Hacking is the process of identifying vulnerabilities in a system and exploiting them in order to circumvent security safeguards. This method is used by “ethical” hackers to learn about a system and identify its flaws. Malicious or “black hat” hacking, on the other hand, is, unfortunately, more common. It is frequently used to get access to websites.
Hackers attack WordPress sites for a variety of reasons. One of them is the platform’s overwhelming popularity.
In addition to standard protection such as backup, antivirus, anti-malware programs, and the like, it is necessary to have “emergency tools”. Emergency Recovery Script is a single-file PHP script that does not require any WP files or functions to work.
What is ERS, and how does it work
The Emergency Recovery Script (ERS) is a PHP script that is not dependent on WordPress and may be used to restore a WordPress website under the most challenging of conditions. If WordPress appears to be operating well and you can access the admin dashboard, you will generally solve the problem using a plugin. However, if you find yourself in a difficult scenario, ERS is the only alternative that can help you in minutes without you having to update any files, code anything, or deal with the database.
ERS allows you to reinstall core files, reset WordPress, restore a database snapshot created with WP Reset, and do many other quick fixes instead of wasting time restoring things yourself or hiring specialists to do it for you.
What situations can ERS help me with
Every case is unique; however, the following is a summary of the most frequent difficulties, mistakes, issues, and circumstances that ERS can swiftly resolve:
- one or more core WP files have been removed, relocated, or modified.
- Malware may have infected one or more essential WP files.
- The site was destroyed by a WordPress upgrade.
- The password recovery email has not arrived.
- You may log in, but you do not have administrative privileges.
- The website is trapped in an unending redirect loop and cannot be accessed.
- You tampered with the .htacccess file, don’t have a backup, and wish to revert to the default WordPress version.
- The site is stuck in maintenance mode.
- You have a stored snapshot and want to restore it but are unable to do so using WP admin.
What tools does ERS offer?
ERS is always introducing new tools and upgrading those that are already available. This is a current list of ERS tools.
WordPress Information
Contains different ERS-detected information about the WP installation, including the location of wp-config.php, the WordPress version, database access information, and site URLs. Examining such data is an excellent approach to begin improving your site. It also ensures that ERS is linked to the correct WordPress installation, which might be difficult to see if you have numerous installations on the same hosting account.
Server Information
It, like the prior tool, offers useful server information such as PHP and MySQL versions. It also grants complete access to the phpinfo() function, allowing you to learn more about the PHP environment.
Core Files
This tool examines each and every WP core file and compares it to the secure master copy available on wordpress.org. It will notify you if even one byte in a file has been modified.
Reset WordPress
Probably the most potent weapon in the arsenal, one that must be used with caution. As the name implies, it fully resets your WordPress installation. It will not remove any files, so your themes, plugins, and uploads will remain, but the database will be cleaned and reset to default settings. It will also delete all user accounts.
Some other tools are:
- Snapshots
- Plugins
- Themes
- User Privileges & Roles
- Administrator Account
- WordPress URLs
- Delete or Reset .htaccess
- Disable WordPress Maintenance Mode
The nicest part about ERS is that it is both free and simple to set up. There is also excellent support available to assist you with any issues you may be experiencing.
ERS works best when used in conjunction with WP Reset. WP Reset automatically creates database snapshots right before you make changes to your site. These are then transferred to and stored in the WP Reset cloud or another popular cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox.
Conclusion
Because it is free, everyone who has a WordPress site should have ERS installed just in case. Not to mention WP Reset, which provides even more functionality and security.
Installing the WP Reset plugin to add ERS to your WordPress website is the preferred method since you receive even more security features.
We hope that our portrayal of ERS will help you make a better decision when it comes to selecting the finest solution for the safety and security of your website.
