Skip to main content

Security report for philpottcowlin.co.uk

Philpott & Cowlin Limited · Manufacturing · United Kingdom

High risk. 10 critical or high findings in Network security, DNS health and 3 other checks.

Security score

40/100

Risk levelHigh

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

Philpott & Cowlin Limited is a well-established company founded in 1920, specializing in supplying welding equipment and consumables to the metal fabrication industry in South West England and South Wales. The company offers a broad range of products and services including welding machines, consumables, machine repairs, servicing, calibration, and hire equipment. Their market position is that of a reputable regional supplier with over 100 years of industry experience and recognized certifications such as Bureau Veritas ISO 9001. The website content reflects a focused B2B business model targeting manufacturing and metal fabrication sectors. Technically, the website uses older JavaScript libraries such as jQuery 1.9.1 and Jssor Slider for UI elements. The site has basic SEO and accessibility features but lacks modern performance optimizations and mobile responsiveness is only basic. No CMS or hosting provider information is evident. Security posture is moderate with no visible HTTPS or security headers in the provided data, and the use of outdated libraries introduces potential vulnerabilities. From a security and compliance perspective, the site lacks privacy and cookie policies, GDPR compliance indicators, and incident response contacts. The WHOIS data is incomplete and indicates domain registration issues, which raises concerns about domain legitimacy despite the professional business content. No forms or email contacts are present on the homepage, limiting data collection risks but also reducing user engagement options. Overall, the website is functional and provides relevant business information but requires improvements in security, privacy compliance, and technical modernization to enhance trust and reduce risk. The domain registration anomaly should be investigated further to ensure legitimacy and continuity.

Scanned

NIS2 and GDPR posture

GDPR outside view
50/ 100 · Medium
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

10 findings rated critical or high. Fix these first.

  1. Network security

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

    • Critical

      Critical Service Exposed: MySQL

      Port 3306 (MySQL) is publicly accessible - MySQL - Database server

      What to do: Immediately restrict access to MySQL using firewall or VPN

      • 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

  2. DNS health

    DNS sends visitors and email to the right servers. Misconfigured records can cause outages or let someone redirect your traffic.

    • High

      No Name Servers Found

      Unable to find name servers for domain

      What to do: Configure proper name servers for the domain

    • High

      Domain Expires Soon

      Domain expires in 22 days

      What to do: Renew domain registration before expiration

  3. 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

  4. 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

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

Keep watching philpottcowlin.co.uk

This scan found 27 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

Email alerts on material changes and an exportable JSON history of every change.

Billed monthly to your card. Cancel anytime. The full timeline opens with your unlock code.

Full report

€39.90one-time

  • The complete analysis as a PDF you can cite
  • Email delivery with an unlock code
  • Lifetime access to this report

Prices incl. 21% VAT. Secure checkout by Mollie; sold by SEQ SIA, Latvia.

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
52
Security headers
15
Email security
85
DNS health
35
Network security
0
GDPR outside view
50
Average
40

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 · found on this site
  • 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

Philpott & Cowlin Limited operates in the manufacturing sector, focusing on welding equipment supply and services. Their competitive advantage lies in their long-standing history, comprehensive product range, and in-house after-sales service capabilities. The business model is primarily B2B, serving metal fabrication companies in a defined geographic region. Revenue streams likely include equipment sales, consumables, machine hire, and service contracts. The company maintains partnerships with leading manufacturers, enhancing its product portfolio. Growth indicators include a century-long presence and ISO certification. The partnership ecosystem includes Messer Cutting, Sonnenflex, Bernard ToughGun, and GYS, indicating strong industry ties. Strategic observations suggest the company could benefit from digital transformation and enhanced online presence to expand market reach.

Security posture

The current security maturity level is moderate to low. The website lacks HTTPS confirmation in the provided data and does not display common security headers, which are critical for protecting users and data integrity. The use of an outdated jQuery version introduces known vulnerabilities that could be exploited. There are no visible privacy or cookie policies, indicating compliance gaps with GDPR and other data protection regulations. Incident response readiness is not evident, with no security or abuse contact information provided. The absence of forms reduces attack surface but also limits user interaction. Overall, the security culture appears minimal, with room for significant improvement in technical controls, compliance, and transparency.

Recommendations

  1. Upgrade all JavaScript libraries, especially jQuery, to current secure versions to mitigate known vulnerabilities.
  2. Implement HTTPS with a valid SSL/TLS certificate and configure essential security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Frame-Options, and X-Content-Type-Options.
  3. Publish comprehensive privacy and cookie policies to comply with GDPR and inform users about data handling practices.
  4. Add secure contact forms with proper input validation and CAPTCHA to improve user engagement and reduce spam.
  5. Investigate and resolve domain registration anomalies to ensure domain legitimacy and continuity.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
Philpott & Cowlin Limited
Registration number
512206
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Philpott & Cowlin Limited
Description
Philpott and Cowlin Ltd, established in 1920 and based in Bristol, supplies welding equipment and consumables to the welding and metal fabrication industry in South West England and South Wales. They offer a comprehensive range of welding machines, consumables, after-sales service, machine repairs, calibration, hire equipment, and consultancy services.
Key services
Welding machine supply, Machine repairs, servicing and calibration, Hire of welding and plasma cutting machines, Technical consultancy, Supply of welding consumables, On-site safety checks and certification, Fume and dust extraction equipment and testing
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
jQuery 1.9.1, Jssor Slider
Performance
moderate
Mobile
basic
Accessibility
basic
SEO
basic

Security

Observed score
45/100
Good practices seen
  • No visible exposed sensitive data
  • No forms detected on homepage

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
poor

Advertising

Transparency
poor

Site quality

Design
basic
User experience
basic
Content relevance
good
Navigation
good
Professionalism
basic
Trustworthiness
moderate

Key observations

  1. Website is accessible with full content and no blocking detected.
  2. No privacy, cookie, or terms of service policies found on the site.
  3. No contact forms or email addresses explicitly provided on the homepage.
  4. Physical address and company registration details are clearly displayed in the footer.
  5. Use of outdated JavaScript libraries may pose security risks.
  6. No visible HTTPS or security headers data provided; security posture is moderate to low.
  7. External links point to reputable industry partners and suppliers.
  8. No analytics or tracking scripts detected in the provided HTML.
  9. Content is business-focused, safe, and relevant to welding equipment supply.
Technical notes

Notes

The website employs legacy JavaScript libraries including jQuery 1.9.1 and Jssor Slider for interactive elements. The HTML structure is basic and lacks modern semantic elements or ARIA attributes for accessibility. There is no evidence of a CMS or modern frameworks, indicating a static or custom-built site. Performance is moderate but could be improved with optimization and mobile responsiveness enhancements. SEO is basic with meta tags present but no Open Graph or structured data detected. The absence of analytics or tracking scripts suggests minimal data collection. Technical debt is present due to outdated libraries and lack of modern security practices, posing risks to business operations and user trust.
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

Reviews of this site

Share your experience with philpottcowlin.co.uk. Every review is verified by email and published after moderation.

Overall rating
Select a rating
4000 characters remaining

We’ll email you to confirm your review and keep your details private.

Community rating

No published reviews yet. Be the first to review philpottcowlin.co.uk.

Feedback on this report

Rate this report, add an optional comment, and tell us if you want a security specialist to follow up.

Overall report quality
Select a rating
2000 characters remaining

We only use your feedback to improve Guard reports. Contact details are never shared.