Website Hacked? What to Do in the First Hour
A calm, ordered response to a hacked website: how to spot it, what to do in the first hour, why a restore alone is not enough, and how to stop it happening again.
Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min read
If your site has been hacked, we clean your files and database, request removal from blacklists, harden the site and send a written report on what happened and what we changed. One-time Emergency Recovery is $399, and malware removal is included in every monthly plan.
Symptoms
Recognise two or more of these and it is worth acting today.
Chrome or another browser says the site is dangerous or deceptive.
Visitors end up on another website, sometimes only on phones or from search.
Your host disables the account after finding malicious files.
Rankings fall, or Google reports a security issue.
Accounts you did not create.
Pages in other languages or about products you do not sell.
Passwords stop working, or the login page changes.
Scanners flag your site.
Tell us what you see and a person replies by your next business morning, Eastern time. If your site is down right now, call us.
The clean-up
Eight kinds of infection in plain English.
Code that sends visitors to other sites.
Hidden files that let an attacker back in after a clean-up.
Malicious content added to your posts, pages or settings.
Thousands of pages about unrelated products, added to your site.
Accounts created so the attacker keeps access.
WordPress or plugin files changed to carry malware.
Server rules that redirect traffic or hide the infection.
Passwords and login pages altered so you cannot get in.
The process
Five steps, in this order.
What you receive
A written report you can keep, forward to your host or show your insurer.
Honest comparison
A plugin or your host is fine for small problems. Here is where each one stops.
| What | Security plugin | Host clean-up | WebXSentry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Good at | Spotting known malware quickly | A fast, often basic clean | Cleaning files and database, closing the way in, and a report |
| Where it stops | Struggles when the site is already broken, and can miss hidden backdoors | Usually removes the files they find, not the way in | Takes human time, so it costs more than a plugin |
| Who looks at the cause | You | Rarely | We do |
Choosing
You do not need a plan to get help.
| Your situation | Choose | Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Your site is hacked now and you want it fixed once | Emergency Recovery | $399, one time, no plan or contract |
| You want protection so it is far less likely to happen | A monthly plan | From $99 a month, malware removal included |
| You are hacked and want ongoing care afterwards | Emergency Recovery, then a plan | Both, billed separately |
If the damage goes beyond a clean-up, for example a site that must be rebuilt, we tell you what we found and what it would take, and we quote any extra work first. Nothing chargeable starts without your yes.
Plans
Same team, same promise on every plan. The difference is how many hands-on hours you get and how fast we move.
| Compare | Essential | Business | Priority |
|---|---|---|---|
| Firewall & malware removal | ✓ | ✓ | Included, plus custom rules |
| Security & vulnerability scans | Weekly audit (25+ checks), daily malware scan, weekly vulnerability scan | Daily audit (45+ checks), daily malware and vulnerability scans | Daily audit (45+ checks), daily malware and vulnerability scans |
| Backup frequency | Files weekly, database daily | Daily | Daily |
| History kept | 45 days | 60 days | 60 days plus 1-year archive |
| First response | Next business morning ET | Next business morning ET, priority queue | Next business morning ET, dedicated queue |
| Your contact | Support team | Named technical contact | Named account manager |
Updates, security, backups and monitoring in every plan. Month to month, a 30-day money-back guarantee, and two months free if you pay annually. See every plan feature.
Reviews
Reviews of Aarav Infotech, the company behind WebXSentry, from clients in Singapore, United States and United Kingdom. Each one says which service it is about, and where a public link exists you can read the original.
“Aarav Infotech was able to resolve the tech problems that we faced on Google Workspace (SPF, DKIM, DMARC) and resolve it to our satsifaction. Jitendra was patient and Ritika was prompt in addressing the query. Since all of the processes are automated, made things very easy.”
Sriram Iyer
IKIGAI ENABLERS PTE. LTD.
Singapore · Google Workspace support
Read on Google
“I have no hesitation in recommending their services, for any of the services they offer, they are very prompt responsive and professional.”
Dr D V Giri
Scientist, Pro-Tech
United States · Website development and maintenance
“They are highly experienced, creative, reliable and professional in their approach from the creation of the concept to designing and development; I knew I could rely on their technical skills and initiative to deliver superb results on time.”
Kevin Barrance
Director, Horizon Specialities
United Kingdom · Website design and development
Some of the businesses whose websites our team looks after
New Zealand
Ireland
United States
Australia
United Arab Emirates
United States
Canada
United KingdomStart in two minutes
Describe what you see on the site. A real person replies by your next business morning, Eastern time. If your site is down right now, call us.
In a hurry? Call +1 (855) 650-4040 (US).
Guides
A calm, ordered response to a hacked website: how to spot it, what to do in the first hour, why a restore alone is not enough, and how to stop it happening again.
Sep 16, 2026 · 5 min read
A website that is never looked after slowly becomes slower, easier to hack and less reliable. Here is what maintenance protects, in plain terms, and the cost of skipping it.
Aug 26, 2026 · 4 min read
Six checks any site owner can do without technical knowledge, the warning signs of a backup that only looks like one, and what to do if you find a gap.
Jul 1, 2026 · 6 min read
Related
Your files and database are copied to encrypted storage completely separate from your hosting server.
Read moreA real team looks after your WordPress site: updates, security scans, off-site backups, uptime monitoring and a monthly report.
Read moreYour store runs on WordPress, WooCommerce, a payment gateway and a stack of plugins.
Read moreAdd-ons
Extra fixes you can buy on top of your plan, each with a fixed price.
Security
One-time WAF setup on Cloudflare Pro that blocks attacks before they reach your website
Security
Secure HTTPS setup done right installation, validation, and mixed content fix in one go.
Speed and search
Make your website load fast for visitors anywhere in the world
Straight answers
It depends on how deep the infection goes, so we do not promise a fixed time. Once we have looked at the site we tell you what we found and when we expect to finish.
We aim to clean without taking the site offline. If it has to be taken offline to protect visitors, we agree that with you first.
Common signs are a browser warning, redirects, a hosting suspension, unknown admin users and strange pages in search results. If you are unsure, tell us what you see and we will look.
Malware removal from your files and database, blacklist delisting requests, hardening, and a written incident report on what happened and what we changed.
We close the way in and harden the site, so the same attack does not work twice. On a plan, regular scans keep checking, so a repeat is caught early. We do not promise a site can never be attacked again.
Logins go into the secure vault in your client area, never by email. We return them and confirm removal in writing when the work ends or if you leave.
Yes. We treat it with extra care and check the checkout afterwards.
A plugin looks for known patterns and can miss hidden backdoors or a site that is already broken. A person looking at the cause finds what a scan does not.
Common causes are an outdated plugin or theme, a weak or reused password, or a pirated theme. Our report names what we found on your site.
This service is the same wherever you are. Pick your country to see how it works with your time zone.
Tell us what your website needs. A real person replies by your next business morning, Eastern time, with how we would handle it and which plan fits.