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Security report for heckford-advertising.co.uk

Heckford · Other · United Kingdom

Medium risk. 3 critical or high findings in SSL/TLS and Security headers.

Security score

73/100

Risk levelMedium

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

Heckford is a well-established digital marketing and creative agency based in Preston, UK, founded in 2015. The company offers a broad range of services including web design, SEO, social media marketing, signage, exhibitions, graphic design, illustration, CGI, photography, and media buying. Their market position is that of a trusted regional agency with a diverse client base and multiple industry accreditations, reflecting a strong reputation and professional service delivery. The website content is comprehensive, professionally designed, and targets businesses seeking marketing and creative solutions. Technically, the site is built on WordPress with WooCommerce for e-commerce capabilities, leveraging modern frameworks like Bootstrap and integrating multiple analytics and marketing tools such as Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, and Microsoft Clarity. The site is mobile-optimized and SEO-friendly, with good accessibility features.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
95/ 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

3 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. 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

  2. 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 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';…

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Keep watching heckford-advertising.co.uk

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  • 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
57
Security headers
40
Email security
85
DNS health
60
Network security
100
GDPR outside view
95
Average
73

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

Technical appendix

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

Business context

Business profile

Heckford operates a service-based business model focused on delivering creative marketing solutions to various sectors including real estate, education, and hospitality. Their revenue streams likely include project-based fees and product sales via their online store. The company demonstrates growth and maturity through its accreditations and active social media presence. Partnerships with signage specialists and use of multiple marketing platforms indicate a well-integrated ecosystem. The company targets SMEs and larger businesses looking for comprehensive marketing services. Strategic observations include a strong emphasis on client testimonials and case studies to build trust and a clear focus on GDPR and privacy compliance to meet regulatory requirements.

Security posture

The website exhibits a mature security posture with HTTPS enforced, use of reCAPTCHA v3 on forms, and a detailed cookie consent mechanism compliant with GDPR. Security policies are publicly available, though explicit security headers are not clearly detected in the HTML. No vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were found. The absence of an incident response contact is a minor gap. The use of multiple third-party tracking and marketing scripts is balanced with user consent controls. Overall, the security culture appears proactive but could benefit from explicit header implementation and incident response transparency.

Recommendations

  1. Implement explicit security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options to enhance protection against common web attacks.
  2. Add clear incident response contact information or abuse email to improve security communication and readiness.
  3. Regularly audit and update all third-party plugins and scripts to mitigate potential vulnerabilities.
  4. Enhance transparency by publishing data retention policies related to analytics and user data.
  5. Consider conducting periodic penetration testing and vulnerability assessments to maintain a strong security posture.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Heckford Printers Limited
Registration number
1402909
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Heckford
Description
A digital marketing agency in Preston providing design, print, web design, illustration, 3D CGI, social media, exhibitions & signage services.
Key services
Web Design, Web Development, SEO, Social Media, Signage, Exhibitions, Graphic Design, Illustration, CGI & 3D, Photography
Content quality
excellent
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
WordPress, WooCommerce, Bootstrap 4.3.1, Google Tag Manager, Google Analytics, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Microsoft Clarity, Apollo Website Tracker, reCAPTCHA v3, GDPR Cookie Compliance Plugin
Frameworks
Bootstrap
Platforms
WordPress
Performance
moderate
Mobile
excellent
Accessibility
good
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Use of reCAPTCHA v3 on forms
  • Cookie consent with granular controls
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML
  • Use of security and privacy policies

Analytics and tracking

Services
Google Analytics, Microsoft Clarity, Apollo Website Tracker, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag
Tracking level
moderate
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Ad networks
Google Ads, Facebook Ads
Tracking pixels
Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Microsoft Clarity
Marketing tools
Metricool, Apollo Website Tracker, CreateSend (email marketing)
Transparency
good

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is professionally designed and well maintained.
  2. Comprehensive service offerings with clear navigation.
  3. Strong privacy and cookie compliance mechanisms in place.
  4. Multiple industry accreditations enhance trust.
  5. Use of modern tracking and analytics tools with user consent.
  6. No signs of malicious or suspicious activity.
  7. Contact information is clearly presented and verified.
  8. No WAF or blocking mechanisms detected.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on a modern WordPress platform with WooCommerce integration for e-commerce functionality. It uses Bootstrap for responsive design and loads fonts and assets efficiently. The site integrates multiple analytics and marketing tools, including Google Tag Manager, Facebook Pixel, LinkedIn Insight Tag, Microsoft Clarity, and Apollo tracking, indicating a sophisticated digital marketing infrastructure. Performance is moderate, with some optimization opportunities. The site is mobile-optimized and accessible, with good SEO practices implemented via Yoast SEO. Technical risks are minimal but include reliance on multiple third-party scripts which require ongoing management to avoid security or performance issues.
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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