Question 1

Why are UK solicitors such a high-profile target?

Accepted Answer

Three reasons: (1) conveyancing transactions move large sums via email — buyers will often approve bank detail changes; (2) law firm mailboxes contain sensitive special-category data (criminal, family, medical, financial) valuable on the dark web; (3) law firms' deferral reputation — a published breach destroys client trust and triggers SRA scrutiny. Attackers know this and target accordingly.

Question 2

How does conveyancing fraud actually work?

Accepted Answer

An attacker compromises a conveyancer's mailbox (phishing) or a buyer's mailbox (phishing). They then either send the buyer a fake email from the conveyancer with new bank details — the buyer transfers the deposit to the fraudster — or they intercept the conveyancer's outgoing email swapping the firm's bank details for theirs. Both produce significant losses and a regulatory incident. Monitoring + verification process prevents the fraud even if the compromise happens.

Question 3

Does SRA require cybersecurity controls?

Accepted Answer

SRA's Standards & Regulations Schedule 1 Principle 7 requires firms to protect client information and money. SRA's risk assessment explicitly cites cybersecurity as an area of increasing enforcement. SRA's Annual Report on Cyber & IT noted firms with no MFA, no email monitoring, no incident response plan as the most-fined breaches. Lexcel 7.7 (3.2 'cyber security') also requires specific evidence.

Question 4

We're a small practice — does this still apply to us?

Accepted Answer

Yes — perhaps more so. SRA enforcement increasingly looks at whether your controls were 'reasonable' for your size. A 2-partner firm that holds no client money and never emails bank details has lighter exposure than a 2-partner firm with weekly conveyancing transactions. The first might justify basic Cyber Essentials; the second should have monitoring, conditional access, and a callback verification process.

Question 5

We had a phishing click — do we have to report it to SRA or ICO?

Accepted Answer

If the click led to mailbox access and possible exposure of client data, the ICO 72-hour clock likely started at the moment you became aware. SRA encourages the firm to report material incidents to your COLP and via SRA's reporting portal where material — there's no automatic 72-hour clock for SRA, but you should not wait. Gridisys helps you assess both notification decisions and drafts the submissions.

Question 6

Does Cyber Essentials cover law firms' needs?

Accepted Answer

Cyber Essentials is the baseline — and increasingly expected by Lexcel and SRA auditors. But law firms' real risk (conveyancing fraud, mailbox compromise, special category data exposure) needs active monitoring of M365 / Entra, not just patching and MFA tick-box evidence. Combine the two: Cyber Essentials Plus for the audit baseline; managed SOC for the live threat surface.

Question 7

How does Gridisys work with our existing IT provider?

Accepted Answer

Many UK high-street firms have an IT provider that's a generalist — not cybersecurity-specialised. Gridisys sits alongside the IT provider: we run the SOC and regulatory evidence layer; the IT provider continues with day-to-day IT operations. We coordinate rather than compete — your IT provider typically welcomes the partnership because the security piece lifts off their plate.

Cyber Security for Law Firms — UK Solicitors & Conveyancers

Cybersecurity Consulting + 24/7 SOC Monitoring

Cybersecurity Consulting

Managed SOC Monitoring · 24/7

Pricing tailored to your needs

What we cover

Managed SOC for Microsoft 365 / Entra

Conveyancing fraud prevention

SRA Compliance evidence pack

SRA Accounts Rules 7 evidence

Anti-money-laundering controls

ICO breach decision & drafting

How we work

Scoping (Week 1)

Deploy (Week 1-2)

Conveyancing controls (Week 2-3)

Operate (ongoing)

Sectors we protect

Cybersecurity that protects client money and SRA compliance

Frequently asked questions