High-street law firms are often seen as the cornerstone of local communities — handling everything from conveyancing and wills to employment disputes and family matters. But in 2025, they’re also increasingly seen as soft targets for cybercriminals.
The problem? Too many firms stop at compliance — and never make the leap to resilience.
It’s no longer enough to simply “have policies in place.” The risks have evolved, and clients, regulators, and insurers expect more.
Why Small Law Firms Are Now Big Targets
🎯 They handle sensitive, high-value data – personal details, property deeds, legal disputes, payment information
📩 They rely heavily on email – making them vulnerable to phishing, spoofing, and business email compromise
🔗 They often outsource IT – which can create supply chain vulnerabilities without visibility
🔐 They operate on trust – and a cyber incident can destroy years of client relationships overnight
Yet many small and mid-sized firms still rely on outdated systems, unencrypted storage, and shared logins.
Compliance Is a Starting Point — Not the Goal
Regulatory frameworks like Lexcel, Cyber Essentials, and GDPR offer strong foundations. But they were never designed to prevent every threat. Here’s how compliance differs from true resilience:
| Compliance | Resilience |
|---|---|
| Policies written & stored | Policies tested & updated regularly |
| Antivirus software installed | Network traffic monitored in real-time |
| Passwords changed every 90 days | MFA used on all critical systems |
| Supplier contracts in place | Third-party risk regularly reviewed |
| Backups exist | Backups tested and securely offsite |
High-street firms need to go beyond the checklist. Resilience means being able to continue operating — even during an incident.
What Every Firm Should Be Doing
🧭 Map your digital risk – What systems are exposed? What data is most sensitive?
🔒 Enable MFA on everything – Especially email, case management, and cloud storage
🧪 Run vulnerability scans – Identify weak spots in infrastructure and web portals
🔁 Review supplier access – Does your IT provider follow best practices? Are your tools patched?
📢 Train your team – Non-lawyers (admin staff, temps, outsourced support) often pose the greatest risk
How Cyber Tzar Helps High-Street Firms Move Beyond Minimum Standards
Cyber Tzar offers a platform that helps law firms reduce cyber risk without needing to hire a security team.
✅ Run real-time scans across your web-facing systems
✅ Identify vulnerabilities before they’re exploited
✅ Assess the cyber posture of your IT providers and suppliers
✅ Benchmark your firm against industry peers — including other Lexcel-accredited firms
✅ Track progress toward insurance, certification, and board reporting
We turn cyber risk into something you can measure — and manage — with confidence.
⚖️ Ready to take your firm from compliant to resilient?
Book a scan at cybertzar.com
