Website Hacked: 10 Reasons and What You Can Do Now
Why websites get hacked: the 10 most common causes and what you can do immediately. Emergency help from Gosign.
Request emergency helpWhat to do when your website has been hacked?
When your website has been compromised, speed matters: remove malware, find the entry point, close the vulnerability, inform Google about the cleanup. Gosign provides emergency support for hacked websites -- WordPress, TYPO3 and other CMS platforms. This article explains the 10 most common causes of website hacks and how to protect yourself.
The 10 most common reasons websites get hacked
1. Outdated CMS version
WordPress 5.x, TYPO3 v9, Joomla 3: old CMS versions have known, documented security vulnerabilities. Attackers automatically scan for outdated installations. Solution: always run the current LTS version, enable automatic security updates.
2. Insecure plugins/extensions
A single outdated plugin is enough. Gosign monitors over 800 TYPO3 extensions and knows the high-risk candidates. For WordPress: only use plugins from trusted sources, update regularly, delete unused plugins (do not just deactivate them).
3. Weak passwords
"admin/admin123" is still alarmingly common. Brute-force attacks try thousands of combinations per minute. Solution: strong passwords + two-factor authentication + login rate limiting.
4. Missing SSL/HTTPS
Without HTTPS, login credentials are transmitted in plain text. Every website needs an SSL certificate. In 2026, there is no excuse.
5. Insecure hosting
Shared hosting with hundreds of sites on one server: if one gets hacked, all are at risk. Solution: managed hosting with isolation, automatic backups and a web application firewall.
6. No web application firewall (WAF)
A WAF blocks known attack patterns (SQL injection, XSS, file inclusion) before they reach your application. Cloudflare WAF, ModSecurity or commercial solutions.
7. Missing backups
No backup means no safety net. Daily backups, stored separately from the web server, tested regularly. A backup that cannot be restored is not a backup.
8. Insecure file uploads
Upload forms without validation allow attackers to upload PHP shells. Solution: strict file type checking, store uploads outside the webroot, randomise file names.
9. SQL injection
Unfiltered user inputs in database queries let attackers read or manipulate the entire database. Solution: prepared statements, input validation, ORM usage.
10. No monitoring
If nobody is watching, nobody notices the breach. Some hacks go undetected for months (spam injection, crypto mining, redirect hacks). Solution: uptime monitoring, file integrity monitoring, regular malware scans.
Website hacked? Gosign can help. Emergency support available.
Fast analysis, cleanup and hardening of your website.
Request emergency help25 years of experience · 800+ extensions · AI-accelerated development
Checklist: immediate steps after a hack
- 1 Take the website offline (maintenance mode)
- 2 Change all passwords (CMS, FTP, database, hosting)
- 3 Secure a backup (current state for forensics)
- 4 Identify the last clean backup
- 5 Run a malware scan
- 6 Identify the entry point (check logs)
- 7 Clean up and close the vulnerability
- 8 Bring the website back online
- 9 Google Search Console: request a review
- 10 Set up monitoring to prevent it from happening again
Gosign is a Hamburg-based digital agency with 25 years of experience in web development, TYPO3 and AI integration. We have analysed over 800 TYPO3 extensions and today develop with AI assistance up to 70 % faster than with traditional methods. Our clients include mid-market enterprises, universities and public sector organisations across the EU.
As of: February 2026
Frequently asked questions about hacked websites
What does it cost to clean up a hacked website?
Depends on the extent of the damage. Simple malware removal: a few hours. Full forensics plus rebuild: several days. Free initial assessment in a consultation.
How quickly can Gosign help?
Emergency support: typically within a few hours. Regular security audits: book via calendar.
Can I prevent my website from being hacked again?
Yes, with a maintenance agreement: automatic updates, security monitoring, WAF configuration, regular audits.