Service · Websites and web applications

Website recovery after an attack

A website compromise rarely announces itself with a dramatic message on the home page. More often, phone visitors land on a dodgy page, Google shows a warning in search results, or the host takes the site offline for sending spam. Imagine a hotel in Bled discovering that its booking form leads to a foreign site selling pills. Every hour means lost bookings and the question of whether guest data was stolen. Recovery is not just cleaning files. You have to find how the attacker got in, or they will be back within a week.

First steps the same day
during working hours, remotely
Point of entry
we find how the attacker got in
Google
warnings removed through Search Console
72 hours
to notify the Information Commissioner if personal data is involved

Scope of the service

We work in an order that limits the damage and keeps the evidence. Hastily deleting everything is often a mistake.

Check the scope with an engineer

Preserving the state

A copy of the infected site, database and server logs before anything is changed. Without it, nobody can later establish what happened or whether data was taken.

Containing the damage

Where needed, the site is temporarily replaced with a notice, passwords for admins, database, FTP and hosting are changed and unknown users are revoked.

Finding the way in

A review of logs, vulnerable plugins, stolen passwords and file changes. The usual culprits are outdated plugins, weak passwords without multi-factor login and forgotten copies of the site left on the server.

Cleaning or rebuilding

A clean version is restored from a verified backup or the source code, and database content is checked for injected links and scripts.

Clearing warnings

A check in Google Search Console, a review request and a check of whether your domain sits on spam blocklists. We also help with communication with your host.

Report and recommendations

A written report on what happened, what we did and what has to change so it does not recur. It also helps you assess whether the breach must be reported.

How the work runs

Once you contact us, during working hours we start the same day. The first goal is to stop the damage, the second to find the cause.

01

Initial assessment

Over a video call or email we take a description of the problem and the access details, judge the scope and propose first actions.

02

Preserve and contain

We preserve the state, change passwords and, if necessary, take the site down temporarily so visitors are not put at risk.

03

Clean and harden

We remove the infection, close the point of entry, update the system and plugins and switch on multi-factor login.

04

Verify and report

We watch the site for several days, clear search engine warnings and deliver a report with recommendations.

If the site held personal data, the clock is running. Under GDPR a controller generally has to report a personal data breach to the Information Commissioner within 72 hours of becoming aware of it, unless it is unlikely to pose a risk to individuals. We prepare the technical report quickly; the decision to report is yours, taken with your lawyer or data protection officer. Incidents can also be reported to SI-CERT.

Your questions answered

Rarely. If you do not know how the attacker got in, the same hole is still open in the backup, and the backup itself may already be infected. We do use backups, but only after review and with the weakness closed.

Not always. If it sends visitors to dangerous pages or steals data, we replace it temporarily with a notice. If the problem is hidden spam links, we can clean it while it stays up.

Once the site is clean we submit a review request in Search Console. Google usually completes the review within a few days, though we cannot guarantee an exact time.

With regular updates, multi-factor login, fewer plugins, off-server backups and monitoring of file changes. All of this is part of our website care service.

What is happening to your site?

Describe what you noticed, since when and which system the site runs on. During working hours we get back to you as soon as possible, normally the same day.

When we work
Weekdays 9:00-17:00 CET, answers the same or next working day
Calls
Video meetings, Teams and Meet both welcome

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