Quttera Malware Protection for WordPress Websites

WordPress websites make up approximately over 43% of all websites (roughly 810 million) on the Internet. This is great news for building your site and finding useful plugins, but it has also resulted in hackers who have learned how to target 1/3 of the Internet. As website security threats become increasingly complex, so does the need for effective malware protection.

A hacked WordPress site can cause anything from minor disruptions to complete disaster. However, protecting your site doesn't require becoming a security guru. By using automated security solutions, website owners can benefit from powerful defenses specifically designed to fight off WordPress malware.

For robust WordPress security, Quttera provides two malware protection options:
1 - a free plugin for basic scans.
2 - a premium website security platform with advanced features.
Secure Your WordPress Site for Free With a Malware Scanner Plugin
Enhance your WordPress website's malware protection with the Quttera Malware Scanner plugin. It scans for common WordPress infection signs like suspicious code blocks, malicious iframes, and lurking viruses. Early alerts make it easy for you to take action before harm is done. Quttera also monitors blacklists, alerting you if your site has been added - which is another sign that something malicious is occurring on your server - so you can kick out hackers and restore your domain's good name.

Three types of inspections are needed to comprehensively scan for WordPress malware: external, internal, and heuristic scans. The Quttera WordPress Malware Scanner employs these three approaches to achieve comprehensive scanning.
  • External or Client-Side Scan
    The external (or client-side) scanner simulates a user's visit to your website. This scanner acts as a website visitor to analyze site behavior and detect the following potential security threats:

    • Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Injection: The insertion of malicious code into your website using places where text entry is possible
    • Obfuscated JavaScript Injection: Injection of malicious code where the purpose is hidden through obfuscation
    • SPAM: Low-value emails emitting from your server or domain, which may be evidence of a mail server hack and can result in blacklisting
    • Phishing: Emails meant to target a person for scams or infecting their computer.
    • Code Injection: Injecting malicious code into your website
    • Malicious iframes: Content loading containers in your website that load malicious code or content
    • Malicious Redirects: Forced redirects that take website users to infected or scam-oriented URLs and steal web traffic
    • Website Defacement: Changes to your website that deface the design or content
    • Drive-By Downloads: Triggering unintentional downloads of malicious programs or code that creates further vulnerability
    • Trojans: A virus disguised as a legitimate program
    • Backdoors: A flaw in your defenses that leaves an entry point for hackers
    • Worms: A type of malware that automatically spreads and self-replicates
    • Spyware: A type of malware designed to lurk and steal information
    • Viruses: A type of malware that performs unauthorized actions on your server
  • Internal or Server-Side Malware Scan
    Quttera's malware protection also offers an internal scan that thoroughly analyzes your WordPress source code, including PHP and JavaScript files. You may notice that some of the same threats scanned for in external attacks are also scanned on the server side. This is because these types of attacks can be detected in different ways. This scan examines the server-side code and functionality to detect various security concerns, such as:

    • Code Injection: Malicious code that does not belong in your WordPress install
    • Obfuscated JavaScipt Injection: Unnecessarily complex JS code that could hide malicious purposes
    • Obfuscated PHP Injection: Unnecessarily complex PHP code that could hide malicious behaviors or functions
    • Drive-By Downloads: Downloads that do not belong in your web server that open backdoors
    • Trojans: Malware disguised as legitimate programs or plugins
    • Backdoors: Code or security setting flaws that allow unauthorized access
    • Worms: Programs designed to self-replicate and spread
    • Spyware: Programs collecting data to transmit to an unknown source
    • Viruses: Programs that have a potentially malicious effect
  • Heuristic Internal Malware Scan
    WordPress malware creators are sneaky. They hide the injected malicious code by disguising it as normal data, making it difficult to detect using traditional methods. Because the attacks are constantly evolving, it is hard to identify them based on known patterns.

    To address this challenge, we've created a highly sensitive scanner that goes deeper and can identify potentially infected files. However, it's important to be cautious as this scanner might sometimes flag harmless files as suspicious. This can happen because some legitimate software also uses a technique called obfuscation to protect its code.

    When similar techniques are used by hackers and defenders, it's important to understand what the code does to detect malicious vs defending functions.
Considerations for Using a Standalone WordPress Malware Scanner
Standalone WordPress malware scanners are a valuable tool for identifying and removing malware from your website. However, it's important to understand that they may not address all your website security needs.

Quttera goes beyond basic malware scanning by providing a comprehensive suite of security features, including a WAF, vulnerability scanning, file integrity monitoring, and DDoS mitigation. By combining these layers of protection, you can create a more robust security posture for your website.

Learn more about how Quttera can elevate your website security.
Utilizing Malware Scanner Plugins for WordPress Malware Removal
The malware scanner plugin offers detailed reports to help you find and remove potential infections. WordPress is a well-understood website framework, including industry-standard plugins and website-building best practices. This makes it possible to identify files and even blocks of code within a WordPress installation that shouldn't be there.

These reports list any infected or "alien" files discovered within your WordPress directories. Treat these files with caution, as they could be malicious and activate malware if executed.

However, not all alien files are malicious. Be sure to always create a full backup of your website before making any changes in case you accidentally remove a legitimate file. This way, you can restore your website quickly and scan it again.
Get Started With Malware Protection:
Installing the WordPress Malware Scanner
Installing From the WordPress Dashboard:

This is the easiest and recommended method for most users:
1
Log in to your WordPress dashboard.
2
Navigate to Plugins > Add New.
3
In the search bar, type "Quttera".
4
Once you find the plugin, click "Install Now".
5
After the installation is complete, click Activate to start using the plugin.
Protect Your WordPress Website With Quttera's Malware Security Platform
Defending your WordPress website is a multi-layered approach. It is standard practice to build your WordPress site with plugins - modular code add-ons - to equip your site with a few security features. WordPress plugins can add things such as user authorization levels, two-factor logins, and a certain amount of semi-manual defenses. However, these plugins are like building walls. They are passive and the most popular commercial security plugins are also those that hackers focus on learning how to infiltrate.

This is why WordPress site owners also integrate ThreatSign!, a comprehensive security platform with proactive defense procedures. ThreatSign! will constantly scan and analyze your site to detect code injections, corrupted PHP, and suspicious files, and protect your site from malicious web traffic in addition to basic site defense structures. There are many different benefits to protecting your WordPress website with ThreatSign's active defense strategy.
Bolster Your Malware Protection With ThreatSign!: Key Benefits
  • Website Malware Detection:
    • Advanced Scanning Techniques: Uses heuristic analysis to identify malicious code, even if it's disguised or unknown. This also goes beyond traditional signature-based detection, which relies on pre-defined patterns of known threats.
    • Focus on PHP-Based Threats: Seeks to detect malware and backdoors written in PHP, a common programming language for developing websites, including WordPress.
    • External Link Scanning: Scans for suspicious external links embedded within your website, as these can lead to malicious sites distributing malware.
    • Real-Time Updates: ThreatSign! safeguards your website with real-time updates to its security rules, ensuring comprehensive protection against evolving threats.
    • Automatic Threat Detection and Removal: ThreatSign! also constantly scans your website's core files, identifying and automatically repairing any infected files to keep your site secure
  • Additional Features:
    • Website Malware Removal Services: While not included in the basic platform, Quttera offers paid services for professional malware removal and website cleanup in case of infection.
    • Free SSL Certification with DNS-Bases WAF: Your WordPress website will gain an automatic SSL certification protected by a DNS-based web application firewall. This will ensure your website is safe and let users know it is safe to visit.
    • 24/7 Support: Quttera's security services also give you peace of mind. Our team of malware protection experts is available 24/7 to provide support and keep your website safe. With our constant vigilance, you can focus on running your website, knowing we're there to address any security concerns.
    • Website Hack Remediation: ThreatSign! goes further than just protection. It also offers additional services to remove malware and restore your website if needed, providing comprehensive security.
  • Proactive Security Measures:
    • Blacklist Monitoring: ThreatSign! keeps an eye on blacklists maintained by major search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo. If your website gets compromised and blacklisted, you'll be notified, allowing for prompt action.
    • Uptime Monitoring: Monitors your website's uptime and alerts you of any unexpected downtime. This can also help to detect malware attacks and service failures.
    • DNS WAF and Endpoint WAF: Two layers of WAF (web application firewalls) are implemented to protect your website. A DNS WAF protects your WordPress site by stopping traffic from malicious domains while endpoint WAF protects from more complex software-based attacks.
  • Blocking Malicious Traffic:
    • Advanced Filtering: ThreatSign's Endpoint WAF utilizes sophisticated rules and filters to identify and block malicious traffic before it reaches your website. This includes attacks like SQL injections, cross-site scripting (XSS), as well as brute-force login attempts.
    • Real-Time Protection: Unlike signature-based systems, ThreatSign's WAF analyzes traffic in real-time, adapting to new threats and attack methods as they emerge.
Get Started With ThreatSign Services: