Last year and a half taught us that WordPress security should not be dismissed by any means. Between 15% and 20% of the planet's high traffic websites are powered by WordPress. The fact that it is an Open Source platform and everyone has access to its Source Code makes it a tempting prey for hackers.
Cloning, as it applies to fix wordpress malware virus, is the act of creating an exact replica of your WordPress install. What's great is that in only a few clicks, you can do it with the right software. There are a number of reasons why you may want to do this. Here are only a few.
There are ways to pull off this, and many of them involve re-establishing much more and databases and FTPing files, exporting and copying. Some of these are very complex, so it is important that you select the best one. Then you might want to look into using a plugin for WordPress backups if you are not of the technical persuasion.
For me it's a WordPress plugin. They are drop dead easy to set up, have all the features you need for a job such as this, and are relatively inexpensive, especially when compared to having to hire someone to see it here get this done for you.
What's the best way to achieve WordPress cloning? Out of all the choices that are available right now, which one is appropriate for you and which path should you choose?
However, I advise that you set up the Login LockDown plugin in place of any.htaccess controls. That will stop login requests from being permitted from a certain IP address for one hour after three unsuccessful login attempts. You may get into your panel whilst and yet you still have protection against hackers, if you do so.