Online Website Virus and Malware Scanner
Free Website Malware Scanner – Poorly protected websites are hacker’s favorite target. There are hundreds of reasons why a hacker will try all means to gain access to your site. All of which are malicious, of course. These range from spamming, defacements, phishing, Distributed denial of service (DDoS) etc.
Hackers use defacements to hide their identities. Sometimes, hackers hide behind known genuine applications and activities. They can then inject malware through malicious plugins, redirects to malicious sites, backdoors, source code manipulation, among others.
Detecting threats and attacks on your website call for scanning. This is a process of searching for malware, threats and vulnerabilities on your site using website malware scanners. There are security tools that flag off various types of malware even the ones that are deeply hidden. It is near impossible to tell whether a website is secure or not by merely looking at it.
Free website malware scanners take this burden from surfers and website admins. They provide security services for free, with high accuracy and efficiency. A significant advantage of free website malware scanners is that they are frequently updated. Their malware databases are always up to date. Therefore, they capture even the newest malware threats.
Below is a list of top free website malware scanners from which you can pick one for your website;
1. Comodo website malware scanner
Comodo website malware scanner offers one of the most comprehensive internet security suites. It comprises multi layered security levels. The scanner runs through your website files to detect any malware activities or vulnerabilities.
The threats detected are eliminated from your system automatically. Then a scan report is mailed to you.
2. Sucuri Site Check
It is a free website malware scanner. You can run it manually to assess the security status of your website. The tool scans for malware and its related activities such as sending spam emails. After the scan is complete, it generates a list of malware checks, blacklist signs, website defacements etc.
Even though scanning is free, if your website is compromised, you will have to pay for malware removal. Otherwise, you can remove the identified malware by your means.
One major importance of using sucuri is that it has vital WordPress security features. These include WordPress hardening, blacklist monitoring, previous logon notification panel and security alert. Additionally, it offers site recovery mechanisms. This feature is essential for site recovery in case of successful hacking. Also, it provides users with a password reset field.
3. SiteLock
This is another excellent free website malware scanner. Some of the malware that SiteLock identifies are;
- Malicious code injections
- iframes
- Scripts
- Backdoors
- ISPs blacklisting
If any of these is spotted on your site, you are notified immediately for immediate action. The tool also has a security shield. This is proof to visitors that your site is free from malware infections. It builds visitors' confidence in your website and results in a good reputation.
4. Qualys
Qualys is a cloud-based free malware scanner. It identifies not only malware presence but offers a comprehensive vulnerability report.
This scanner provides an instant resolve to your website's security issues. Using advanced technology and malware databases flags off malware quickly as well as identifying weaknesses on your site.
5. Quttera
Quttera provides free website malware scanning. Websites running on platforms such as WordPress, Joomla, Drupal etc. are the major targets. The Quttera scan report highlights your site information such as;
- Blacklist status
- Clean files
- External links
- Iframes on your site
- Backlisted iframes
- Malicious and suspicious files
Scanning a WordPress website for malware
WordPress websites are among the most targeted sites by hackers. They keep monitoring the version vulnerabilities to exploit. For this reason, to maintain your website uptime, you must scan it proactively. Most of the WordPress malware hides in the databases and .htaccess files.
WordPress themes and plugins are other probable malware hiding locations. Websites running on outdated WordPress versions with obsolete plugins and themes are mostly affected. Inactive themes and plugins also harbor malware. It is recommended to remove any plugins that you don’t need from your site. In case you suspect your site plugins to be infected, use the WordPress malware removal plugin to get rid of them.
Both outdated and updated WordPress core files can also be infected by malware. However, it is more common with obsolete versions. It is very likely for malicious files to attach themselves to the core files. The files you upload to your site could also be infected hence affecting your entire site.
Shared hosting is another loophole of WordPress websites. If you happen to share a host server with an infected site, the malware will likely spread to all of you. And even after the scan, until the malware source is addressed, you’ll always be re-infected. Some of the malware scanners dedicated to WordPress sites scanning are;
1. MalCare
It is a high-tech WordPress site malware scanner. The scanner penetrates the site files and databases to locate vulnerabilities and even the most sophisticated malware. The tool relies on MalCare cloud servers, thus does not affect your site performance.
MalCare also has a superior premium version. It has more features such as automated scanning and malware removal, IP blocking, early malware detection etc.
2. Wp Sec Scan
Wp sec is a WordPress specific malware scanner. The free version allows you to scan your site weekly and receive frequent alerts. If for example, there is a bug in your site, or you have due updates, you will always receive timely alerts via emails.
The scanner maintains a vast updated database of bugs and security threats. Therefore, it can detect even the most recent threats. A scan report details your website flaws and vulnerabilities as well as the corrective measures. The report is preserved, and you can access it for future reference.
It has a sites management dashboard. If you are an admin to many WordPress sites, you can keep track of their security from a single dashboard.
3. Wordfence
It is a comprehensive website security plugin that scans WordPress related content for malware. These include the images, source codes etc. the constant update on its defense makes it very effective.
A Wordfence scan compares your website files with over 40,000 known malware. The scan covers the core files, posts, comments, themes, plugins and URLs.
WordPress security scan
This scanner checks for malware by calling various website pages via regular web request and examines the corresponding source code. It detects malware and security flaws that can lead to easy cybercriminal penetration. A scan report recommends the required security improvements.
The scan captures the following details;
- The WordPress version
- Geolocation
- Google's site and host reputation
- External links
- Plugin list
- Plugin directory indexing
- List of iframes
Final Recap
Using a free website malware scanner is not an option but a need. It is the only way you can be sure that your site and its visitors are not exposed to malware. Comodo antivirus suite is one of the best internet security solutions. Using its extensive updated malware database, you will assess and fix your website security status and vulnerabilities. Although some scanners may require you to pay some fee to unlock their full potential, the benefits that follow are worth it. The advantages of a secure website supersede a few bucks that you may part with.
