Moving home involves a huge amount of trust. Clients share personal information, important documents and financial details with professionals supporting their move, so keeping that information secure is something we take extremely seriously at Priory Law.
This September, The Priory Law Group Ltd achieved Cyber Essentials certification, working with Ashdown Solutions, our IT and cyber security partner based in East Grinstead, to get there. Cyber Essentials is the cyber security standard recommended by the Government for organisations of all sizes. Developed by the National Cyber Security Centre, it focuses on five technical controls designed to help protect organisations against the most common internet-based cyber threats.
Tony Baulch, Managing Director at Ashdown Solutions, said: "Achieving Cyber Essentials certification is an important milestone for any business handling sensitive client and financial information. For a conveyancing practice, it demonstrates a commitment to protecting client data, reducing cyber risk, and maintaining trust. Cyber Essentials is not simply a badge to display; it provides a proven framework for improving cyber security and reducing exposure to common online threats. Priory Law's achievement reflects its commitment to protecting the information entrusted to it by clients every day."
For us, though, achieving certification is not the end of the conversation. It is part of a much wider approach to protecting our clients, supporting our team and continually developing the way we work.
Cyber Security is About People as Well as Technology
Good cyber security needs strong systems and processes, but it also needs people who understand why those systems matter.
As part of our wider commitment to professional development, our team has recently completed Cyber Security training through The Professional Alternative. The training has given us another opportunity to keep cyber awareness visible across the team and to continue developing our understanding of areas such as secure working, authentication, device security, software updates and recognising communication that may need an extra check.
For me, that last point is particularly important. Good cyber awareness is not about making people anxious or expecting them to become technology experts. It is about giving people the confidence to pause, notice when something looks different and ask a question. That is the culture we want at Priory Law, and we would always rather a member of our team stopped and checked something than felt they needed to act quickly because a message appeared urgent.
We want our clients to feel exactly the same.
Helping You Feel Confident During Your Move
Most communication during a property transaction is straightforward. However, there can be several organisations involved in a move, including conveyancers, estate agents, mortgage brokers, lenders and surveyors, so there may be a lot of information moving between different people. Clear communication makes that easier.
This kind of fraud is real and current. UK Finance's Annual Fraud Report 2026, published in June 2026, specifically identifies criminals targeting consumers by posing as conveyancing lawyers and intercepting emails to redirect payments. It is exactly why we take this so seriously.
If you ever receive an email or message that looks different, contains unexpected information or simply makes you unsure, our advice is very simple:
Stop and check with us.
You will never be wasting our time by asking.
Take Five to Stop Fraud, the UK Finance-backed national fraud prevention campaign, gives similar advice specifically for conveyancing. If you are unsure whether a message is genuine, contact the organisation directly using contact details you already know or obtain from its official website, rather than using contact information contained within the message you are questioning. Sometimes a quick conversation is all that is needed to give you complete reassurance.
Five Simple Ways to Feel More Confident Online During Your Move
There are a few straightforward habits that can help make online communication during a move feel safer and clearer.
- Pause if something looks different. If an email, payment request, contact detail or instruction appears unexpectedly different from what you were expecting, take a moment before acting.
- Check important information independently. If you are unsure about a message, contact the organisation using details you already trust. Do not feel pressured to respond through the message itself.
- Take your time with important payments. There is absolutely nothing wrong with checking important details twice. If you have any uncertainty, speak to the relevant organisation before making the payment.
- Keep your devices and accounts protected. Software updates, secure passwords and appropriate authentication all contribute to better online security. Cyber Essentials itself focuses on firewalls, secure configuration, security update management, user access control and malware protection.
- Ask if you are unsure. Perhaps the simplest point of all. You do not need to work out on your own whether something looks right. If something relating to your Priory Law transaction concerns you, contact us.
These steps are not intended to make moving home feel worrying. Quite the opposite. Knowing what to do if something unexpected appears can help you feel much more confident and in control.
What Cyber Essentials Means for Our Clients
Cyber Essentials provides recognised assurance that important baseline cyber security controls are in place across our organisation. For our clients and professional partners, we hope our certification provides another level of reassurance that Priory Law has actively invested in protecting the systems and information involved in the service we provide.
It is important to be transparent about what certification means too. No cyber security standard can promise that an organisation will never experience an attack. Cyber Essentials is specifically designed to help organisations protect themselves against the most common online threats. That is also why continual learning matters: technology changes, ways of working change, and online risks change, so our approach needs to keep developing too.
Why This Matters to Us
Cyber security can sound like a highly technical subject, but for us it connects directly with our Priory Law values.
Being Transparent means talking openly about cyber security and giving clients clear information that helps them know what to expect and when to ask us a question. Being Innovative means continuing to invest in our systems and in the training that helps our team keep developing as technology changes. Being Passionate means caring deeply about the trust people place in us and wanting to do everything reasonably possible to protect that trust. Being Caring means making sure clients feel supported, not overwhelmed, and knowing they can always ask us if something does not feel quite right.
Cyber security is therefore not something separate from client care. It is part of it.
Trusted Places to Find Further Advice
We are conveyancing specialists, so where clients want more detailed information about cyber security or online scams, we believe in directing them to trusted expert sources.
The Council for Licensed Conveyancers, our own regulator, publishes its own guidance on conveyancing fraud, explaining what to look out for and how to keep your money safe during a transaction.
Take Five to Stop Fraud has a dedicated page on conveyancing scams, covering exactly the kind of fraud we are talking about here, where criminals gain access to a genuine legal email account to trick homebuyers into sending money to the wrong place.
The National Cyber Security Centre provides clear guidance for individuals on suspicious emails, texts, websites and phone calls, as well as practical advice on protecting yourself online.
MoneyHelper also provides independent consumer guidance on bank-transfer scams and explains that this type of fraud can occur when someone is expecting to make an important payment, including when buying a home.
These resources are there to inform and reassure, just as we want our own communication with clients to do.
Always Learning, Always Looking After Our Clients
We are proud to have achieved Cyber Essentials certification, and we are equally pleased that cyber security forms part of the continual learning taking place across Priory Law. For our team, it is another example of why professional development matters, good training helps people build knowledge, confidence and judgement. For our professional partners, we hope it offers additional reassurance about the care and attention given to the clients they recommend to Priory Law.
Most importantly, for our clients, we hope it provides confidence that we take the responsibility of looking after their move seriously. Protecting a move is not only about progressing the legal work. It is also about looking after the people, information and trust behind it.
At Priory Law, we understand it's personal.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Cyber Essentials?
Cyber Essentials is a Government-recommended cyber security standard developed by the National Cyber Security Centre. It focuses on five technical controls designed to help organisations protect themselves against the most common internet-based cyber threats.
Is Priory Law Cyber Essentials certified?
Yes. The Priory Law Group Ltd achieved Cyber Essentials certification across the whole organisation in September 2026.
What should I do if I receive an unexpected email during my property transaction?
If something looks different or makes you unsure, pause before acting and contact the organisation directly using contact details you already know and trust. If the message appears to relate to your Priory Law transaction, you can contact us and check.
What should I do if payment details look different from what I was expecting?
Do not feel pressured to proceed. Pause and independently verify the information with the relevant organisation before making an important payment. The National Cyber Security Centre recommends contacting organisations directly rather than relying on contact details contained within a message you are unsure about.
About Priory Law
Priory Law is a specialist residential conveyancing firm acting for clients across England and Wales. Regulated by the Council for Licensed Conveyancers (CLC Licence Number 12134), the firm offers a structured, transparent and personal alternative to high-volume conveyancing. Every transaction is handled by a dedicated conveyancer, with clear communication and a process designed to stay in control from instruction to completion.
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We understand it's personal.
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