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Security report for francis.co.uk

Francis Searchlights Limited · Transportation · United Kingdom

Medium risk. 5 critical or high findings in Security headers, SSL/TLS and 1 other check.

Security score

54/100

Risk levelMedium

0–100, higher is better. How it is calculated

Francis Searchlights Limited is a well-established UK-based manufacturer specializing in high-quality marine, security, architectural, and defence lighting products. With a history dating back to 1901 and a domain registered since 1996, the company holds a strong market position supported by type-approved certifications and a global reputation. Their product range includes halogen, xenon, LED, and laser searchlights designed for harsh environments and specialized applications. The website reflects a professional business model focused on manufacturing and direct sales to marine, defense, and architectural sectors. Technically, the website is built on WordPress with WooCommerce and uses modern web technologies including jQuery, Bootstrap, and several plugins for enhanced user experience and functionality. The site is mobile-optimized, SEO-friendly, and integrates analytics and tracking tools such as HubSpot and Lead Forensics. Performance is moderate with good design and navigation clarity. From a security perspective, the site uses HTTPS with Google reCAPTCHA protecting forms, but lacks explicit HTTP security headers and published security policies or incident response information. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file is present, indicating room for improvement in transparency and security maturity. Privacy and cookie policies exist but are basic, with limited GDPR compliance indicators. Overall, the website is trustworthy and professional with a solid business foundation. Strategic improvements in security headers, incident response transparency, and privacy compliance would enhance the security posture and regulatory adherence, reducing risk and increasing customer confidence.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
88/ 100 · Low
Checks completed
7of 7

NIS2 Art. 21(2)

  1. (a) Risk analysis and security policies: Not visible from outside
  2. (b) Incident handling: One indicator
  3. (c) Business continuity, backups and crisis management: Not visible from outside
  4. (d) Supply chain security: Not visible from outside
  5. (e) Secure acquisition, development and maintenance, including vulnerability handling: Partly checked
  6. (f) Assessing the effectiveness of security measures: Not visible from outside
  7. (g) Cyber hygiene and security training: Not visible from outside
  8. (h) Cryptography and encryption: Partly checked
  9. (i) HR security, access control and asset management: One indicator
  10. (j) Multi-factor authentication and secured communications: Not visible from outside

This scan rated NIS2 with an earlier keyword method that is no longer shown; rescan for the per-article view. Risk management, continuity, supply chain, training, MFA, management oversight (Art. 20) and incident reporting (Art. 23) need internal evidence, and Guard cannot tell whether NIS2 applies to this organisation.

GDPR is indicative only, based on publicly visible signals: Articles 7, 12, 13 and 32 of Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and Article 5(3) of the ePrivacy Directive. Not a certification or legal assessment.

Priority findings

5 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. Security headers

    Security headers are instructions your web server sends to every visitor’s browser. Missing ones leave visitors more exposed to attacks such as clickjacking and injected scripts.

    • High

      Missing Strict-Transport-Security header

      Forces HTTPS connections

      What to do: Add "Strict-Transport-Security: max-age=31536000; includeSubDomains; preload"

      • CWE-319
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V3.4.1
    • High

      Missing X-Frame-Options header

      Prevents clickjacking attacks

      What to do: Add "X-Frame-Options: DENY" or "X-Frame-Options: SAMEORIGIN"

    • High

      Missing Content-Security-Policy header

      Controls resources the browser is allowed to load

      What to do: Implement a Content-Security-Policy appropriate for your application

      • ASVS V3.4.3
      • OWASP Secure Headers: OWASP Secure Headers Project recommends Content-Security-Policy: default-src 'self'; form-action 'self'; base-uri 'self'; object-src 'none';…

  2. SSL/TLS

    TLS encrypts the connection and proves the site is really yours. Weak or expiring certificates trigger browser warnings and put traffic at risk.

    • High

      Weak Protocols Supported

      Server supports weak protocols: TLSv1.1

      What to do: Disable TLS 1.0, TLS 1.1, and all SSL versions

      • CWE-327
      • OWASP A04:2025
      • ASVS V12.1.1

  3. Network security

    Services reachable from the internet are the first thing attackers probe. Anything open that does not need to be should be closed.

    • High

      High-Risk Service Exposed: FTP

      Port 21 (FTP) is publicly accessible - FTP - Often unencrypted file transfer

      What to do: Consider restricting access to FTP or implementing strong authentication

      • NIS2 21(2)(e)
      • IR 2024/2690 6.7.2(f): Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690, Annex point 6.7.2(f): Network security
      • NIST CM-7: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 CM-7: Least Functionality
      • NIST SC-7: NIST SP 800-53 Rev. 5 SC-7: Boundary Protection

Need hands-on remediation? Email guard@offseq.com

Keep watching francis.co.uk

This scan found 25 issues across 6 checks. Monitoring re-runs those checks daily, emails you when something material changes and records each fix, so you can show progress.

Daily monitoring

Recommended

€25per month

  • TLS certificates and expiry
  • DNS records
  • SPF, DKIM and DMARC
  • Security headers
  • GDPR and NIS2 posture
  • Exposed services
  • Third-party trackers
  • Security score drift

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Results by check

Each check with its score, findings and the evidence it collected.

How this score is calculated

The security score runs 0–100, higher is better. It is the plain average of the security checks that completed in this scan, each counted equally. A check that could not run is left out: it counts neither as a pass nor as a fail.

Counted in this score

SSL/TLS
62
Security headers
15
Email security
75
DNS health
65
Network security
20
GDPR outside view
88
Average
54

Not counted

  • NIS2 outside view: Re-weights evidence from the TLS, email, DNS, network and hygiene checks, so counting it would count that evidence twice. Shown on its own.
  • OffSeq Observations: An AI reading of the site, useful context but not reproducible evidence. Shown on its own.

Findings that cap the score at 49

Each of these is serious on its own, so while any is present the site cannot rate better than high risk, however good the other checks are.

  • The certificate is not trusted by browsers
  • The website is not served over HTTPS
  • A database, remote desktop, file-sharing or Telnet service is reachable from the internet
  • The page loads a script from a compromised source
  • The domain registration has expired
  • SPF authorises every server to send mail as the domain

Partial scans

When the site blocks Guard or most checks cannot run, the score covers only the checks that ran (usually DNS and email), is capped at 75 and is shown as partial, without a risk level.

Risk levels

  • Critical0–25
  • High26–49
  • Medium50–75
  • Low76–100

Breach exposure

Leaked credentials and lookalike domains from OffSeq Breach. The counts are free; the detailed lists are paid add-ons.

Dark web exposure

Add-on

Leaked records that mention francis.co.uk, from OffSeq Breach.

No leaked records found

Breach holds no records for francis.co.uk right now. New leaks arrive continuously, so monitoring on Breach alerts you if that changes.

Monitor on Breach (opens in a new tab)

Technical appendix

Business context, site observations and technical notes gathered during the scan, and the standards behind each reference.

Business context

Business profile

Francis Searchlights operates in niche markets requiring specialized lighting solutions for marine, defense, security, and architectural applications. Their long history and certifications provide competitive advantages. The business model centers on manufacturing and direct sales, targeting professional sectors needing robust lighting products. The website supports global reach with multi-language options and detailed product datasheets. Partnerships such as with Forte Trinity for web design indicate a professional ecosystem. The company’s digital presence is mature but could expand with clearer terms of service and security policies to support growth and compliance.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a moderate security maturity level with HTTPS enforced and form protection via Google reCAPTCHA. However, the absence of key HTTP security headers (CSP, HSTS, X-Frame-Options) and lack of published security or incident response policies represent gaps. No vulnerability disclosure or security.txt file is found, limiting transparency for security researchers. The use of multiple third-party scripts increases attack surface and requires ongoing monitoring. Privacy compliance is basic, with cookie consent mechanisms present but limited GDPR indicators. Overall, the security posture is functional but could be significantly improved with enhanced headers, policy publication, and vulnerability management.

Recommendations

  1. Implement comprehensive HTTP security headers including Content-Security-Policy, Strict-Transport-Security, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
  2. Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response contact information to improve transparency and readiness.
  3. Add a vulnerability disclosure policy or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting and improve security culture.
  4. Enhance privacy compliance by expanding GDPR-related disclosures and improving cookie consent mechanisms.
  5. Regularly audit and update third-party scripts and plugins to mitigate vulnerabilities and reduce attack surface.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Francis Searchlights Limited
Registration number
2503257
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Francis Searchlights Limited
Description
Francis Searchlights Limited designs and manufactures innovative, high quality lighting products including marine searchlights, vehicle lighting, security and architectural units since 1901. They have a worldwide reputation and operate from Bolton, United Kingdom.
Key services
Marine searchlights, Vehicle lighting, Security lighting, Architectural lighting, Defence lighting
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
WordPress, WooCommerce, jQuery, Bootstrap, WPBakery Page Builder, Slider Revolution, Contact Form 7, Google reCAPTCHA v3, HubSpot Analytics, Lead Forensics
Frameworks
WooCommerce, WPBakery
Platforms
WordPress
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
75/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Google reCAPTCHA v3 on forms
  • Use of HubSpot and Lead Forensics for analytics and tracking
  • Contact form with validation

Analytics and tracking

Services
HubSpot, Lead Forensics
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
basic

Advertising

Tracking pixels
HubSpot, Lead Forensics, Google reCAPTCHA
Marketing tools
HubSpot, Lead Forensics
Transparency
basic

Site quality

Design
good
User experience
good
Content relevance
good
Navigation
good
Professionalism
good
Trustworthiness
high

Key observations

  1. Website is fully accessible with rich content and product information.
  2. Uses WordPress CMS with WooCommerce and multiple plugins for enhanced functionality.
  3. Contact information is clearly provided including email, phone, address, and contact form.
  4. Privacy and cookie policies are present but basic in scope.
  5. No explicit security or incident response policies published.
  6. No terms of service page detected.
  7. No security.txt or vulnerability disclosure found.
  8. SSL is enabled and scripts use HTTPS.
  9. No visible security headers detected in HTML content.
  10. Multiple third-party tracking and analytics scripts are used.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a stable and widely used WordPress CMS platform with WooCommerce for e-commerce capabilities. It leverages modern front-end frameworks such as Bootstrap and jQuery, along with popular plugins like WPBakery Page Builder and Slider Revolution for content management and presentation. The site uses Google Fonts and asynchronous loading of scripts to optimize performance. Analytics and marketing tools include HubSpot and Lead Forensics, integrated via JavaScript. While performance is moderate, the site is mobile-optimized and SEO-friendly. Technical debt appears low, but security-related technical improvements are recommended to align with best practices.
Standards and sources

Reference chips under each finding point to the standard, regulation or specification the finding relates to. They are taken from the official datasets below and mapped conservatively: a finding with no defensible link shows none. NIS2 and GDPR references mark where a finding is relevant evidence, not a compliance verdict. Implementing Regulation (EU) 2024/2690 binds digital infrastructure and digital service providers; for other entities it is the most detailed public reading of the Article 21 measures. WCAG, EN 301 549, European Accessibility Act and Web Accessibility Directive references name the requirement an automated accessibility rule relates to; they are not a conformance verdict.

Retrieved 2026-10-25

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