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How Well Is Probate Shielded from Cyber Thieves

February 8, 2020 By Richard Farrell

Cybercrime continues to plague the lives of honest people, and the chances of recovering our losses from these thieves are minimal. Today’s Wills and Probate published an alarming report on the topic on November 21, 2019. This reveals the majority of the UK’s 200 leading will and probate companies do not have adequate protection.

This Information Comes from an Independent Study

University of Portsmouth’s Centre for Counter Fraud Studies has been working with associates to determine the vulnerability of the law industry. It has found practitioners are increasingly losing money to cyber criminals. In fact the sector lost £9.4m of client money in 2016. This increased to £10.7 in 2017.

The National Cyber Security Centre participated in the study. Its Legal Threat Report found that 60% of UK law firms reported an attack in 2017. The figure for 2013 was 42% so again a significant increase.

UK Solicitors Regulation Authority Expresses Concerns

The authority takes cybercrime seriously. In fact, it regards it as one of the greatest challenges facing UK law firms. Apparently, the first six months of 2019 recorded client money losses to the tune £731,250. Therefore, we agree with Today’s Wills and Probate’s conclusion that the legal fraternity is facing a real threat.

  • Some 90% of law companies received email spoofing attacks. Their sender addresses were slightly altered clones of legitimate companies, and may have contained the seeds of phishing, malware, and ransomware attacks.
  • Just over 80% had vulnerabilities in their info tech systems. These could have included web and email servers open to hacking. Moreover, one in five was using at least one internet service with outdated software.
  • A quarter of the legal firms surveyed had security certificates that were expired, withdrawn or could not be trusted. An alarming 79% had a domain registered to a private email address creating further vulnerability.

Moreover, UK Law Firms are Attractive Cyber Targets

Cyber criminals know UK solicitors hold large amounts of client funds, not to mention their sensitive information too. The latter includes personal, and business data lying open to successful hackers in conveyancing, divorce, probate and testamentary documents.

It’s extremely important to note that big business has taken over from the solitary hacker still in the public’s mind. Large cybercrime undertakings use very large computers to try different data combinations, until they finally hack into the information they want.

Therefore, it’s extremely important to use long-form user names and passwords, and to have different ones for different accounts. In olden days, John Wayne took care of bank robbers with a Colt six-shooter revolver.  Those times are gone because of improved brick and mortar security.

For these reasons the preferred hunting ground has become private companies, and individuals like you and we. If you are taking care of probate on behalf of a deceased family member or a friend, you are therefore equally vulnerable.

That’s because your name and email address appear in probate documentation on government and banking servers. You should therefore create a different email address for the purpose, and close it down after finally distributing the last assets.

Filed Under: Chattels Valuation, Probate Valuation Tagged With: counter fraud studies, cyber criminals, law industry, phishing, probate guide, probate london, UK Solicitors Regulation Authority, wills and probate

Our House Clearance Services

We provide a full house clearance and property management solution:

  • We clear hoarded houses, regardless how big or how cluttered
  • We clear all types and sizes of property, irrespective of location, or access is restricted or where parking is difficult or not available.
  • We can help avoid water damage by draining the central heating system.
  • We can secure the property and change the locks.
  • We can reinstate the gardens and maintain them whilst the property is empty.
  • We can provide 24 hour security to eliminate the risk of squatting or unlawful occupation.

As well normal house clearances we specialise in clutter clearance and we can clear a hoarded house which may contain years of accumulated possessions, or which have abnormal amounts of general household items, sometimes as a result of compulsive hoarding syndrome.

Equally we can help to clear a property where the occupants were previously unwell and unable to care for themselves or their property which sometimes results in insanitary, dangerous or just plain unpleasant conditions.

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Client Reviews

Oct 6, 2020
by Edward Harvey on Avery Associates
Probate Contents Valuation London

Dear Jeffrey, Following your recent valuations, one for the property and the other for personal belongings etc, at the property in Lower Road London... Read More

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by Mr Wood on Avery Associates
House Clearance In Oxford

Dear Jeff. I can not thank you enough . The house clearance wen like clock work. What a great team you sent me. Mr Wood

Oct 5, 2020
by Michael Hasning on Avery Associates
House Clearance Abingdon

“Avery Associates have supported me as the Executor to my late mother’s estate. In the first instance I found their website an excellent source of information... Read More

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