Reported Attack Page!

Dear Experts,

I have been asked by my client to look at his website, which displays "Reported Attack Page!" message when you try to view.
After looking at the source files that are uploaded at the web hosting service, it seems that the HTML files such as index.htm are ok, but as soon as I try to download and view any image files associated with the html files, I get the same message.
My questions are:
1. How does this happen?
2. What is the best way to remedy this?
3.  Is there a way to make sure that this does not happen again?

Please advise,  thank you!
yballanAsked:
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COBOLdinosaurConnect With a Mentor Commented:
Your first priority has to be to get the crap off the site.  An unsuspecting user with poor security practices could pick up infections from the site and spread them.

Then you need to upload what you have.  

Knowing how it happened does not deal with what should be the immediate priorities.  However when you get to it; you need to look at whether the host has adequate security protection.  If they do not you either need to change hosts or add more security to the site to fill the holes left by the host.

Then we get to the future and being able to respond and resolve these issues in minutes with well thought out backup procedures.

HTH
Cd&
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Dave BaldwinConnect With a Mentor Fixer of ProblemsCommented:
His files have been hacked and bad things put in the damaged files.  Someone could have guessed his password and done it or one of the other users on the server may have found a way to invade his site and make changes.  

The only 'cure' is to upload new undamaged files.  I keep the 'master copy' of all my sites on my own computers here so I can re-upload a 'good' copy if anything should happen to the files on the server.

The fist preventative measure is to change the FTP and account passwords.
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Tony GiangrecoConnect With a Mentor Commented:
I agree with DaveBaldwin. We had that problem a few years ago. We didn't have a complete backup and it was a nightmare. We had to download the entire site to a Pc, run spyware and virus checkers against the code and them clean up java and php code that had ben inserted into the html files that we didn't have a recent backup for.

There are also online scanners you can use to scan and check your site to help ensure it is finally clean.

#1 rule: Update all passwords. Generally the best password is a suggested password that is generated in your cpanel.
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yballanAuthor Commented:
Dear Experts,

Thank you for you replies, and I am glad to hear that what I did first was on the right track, which is to request a password change, then to request getting the original files from the previous webmaster.  (I hope they still have them.....)
It is just good to hear from someone with the experience, because web site management is usually not part of my job.
Thanks again!!!
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