Hackers and Painters, they are alike. They build things on the fly and at the same time, create a sense of accomplishment. But not all hackers are white hat, some of them are black hat, also known as bad guys.

WordPress is a soft target for many hackers around the world. There are many reasons why hacking can be lucrative for the script kiddies or elite hackers are the fact that everyone web site in four runs on WordPress. And, this makes hacking fun — too many targets!

Also, WordPress is constantly updated, new plugins released daily — same with themes as well. With so many things to hack, hackers just cannot have enough. There are also occasions when many users tend to use illegal plugins or themes. They can be full of loopholes, threats or backdoors that you should scan. Also, free plugins or themes are not free from the curse. There can be few plugins or themes containing malicious code, ruining your website performance, stealing bandwidth or even the revenue that you earn from your website.

Whatever may be the reasons, you should understand that scanning for malicious code in your website is not a bad thing to do, even if you are using a free, legal, illegal, purchased….and you get the point.

So, without wasting much time, let’s me introduce you to some of the best WordPress plugins to detect malicious code on your site.

WordPress Plugins to Detect Malicious Code on Your Site

1. Theme Authenticity Checker(TAC)

The first plugin that comes in mind when checking for malicious code is Theme Authenticity Checker(TAC). TAC is a well know plugin that looks for any malicious code and also check for unwanted code in your themes.

TAC is great because it scans for the Base64 or hidden footer links — the place where most of the malicious code resides.

If the plugin detects the malicious code in the theme, it will report you about its presence so that you can take appropriate action regarding the presence of the malicious code.

2. Sucuri Security

If you are looking for a malicious scanner and a security plugin, Sucuri Security is the plugin for you. The good news is it comes free of cost. It will scan all the files in your WordPress installation and provide you a detailed report.

Even Media files are scanned for potential threats and if you are not in for installation of the plugin, you can opt for the Sucuri SiteCheck Scanner for remote scanning. The only downside is that it is less accurate than the plugin itself.

With hosts of features, it can be your number one plugin for securing your website. It also offers a firewall for protecting the website against external threats.

3. AntiVirus for WordPress

We have antivirus for our desktop, mobile, tablet and so on. What’s about WordPress Antivirus?

AntiVirus for WordPress plugin provides basic protection at no cost. It will, of course, check your website for malicious code and also harden the security of your website.

A daily scan is also scheduled for best protection and you can also whitelist or blacklist some regions for better user experience.

4. Exploit Scanner

Exploit Scanner is one of the finest WordPress plugins. It scans all the section of WordPress for potential threats and report you accordingly.

The only downside of the plugin is that it offers only the reporting facility and you have to take care of the threats found by the plugin. This plugin can help you if you have a security expert by your side or you are comfortable enough to take the matter in your hands.

5. WordFence Security

WordFence Security is my personal favorite. I use it on many websites and there is a reason behind it. The reason is that it is a complete package and you don’t have to look to another security or malicious checker plugin ever. It instantly emails you about any malicious activities or updates.

It also makes sure that login attempts are blocked and also sends an email when an administrator logs into the website.

The plugin is free of cost and offers advanced features at a cost.

6. Anti-Malware and Brute-Force Security by ELI

Anti-Malware WordPress plugin is a dedicated plugin for detecting threats, viruses, malicious things in your WordPress installation.

It offers different type of scans for your WordPress websites such as complete scan, customized scan and much more.

Furthermore, it offer automatic removal of threats and help you keep your website in top condition. It also scans for back-door scripts and looks for any irregularities in the .htaccess files as well.

7. Quttera Web Malware Scanner

Quttera Web Malware scanner is a dedicated WordPress plugin that takes care of the all the malicious activities within your website. It is a great tool for detection of malware, external links, signatures, and patterns. It is based upon cloud technology and also offers blacklist status so that you can check what’s blocked.

After scans, you will be represented with a detailed Investigation report, full of information required to keep you updated. The plugin is free to use.

Over To You

Security is important. There are hundreds of hackers waiting for a loophole to exploit and that’s why it is always a good idea to keep up your firewall, antivirus and malware detection tool on your website.

With these 7 tools, you can easily check for the malicious code on your website. I would recommend using one tool at a time and not install two or three of them as it can easily lead to conflict.

So, which tool you chose? Did you find the list interesting? Do, you have anything to add to the list of best WordPress plugins for malware detection? Comment below and let us know. We are eager to learn your choices.

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