Protect your Joomla! CMS from Malware
Malware is any software that is intended to damage or disable a computer or computer system, web server or website.
If your website is infected by malware, then it is likely that your computer has also been infected.
Assume the worst and fix both.
What are the first signs of your Joomla! CMS Website may have become Compromised?
A classic indicator is when you can no longer log into your website as administrator.
Reason: malware infection resulting in password change without your consent.
However, malware will often leave administrator credentials unchanged to avoid you reaching for the bleach!
Another indicator might be that a new Super User account has been added or a new template or some other website content.
How well do you know your website?
If you treat it almost like a pet which you would groom on a regular basis then you will spot when things don't look right.
How to reduce the risk of your Joomla! CMS Website becoming Compromised
- Keep your Joomla! CMS and 3rd party extensions up to date.
- Use only the latest release of Joomla! CMS and 3rd party extensions.
- Change Joomla! CMS Dashboard and hosting control panel passwords frequently.
- Use complex passwords to reduce the risk of brute force attack.
- Only visit your Joomla! CMS Dashboard and hosting control panel by secure encrypted connection (https).
- Avoid using FTP unless absolutely necessary.
- Never let your browser or FTP client remember your user credentials.
- Install, configure and maintain a Web Application Firewall.
- Follow the Joomla! Project's advice regarding your website's Global Configuration.
- Check the PHP version used by your hosting account is fully supported with updates by the developer.
Read more: Joomla! CMS Global Configuration Settings.
Back up your website frequently
Backing up your website will not prevent malware infection.
It will however make recovering from an infection easier and less problematic.
Read more: How to back up your Joomla! CMS.
Frequently scan your website for malware
Websites created using the Joomla! CMS are heavily targeted by hackers, just like those built using Wordpress and every other content management system (CMS).
Even if you always use the latest available release of the Joomla! CMS and its extensions, you should frequently scan your website for having become Compromised by malware.
We can help.
Read more: Personal Joomla! CMS Help and Support.
Use a Web Application Firewall
We recommend that you actively use the Web Application Firewall (or WAF) to:
- customise your website's HTACCESS file to improve website security.
- monitor for and temporarily or permanently block IP addresses which trigger persistent security exceptions.
We recommend Akeeba Admin Tools.
Read more: Web Application Firewall.
Protect Your Web Connection
If the application you use to connect to your website were ever to become Compromised then so will your website.
