and database. Since I got hacked, I now backup my WordPress sites twice a day.
No matter what you do, there is really no guarantee that any of the security
measures discussed here will keep hackers away? A backup is not only the
fastest way to restore your site to working order, it may be the only way.
I know this the hard way. When I got hacked, it was a week before I realized I
needed to go to my backup, but the server I had back then only backed up my
site for 7 days, therefore my back up was also infected. So now, I backup my
main site directly to my hard drive two times a day for safety.
Do not rely on your web host to make daily backups of your website. Their
backups are not meant for restoring your site in case you get hacked. They are
used more to restore the entire web server in the event their hard disk fails. In
addition, their backup may not be the most current. It is very EASY to back up, but if you are not shown how to do it, like me, you
won't do it.
In the Admin Section of your WordPress site, in the “Dashboard” area, on the left
side bar, under “Tools” click on “backup” and just follow directions. It is that
Another thing you should do is keep a complete, up-to-date, copy of all the files
in your website. Besides your customized "wp-config.php" file, there are also the
plugins and themes you have added to your site, and if you have uploaded
pictures or other images through the WordPress web interface, they will also have
been added to your web directory.
Once you have a complete up-to-date set of files on your own computer, you
won't have to spend time reconstructing everything if you ever get hacked. It is
much easier when all you have to do is reload everything, as opposed to recreate everything!