Law Society members have been offered a free check to see if their online presence is vulnerable to website hacking. Attacks on websites are among the top three most commonly reported cybersecurity breaches, along with fraudulent emails and redirection to fraudulent websites. 

Types of hack range from simple defacement by so-called ‘hacktivists’ to data breaches, search-engine optimisation poisoning, ‘drive-by downloads’ of malware and viruses, and ‘crypto-jacking’ – the unauthorised mining of cryptocurrency on someone else’s website, a report published by the Law Society warned.  

The Society has partnered with web security specialist SharkGate to offer members a free website security scan and discounts on SharkGate’s website service. Marc Roberts, cyber-strategy director at SharkGate said: ‘The question is not if, but when someone will attempt to hack your website. A data compromise can destroy the reputation of your business within minutes.’ 

Law Society president Christina Blacklaws said: ‘More work is being done online and digitally than ever before and this has created new risks in the legal sector. This report and our partnership with SharkGate aim to ensure solicitors and firms understand these risks and have the tools they need to tackle them.’