Mentality Dictionary
Incident response
Definition
Incident response is the structured process of detecting, containing, cleaning, and learning from a security incident.
Also called: IR, security incident response, breach response
Why it matters for WordPress
When a site is hacked, random clicking makes things worse. A simple response order protects visitors, preserves evidence, removes persistence, and closes the door. You do not need a Fortune 500 playbook. You need a one-page checklist you will actually follow.
How it shows up in practice
- Safe Browsing warnings, spam redirects, or a host suspension
- Unknown admins, odd plugins, or PHP in uploads
- The urge to “just restore a backup” without finding how they got in
- Cleanup that works for a day, then the malware returns
What to do
- Contain harm (maintenance mode, host help) and take a forensic backup.
- Regain clean admin access; reset passwords and sessions.
- Remove malware and backdoors; compare core to clean copies.
- Close the entry path (vulnerable plugin, weak admin, nulled zip).
- Harden, monitor, and write down what you will do differently next time.
Full walkthrough: WordPress site hacked? Steps to recover.
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Nearby ideas in the dictionary
- Assume breach Assume breach means designing as if an attacker may already have a foothold, so detection and recovery matter as much as prevention.
- Event logging Event logging records security-relevant actions so you can see what changed and when.
- Malware Malware on WordPress is unwanted code that steals data, spam-sends, redirects visitors, or keeps a backdoor open.
- Backdoor A backdoor is hidden access an attacker leaves so they can return without the original vulnerability.
- Account takeover Account takeover is when an attacker gains control of a legitimate user account and can act as that user.