.Updated, passwords changed, admins reviewed.
Hacked warning in GoogleGoogle cleaned upSpam pages still showing in search results.Spam pages removed and a review requested.

Getting it fixed

Think your site has been hacked?

Send us your website address.
We'll check what's going on and give you a fixed price before any work starts.

No work starts until you approve the price

01
Send us your website address
Fill in the form or call us. Tell us what you've noticed, or forward the email we sent you.
02
We check the site and confirm the price
We assess what's happened and how much work is needed, then give you a fixed price before we start.
03
You approve and give us access
Once you approve the price, we'll tell you exactly what access we need and how to share it safely.
04
We clean and lock down the site
Usually within a day or two. Your site can normally stay online while we work, unless it's redirecting visitors or doing something harmful.
05
We report back and check again
You get a short report of what we found and changed. We then re-check the site and Google in the days after.

Rather have your own developer fix it?

That's fine. Get in touch and we'll send them exactly what we found and where to look, at no charge.

Send the details to my developer

Questions about hacked website repair

Search Google for site:yourdomain.com.au and look for pages you didn't create, often about casinos, gambling or pills. Other signs include search titles you don't recognise, security warnings, visitors being redirected to other sites, or new administrator accounts in WordPress.

Many hacks are hidden from normal visitors, so the site can look fine while Google is finding spam.

If we contacted you, it's because we found public signs that your website may have been hacked, such as spam pages, unusual search results or other suspicious changes visible in Google.

We'll tell you what we found and how you can check it yourself. You don't need to give us access just to verify the problem.

Common causes include an outdated plugin or theme, a compromised login, or a weak or reused password. Automated tools constantly scan the internet for vulnerable websites, so attacks are often opportunistic rather than targeted.

As part of the clean-up, we identify the likely way in and close the security gap.

We check the site first and give you a fixed price before we start, so you know the cost upfront.

The price depends on the size of the site, the extent of the hack and how much needs to be repaired.

Most clean-ups are completed within a day or two once we have the access we need.

Google warnings and spam pages in search results can take longer to disappear because Google needs to recrawl or review the site afterwards.

Usually not. The site can normally stay online while we clean and secure it.

If it is redirecting visitors, spreading malware or doing something harmful, we may recommend taking it offline briefly while we work.

Once the site is clean, we can submit it to Google for review through Google Search Console.

Google controls when the warning is removed, so we can't guarantee exactly how long that part will take.

Not necessarily. Many WordPress hacks are designed to publish spam or redirect visitors rather than steal customer information.

We check for signs that customer, order or account data may have been accessed and explain what we find. In some cases, it isn't possible to determine with certainty everything an attacker viewed before the site was cleaned.

On many WooCommerce stores, full card details are processed by the payment provider rather than stored directly on the website.

Keep WordPress, WooCommerce, plugins and themes up to date, remove anything the site no longer needs, and use strong, unique passwords.

Our support and maintenance plans cover regular updates, backups and security checks, so the site is looked after each month instead of only when something goes wrong.