In today’s digital world, knowing how to scan your cPanel for malware is a must to keep your website safe and sound.
cPanel is a super popular web hosting control panel that gives you loads of tools to manage your site.
But guess what? It can also be a magnet for nasty malware attacks.
These can mess up your data, disrupt your services, and harm your online reputation.
So, it’s really important to know how to scan your cPanel for any potential threats.
In this article, we’ll dive into some cool strategies and handy tools to help you spot and get rid of malware, making sure your website stays secure.
Let’s get started!
What is Malware?
Malware, short for “malicious software,” is any software designed to mess up your computer, network, or device.
It includes nasty stuff like viruses, worms, Trojan horses, ransomware, and spyware.
Each type works differently, but they all have the same goal: causing trouble.
Types of Malware
Viruses: Attach to legit software, replicate, and often cause damage.
Worms: Spread across networks, hogging resources without needing a host.
Trojan Horses: Pretend to be legit software to sneak into your system.
Ransomware: Locks your files and demands payment to unlock them.
Spyware: Secretly spies on you, collecting sensitive info like passwords.
Impact of Malware
Malware can seriously mess up your website and user experience. Here are some common effects:
Data Theft: Steals sensitive info, leading to identity theft and financial loss.
Site Defacement: Alters your website’s appearance, hurting credibility.
Service Disruption: Causes downtime and loss of revenue.
Financial Loss: Ransomware and data breaches can be expensive to fix.
Common Signs of Malware Infection
Watch out for these red flags:
Performance Issues: Slowdowns, crashes, or unresponsive apps.
Unusual Pop-ups: Unexpected ads or pop-ups, especially malicious ones.
Unauthorized Changes: Altered content or new user accounts.
Security Alerts: Notifications from security software about threats.
Preparing for a Malware Scan
Before you begin with the malware scan, let’s make sure you’re all set up for success.
1. Backup Your Website
Think of this as your safety net. Creating a full backup ensures you have a clean copy of your site just in case anything goes awry during the scan.
You can use cPanel’s built-in backup tool or any third-party backup service.
This way, if any files need to be restored after the scan, you’re covered.
Plus, it’s always smart to have your data protected from any unexpected issues.
2. Update cPanel and Website Software
Next up, let’s get everything up to date.
Keeping your cPanel and website software current is crucial for security.
Outdated software can have vulnerabilities that malware loves to exploit.
So, make sure your cPanel, operating system, and all installed software, plugins, and themes are running the latest stable versions.
Regular updates bring in security patches and bug fixes that help keep your site safe.
3. Choose the Right Tool
Now, it’s time to pick the right tool for the job.
Since the release of cPanel & WHM Version 88, ImunifyAV has been integrated into cPanel and WHM and can be installed via WHM’s Security Center in the Security Advisor interface.
ImunifyAV is a free scanner that analyzes the files on your server and notifies you of any malware it discovers.
If you are using a version of cPanel & WHM older than version 86, you can manually install ImunifyAV.
For more advanced features, consider upgrading to ImunifyAV+ or using Imunify360, which offers comprehensive security solutions including advanced firewall, intrusion detection, and proactive defense against zero-day attacks.
Another option is the Sucuri Security which is a popular third-party security service that provides malware scanning, website cleaning, and security hardening.
Their scanner can detect and remove a wide range of malware infections.
Wordfence Security: A WordPress-specific security plugin that includes a malware scanner.
While designed for WordPress sites, it can also scan other types of websites hosted on cPanel.
When choosing a malware scanning tool, consider ease of use, detection accuracy, removal capabilities, and compatibility with your setup.
Some tools even offer extras like real-time monitoring or website hardening to boost your site’s security even further.
Now you are ready to get started. Let’s make sure your website stays clean and safe!
Using cPanel’s Built-in Malware Scanner
Let’s see how we can use cPanel’s built-in scanner to keep things safe and sound.
Installing ImunifyAV
Log in to WHM: Head to your WHM interface.
Navigate to Security Center: Find the Security Center section.
Open Security Advisor: Click on Security Advisor and install ImunifyAV if it’s not already installed on your cPanel.
Accessing the Malware to Perform a Full Scan on cPanel
1. Log in to cPanel: Head to http://yourdomain.com/cpanel and log in with your username and password.
2. Locate the Virus Scanner: Scroll down to the Security section and click on the ImunifyAV or Imunify360 icon.
3. Initiate a Scan: Click on the ‘Scan’ tab to start scanning your entire server.
4. Wait for Completion: The scan might take a while. Once done, you’ll get the results.
Interpreting Scan Results
1. No Infected Files: If you see “Virus scan complete. No virus found,” you’re good to go!
2. Infected Files Detected: If any threats are found, you’ll get a list of infected files. Here’s what you can do:
Disinfect: Try to remove the harmful content.
Quarantine: Move the files to a safe quarantine area.
Destroy: Permanently delete the infected files.
Ignore: Not recommended unless you’re sure the files are safe.
After choosing an action, click Process Cleanup to finish up.
And there you have it—your website is now scanned and secure!
Using Third-Party Malware Scanners
Integrating these scanners with cPanel is pretty straightforward.
Here’s a quick guide for Sucuri and Wordfence:
Sucuri Integration with cPanel
1. Sign up for Sucuri: Choose a plan.
2. Install the Sucuri Plugin: From the WordPress plugin repository.
3. Configure the Plugin: In your WordPress dashboard, connect your account.
Running a Sucuri Scan
1. Log in to Sucuri: Navigate to the dashboard.
2. Start a Scan: Click on the ‘Scan’ option.
3. Review Report: Follow the recommended actions.
Wordfence Integration with cPanel
1. Install Wordfence Plugin: In your WordPress dashboard, go to Plugins > Add New, search for “Wordfence Security,” and install the plugin.
2. Activate and Setup: Follow the setup wizard.
Running a Wordfence Scan
1. Go to Wordfence: In your WordPress admin panel, go to Wordfence > Scan.
2. Start a Scan: Click on the ‘Start New Scan’ button.
3. Check Results: Take the necessary actions.
And that’s it! Keeping your site secure with these third-party scanners is easy and effective.
Removing Detected Malware
Got some pesky malware on your website?
Stay calm, I’ve got you. Here’s how to clean it up using cPanel.
Manual Removal
Log in to cPanel: Head to http://yourdomain.com/cpanel and log in.
Open File Manager: Find the File Manager icon under the Files section.
Navigate to Affected Files: Go to the directories where malware was detected, like public_html.
Identify Infected Files: Look for unfamiliar files, unusual names, or recently modified files.
Backup Infected Files: Before deleting, back them up by right-clicking and selecting Compress.
Delete Infected Files: Select and delete the infected files.
Check for Backdoors: Look for suspicious scripts or files and remove them too.
Review and Clean Up: Ensure no malware remnants are left.
Automated Removal Tools
For a quicker cleanup, try these tools:
Imunify360: Integrates with cPanel for automated malware removal.
Sucuri: Offers a malware removal service as part of its security package.
Restoring Clean Backups
If things go south when trying to scan your cPanel for malware, restoring a backup can save the day:
Log in to cPanel: As usual.
Open Backup Wizard: Find it under the Files section.
Select Restore Option: Choose what to restore (files, databases, etc.).
Choose Backup File: Pick the backup you want to restore.
Follow the Prompts: Complete the restoration process.
Verify Restoration: Ensure your website is back to normal.
Finally, beef up your security with regular backups, security plugins, and firewall protection.
Conclusion
To wrap this up, we have walked through the process to scan cPanel for malware to keep your website secure.
Remember, website security is an ongoing effort, so stay proactive.
Perform a malware scan today, review your cPanel security settings, and keep your website safe!
