Sector — Legal
Cybersecurity for UK law firms
Practical security and IT governance for UK firms — SRA-aligned, Cyber Essentials ready, M365 hardened. Delivered fractionally.
What's specific about security in legal practice
Law firms hold concentrated, high-value client data: matter files, M&A material, conveyancing payment chains, witness statements. Attackers know it. Authentic-fraud, business-email-compromise, and APT-style targeting against firms have all moved up the threat chart in the last three years.
On top of that, the regulatory floor is rising. The SRA expects firms to take cyber risk seriously and demonstrate it. Clients — particularly corporate ones — increasingly require security assurance before instruction. Cyber insurance renewals now ask detailed questions about controls, with rates rising for firms that can't answer them well.
Most small and mid-sized firms aren't going to hire a full-time CISO for this. But the position they're in — significant exposure, regulated, with a well-known threat profile — is exactly where fractional security leadership delivers the most value.
Authentic-fraud and BEC
Conveyancing and M&A flows are repeatedly targeted by attackers who impersonate partners, paralegals, or counterparties. The financial loss can be catastrophic; the reputational fallout often worse.
Microsoft 365 sprawl
Most firms run on M365. The defaults Microsoft ships are designed for onboarding speed, not your threat profile. Legacy auth, broad admin rights, and missing audit trails are the typical findings.
Client and SRA scrutiny
Corporate clients now expect security questionnaires answered with evidence, not assertions. The SRA's expectations on technology resilience and data protection have tightened. Insurance follows.
How I help law firms
The same services described elsewhere on the site, scoped for legal-practice realities — partner-led decision making, narrow IT teams, and a low tolerance for disruption.
What this typically looks like
Most firms start with a Discovery Audit — a two-to-three day structured review of the current security posture, with a prioritised remediation plan. That's the honest way to scope anything ongoing. From there, a typical engagement is one to two days a month: standing time for governance, oversight of the IT team or MSP, security input on new matters or systems, and direct availability when something needs a senior decision.
Want a straight read on where your firm stands?
30 minutes. No pitch, no slide deck. A frank look at your current position and whether I can help.