Google helps to resolve malware issues
One of the most worrying things for any website owner is the thought that it could get hijacked and have Malware installed. This can severely affect visitor numbers as search results get labeled as not being safe due to Malware, which is one form known as Badware.
The most common methods of Badware infecting a site is through a security breach, for example through the attack of a website database, web server or website itself.
Once badware is detected and then removed from a site, the labels will now get removed within 24 hours in most cases, this is a marked improvement and comes as welcome news to webmasters.
So how do you know when your site has Badware? If you have signed up to Google webmaster tools, you could be notified through this platform, or by an email from Google themselves, however you may also come across the issue by seeing warning in a search result of the site. These warnings are put in place to protect the user and are reported by automated scanning systems.
So what should you do if this ever happens? You should start by contacting your hosting provider as they can often handle the technical aspect of removing these issues for you. You should then make sure you go through the following:
- Take your Site Off line until the issue is fixed
- Assess the damage, figure out what they were after, check your server logs, check for recently modified files
- Remove the damage, in most cases this means a fresh reinstall of the server Operating System
- Restore your site from your backups and get it back online
- Learn from it, was there anything that could have been done to prevent this happening?
For more detailed information, Google has provided a comprehensive guide: My site has been Hacked, Now what
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