Practical website security advice for UK businesses — no jargon, no fluff. Just what you need to stay protected.
£3,400
Average UK SME breach cost
Research
The £3,400 Mistake: What a Website Breach Really Costs UK Small Businesses
The average UK small business breach costs £3,400 to recover from — and that doesn't include the reputational damage. Here's exactly where the money goes.
1 in 8
UK websites have exposed config files
Critical vulnerability
Your .env File Is Publicly Readable. Here's Why That's a Catastrophe Waiting to Happen.
Exposed .env files are the second most common critical finding in UK website audits — and they typically sit undetected for 11 months. Here's how to check and fix it.
5M+
Websites blacklisted by Google per year
SEO & Security
The Google Blacklist: How Bad Website Security Kills Your Search Rankings Overnight
Google blacklists over 5 million websites per year — almost always due to preventable vulnerabilities. Recovery takes 3–14 days even after the infection is cleaned.
1 in 3
Sites with cookie banners fire analytics before consent
GDPR & Compliance
GDPR Fines Are Real — and Your Website Might Already Be Breaking the Law
One in three UK websites with a cookie banner still fires analytics before consent. Here's what the ICO is looking for — and how to fix it before they look at you.
£11,000
Lost in 3 days after SSL expiry
SSL & HTTPS
SSL Certificates: The Tiny Expiry Date That Can Destroy Your Business Overnight
An expired SSL certificate shows a full-screen red warning to every visitor. One customer lost £11,000 in three days. Auto-renewal takes 10 minutes to set up and costs nothing.
67%
Of UK domains lack DMARC enforcement
Email Security
Phishing Starts With Your Website: How Attackers Impersonate UK Business Domains
Without a DMARC record, anyone can send emails that appear to come from your domain. Business Email Compromise cost UK businesses billions in 2025. Here's how to stop it.
43%
Of all websites run WordPress
WordPress
WordPress Security in 2026: Why Your Site Is Probably an Open Door
WordPress is the most attacked platform on the web. 94% of WordPress sites we audit have at least one critical finding. Here's what attackers are looking for — and how to stop them.
40
Security checks across 8 critical areas
Complete guide
The 40-Point Website Security Checklist Every UK Business Owner Needs in 2026
Go through each section and mark whether you know the answer. If you can't confidently say "yes, this is done" — that's a gap. Share with your developer and ask them to confirm each item.
78%
Of UK SME sites missing the CSP header
Security headers
Security Headers: The Invisible Shield Your Website Is Almost Certainly Missing
Security headers cost nothing to implement, take under an hour via Cloudflare, and block entire categories of attack. 78% of UK small business sites are missing the most important one.
2,400+
UK website audits analysed
Research
How Secure Is Your Website Compared to Others in Your Industry? UK Benchmarks 2026
E-commerce averages 61/100. Hospitality averages 48/100. Tech leads at 71/100. Based on 2,400+ ProtectPatch audits — here's how your sector performs and what the gaps actually are.
Don't wait for a breach to find out.
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