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Security report for sterling-hydrotech.co.uk

Sterling Hydrotech · Other · United Kingdom

High risk. 9 critical or high findings in Network security, SSL/TLS and 2 other checks.

Security score

40/100

Risk levelHigh

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

Sterling Hydrotech is a well-established UK-based specialist in swimming pool filtration and water treatment, operating since 1988. The company offers a comprehensive range of services including design, supply, installation, servicing of filtration and water treatment equipment, and training for pool plant operators. Their market position is strong within commercial leisure facilities, local authorities, schools, NHS, military, and other institutional clients. The website reflects a professional and consistent brand image with clear service offerings and accreditations that enhance trust. Technically, the website is built on WordPress using the Uncode theme, leveraging modern web technologies such as jQuery, Owl Carousel, and Google reCAPTCHA for security. The site is hosted by a reputable UK registrar and shows good mobile optimization and SEO practices. Performance is moderate with room for improvement in accessibility features. From a security perspective, the site enforces HTTPS, uses reCAPTCHA to protect forms, and implements cookie consent mechanisms aligned with GDPR. However, it lacks visible security policies, incident response information, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms. No critical vulnerabilities or exposed sensitive data were detected. Overall, Sterling Hydrotech presents a low-risk profile with a mature online presence, good business credibility, and adequate security posture. Strategic improvements in security transparency and accessibility could further enhance trust and compliance.

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

9 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
    • 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

  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. GDPR outside view

    These are the privacy signals visitors and data protection authorities look for under GDPR.

    • High

      No Privacy Policy found

      GDPR requires a clear and accessible privacy policy

      What to do: Add a comprehensive privacy policy page and link to it prominently

    • High

      No Cookie Policy found

      GDPR requires clear information about cookie usage

      What to do: Add a dedicated cookie policy explaining cookie usage and purposes

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

Keep watching sterling-hydrotech.co.uk

This scan found 29 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.

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Recommended

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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
47
Security headers
15
Email security
60
DNS health
65
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

Sterling Hydrotech operates in the niche market of commercial pool water treatment and filtration, targeting institutional and commercial clients across the UK. Their business model combines product supply with installation, maintenance, and training services, creating multiple revenue streams. The company benefits from long-standing industry experience and recognized accreditations such as Kings Warrant and ISO certifications, which provide competitive advantages. The website indicates a focus on quality and tailored solutions, appealing to facility managers and contractors. Their partnership with WCS Environmental Engineering as a parent company suggests solid backing and potential for growth. The digital presence is professional but could be enhanced with more detailed business and security disclosures to support transparency and customer confidence.

Security posture

The website demonstrates a good security baseline with HTTPS enforced and Google reCAPTCHA protecting user input forms. Cookie consent is implemented, supporting GDPR compliance. However, the absence of explicit security policies, incident response contacts, and vulnerability disclosure mechanisms indicates gaps in security transparency and readiness. No outdated or vulnerable libraries were detected in the HTML content. Security headers are not explicitly visible but may be configured at the server level. Overall, the security posture is adequate for the business type but could be improved by publishing formal security and incident response information and enhancing header configurations.

Recommendations

  1. Publish a dedicated security policy and incident response page to improve transparency and preparedness.
  2. Implement and verify security headers such as Content-Security-Policy, X-Content-Type-Options, and Referrer-Policy.
  3. Add a vulnerability disclosure policy or security.txt file to encourage responsible reporting.
  4. Enhance website accessibility features to meet compliance standards and improve user experience.
  5. Regularly audit third-party scripts and plugins for vulnerabilities and update them promptly.

Contact details published on the site

Addresses
Legal name
WCS Environmental Engineering
Registration number
02275897
Site observations

Automated reading of the public site. Ratings are indicative.

Business

Company
Sterling Hydrotech
Description
Established in 1988, Sterling is a swimming pool filtration and water treatment specialist. They design, supply, install and service filtration and water treatment equipment throughout the UK, focusing on commercial pools, spas and hydrotherapy pools. They work with local authorities, schools, main contractors, facility management companies, holiday parks, NHS and military facilities.
Key services
Installation & Remedial Works, Service & Maintenance, Innovative Products, Industrial Water Treatment, Pool Plant Training
Content quality
good
Branding
consistent

Technology

Stack
WordPress, jQuery, Owl Carousel, MediaElement.js, Google reCAPTCHA, Typekit Fonts
Frameworks
Uncode Theme
Platforms
WordPress CMS
Performance
moderate
Mobile
good
Accessibility
basic
SEO
good

Security

Observed score
85/100
Good practices seen
  • HTTPS enforced
  • Google reCAPTCHA v3 implemented on forms
  • Cookie consent banner with opt-in
  • No exposed sensitive data in HTML

Analytics and tracking

Tracking level
minimal
Privacy practices
good

Advertising

Tracking pixels
Google reCAPTCHA
Marketing tools
Typekit Fonts
Transparency
basic

Site quality

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

Key observations

  1. Website is professionally designed and content-rich.
  2. Strong focus on commercial pool water treatment services.
  3. Multiple accreditations displayed enhancing trust.
  4. No visible security policy or incident response information.
  5. Cookie consent and GDPR compliance mechanisms are implemented.
  6. No exposed emails or phone numbers directly on homepage; contact via form.
  7. Social media presence on Facebook and LinkedIn.
  8. Use of modern web technologies and WordPress CMS.
  9. No signs of suspicious or malicious content.
Technical notes

Notes

The website is built on WordPress CMS using the Uncode theme, incorporating modern JavaScript libraries like jQuery and Owl Carousel for UI components. Google reCAPTCHA v3 is integrated for spam protection on forms. The site uses Typekit for font management and MediaElement.js for video playback. Hosting is provided by a UK-based registrar, ensuring domain stability. Performance is moderate with good mobile responsiveness and SEO optimization. Accessibility is basic and could be improved. The technical stack is standard for a professional corporate website, with no immediate technical risks detected in the HTML content.
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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