1. Backdoor

Hackers often make new points of access during website attacks. The best website malware removal tools will detect and prevent unauthorized access. Failure to remove backdoors will result in more attacks. In 2018, backdoors were found in 68% of malware removal requests.

2. Malware

General infections with malicious payloads are on the rise. More than half of the attacks in 2018 involved malware being injected into the website. Often, the malware can steal login credentials, credit cards, and other sensitive information. Malware can also compromise other websites and launch DDoS attacks. The best malware removal service will protect and block attacks.

3. SEO Spam

SEO spam is the fastest growing malware family. Hackers infect a site with spam content or redirect visitors to another site. The goal is often to abuse a legitimate site’s SEO ranking to monetize on affiliate marketing. The best website malware removal tools can detect and remove SEO spam.

4. Mailer

Bad actors use mailer scripts to send spam emails from a domain. This results in a strain on server resources and could cause the site to be blocklisted. Mailers wreak further havoc by distributing malware or phishing campaigns. Sensitive information may be vulnerable during mailer attacks.

5. Defacement

Defacement is when a hacker uses access to a website to vandalize or change content. Having a clean backup version of the site is essential to restore the site during cleanup.

What to Consider When Choosing a Website Malware Cleanup Tool

1. Type of Attack

With all the different malware families in the wild, cleanup methods can vary. The best website malware removal will use both automated scanning and a manual check. This combination ensures complex code is detected.

2. Complexity of Infection

Malware attacks can affect many files on a website. In 2018, researchers saw a 73.81% increase in the amount of files cleaned in each malware removal. As attacks become more complex, it is imperative to remove malware from all files.

3. Quarantined Backups

During a website cleanup, important system files may be edited to remove malware. Making backups of these files before modification ensures data is not lost. The best malware removal service saves backups in a quarantined folder. This ensures files can be restored if necessary.

4. Compatibility

Website owners must consider compatibility with their content management system (CMS). The best malware removal tools are CMS agnostic. This means they offer cleanup for any website.

5. Total Cost

Price is always a factor. Services may include hidden costs and unexpected fees, not to mention upsells. Make sure your plan covers what you need for support, features, and bandwidth.

6. Response Time

Website owners want their sites restored fast after a hack. Malware attacks can damage reputation and trust if not cleaned and restored. As a result, website owners will want infected sites cleaned as soon as possible.

7. Prevention

A recently cleaned website can still get reinfected by malware if it is not protected. A robust security solution can prevent repeat attacks. The best website malware removal will also prevent future attacks. Prevention tools to look for include a web application firewall and virtual patching.

8. Industry Researchs

To stay ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats takes constant work. Malware analysis and vulnerability research should be important to any malware removal service.

9. Customer Service

Dealing with a website hack can be stressful. Having a dedicated team of experts for troubleshooting the cleanup process is key. It’s a good idea to read a few current customer reviews for the best website malware removal.

10. Extra Features

After cleanup, website owners may want to make other improvements. The best malware removal software also have extra features for security. One of the best bonus features to consider is a web application firewall.

Choosing a Website Security Provider

• Level of Support. Ask about the response time you can expect from your website security provider in the event of an emergency. You should consider whether you will require customization, setup, or troubleshooting. Read reviews or see a preview of the customer experience.

• Logging and Reporting. Investigation of a security incident is easier with access to detailed logs and audit trails. Talk with website security vendors about out what is possible, how reports are accessed, and whether the platform integrates with your SIEM system or security operations team.

• Compatibility and Deployment. Make sure that any website security provider you choose is compatible with your CMS and server software. This also includes concerns about server resources and bandwidth allocation. Ideally, you should understand what you are getting into when it comes to deployment and activation.

• Customization Requirements. If your website requires custom rule sets, load balancing, or high availability, discuss this with your website security provider. You may also want to ask about uptime guarantees, allowlisting and blocklisting, and any advanced security settings.

• Total Cost. Price is always a factor. There may be hidden costs and unexpected fees, not to mention upgrades and upsells. This is especially true when it comes to malware removal services. Make sure your plan covers what you need for support, features, and bandwidth.

• Attack Protection. A website security system should include methods to detect and prevent attacks, including signature and behavior analysis. You may want to ask website security providers about the false positive/negative rate, how often it blocks zero-day vulnerabilities, bandwidth limitations, and the number of global points of presence (PoP).

• SSL Support and Monitoring. If you have SSL/HTTPS on your website already, make sure the website firewall will support your existing certificate. HTTPS is automatically enabled on the Sucuri firewall servers for users who do not have a certificate. A good monitoring system will also be able to tell you if your SSL records change.

• Monitoring and Detection. A good website monitoring system will include continual supervision of your website activity logs, and content changes. Explore the alerting and reporting options of potential vendors. Ask whether they provide remote and server-side scanners and if they can monitor changes to DNS records, core files, and SSL certificates. If a website appears infected, help is available. Free scanning tools, such as SiteCheck, can detect malware. But, the best website malware removal tools will feature automatic detection and automatic and manual cleaning.

• Industry Research. To stay ahead of emerging cybersecurity threats takes constant work. Malware analysis and vulnerability research should be important to any website security provider. It’s also good to know whether the company specializes in your website software or CMS.

• Page Speed. When activating a website firewall, most providers will offer a CDN, caching, and compression that can be fine-tuned to suit your website’s needs. These performance options allow visitors to access a cached version of your website stored in different locations so your website is faster and more secure.