WordPress Hacked? What to Do After a Hack

Episode: Episode 76

Your website is back online. Your agency updated the plugins and changed the passwords. But how do you know the attacker’s access is gone? In this episode of The Catalyst for the Trades, Jennifer Bagley sits down with CI Web Group CTO Chris Heney to discuss compromised WordPress websites and the questions every trades business owner should ask after a hack.

Recorded as an unplanned livestream after businesses contacted Jennifer about hacked websites, the conversation examines what can happen behind a site that still looks normal. Chris walks through examples of injected spam, malicious files, and attacks that put visitors at risk. He explains how WordPress core, themes, and plugins fit together, how attackers can maintain access after breaking in, and why updates and password changes alone may leave a compromise unresolved.

Jennifer brings the discussion back to business ownership. What software is running on your website? Who monitors vulnerabilities? What evidence supports your agency’s claim that the problem has been resolved? They also discuss website access and control, CI Web Group’s move away from WordPress, and the questions owners should ask about how an AI-built website makes its content accessible to search engines. The episode gives contractors a starting point for a more specific conversation with the people responsible for their website.

Guest: Chris Heney

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