An email I really hate seeing in my inbox is “my site’s been hacked.” Not because I don’t know how to fix it, but because it means that a client is stressed, could be losing business or content + I need to rearrange my schedule to get it sorted… without knowing how long it will take.

This is part of the gig. I’m good at untwisting the knots that happen with WordPress + am happy to help. But sometimes I get these emails when the site is doing just fine.

I love these situations. I get to explain to the client that their site is safe, with a very empathetic “I told you so” tied in. That’s why folks love hosting with us.

To save you some potential panic, here are some hacking false alarms.

Login Attempts

One of my favorite plugins is Limit Login Attempts Reloaded. It prevents hackers from gaining access to your site by protecting the login screen.

This free tool can trigger some alarm bells when users see the chart on their dashboard showing just how many attempts have been made to log into the site. This graphic is just a sign that the tool is working + your site is being kept safe.

Spam Email

An uptick in spam emails is annoying — there’s no doubt about that. While annoying, it’s not a sign that your site has been hacked. Spammers putting your email address in the send field, or filling out your contact form repeatedly, does not mean that they have access to the backend of your site.

Styling Changes

While it’s important to keep an eye on your site for any visible changes, if the padding or color of your button has changed suddenly, that isn’t a surefire sign of hacking.

Instead, check whether a plugin, theme or WordPress update ran recently (especially those automatic ones). Updates can change the look of specific elements like buttons, forms or headings.

I can’t guarantee that you haven’t been hacked if any of these are happening. But seeing one of these issues on its own + no other signs (like a negative malware scan or no added users) means you’re likely doing just fine.

And of course, if you’re not sure, hit reply + we can talk about site security. Or check this post out to learn the real signs of being hacked.