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— Construction cyber security
Cyber security for construction firms, built around real risks
Construction is one of the most targeted sectors for invoice fraud, and weak security now costs firms contracts as well as money. We protect construction, architecture and engineering businesses across the South West from the threats that actually hit the sector, and get you to the standard your contracts and insurers expect.
★★★★★
120+ 5-star Google reviews
Cyber Essentials Plus certified
TOMLINSON · CONSTRUCTION
SHEET 02
SCOPE
Cyber security & compliance
SECTOR
Construction, architecture & engineering
REGION
South West · UK-wide
CERT
Cyber Essentials Plus
RATING
120+ reviews · ★ 5.0
EST.
2008
Construction cyber security at a glance
Biggest Risk
Invoice and payment fraud, where a single redirected payment can cost a fortune.
Contract Risk
Main contractors and public bodies increasingly require proof of cyber security before awarding work.
What We Do
Email security, fraud protection, Cyber Essentials Plus readiness, endpoint protection and project-data backup.
Standard
We hold Cyber Essentials Plus and get construction clients to the same standard.
Where
Across the South West: Devon, Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay, Somerset, Cornwall and Bristol.
— Know the risks
What cyber threats do construction firms actually face?
The sector has its own risk profile. These are the four that do real damage.
Threat 01
Invoice and payment fraud
Criminals impersonate suppliers or colleagues to redirect a genuine-looking payment. Construction is a top target because of the size and number of payments that move between parties.
Threat 02
Email impersonation
Fake emails that look like they come from your firm, a client or a subcontractor, used to trigger payments, steal data or plant ransomware.
Threat 03
Ransomware and data loss
Drawings, models and project data locked or lost. Without tested backups, that can mean starting a project again, and missing deadlines.
Threat 04
Failing a contract security check
More clients require proof of cyber security before awarding work. No certification, or weak controls, can quietly cost you bids.
— What we do
How do we protect a construction firm?
Layered protection matched to the sector’s real risks, not a generic checklist.
Stop the fraud
Email security that catches spoofed and impersonation messages, plus clear payment-verification processes and staff awareness so a redirected invoice gets caught.
Pass the contract checks
Cyber Essentials and Cyber Essentials Plus readiness, so you can prove security to main contractors, public bodies and insurers, and keep bidding.
Protect the projects
Endpoint protection, monitoring and properly tested backups for your drawings, models and project data, so a failure or attack never resets a project.
Cover the sites
Security that follows your people across sites and devices, because the risk does not stay in the office.
— How it works
How do we secure a construction firm?
A staged approach, prioritised by risk, with no jargon.
1
Assess the risk
We review your email, payment processes, devices, backups and sites to find where fraud and data loss could happen.
2
Close the gaps
We put email security, endpoint protection, backup and payment-verification processes in place, prioritised by risk.
3
Reach the standard
We get you ready for Cyber Essentials or Cyber Essentials Plus so you can prove security to contractors and insurers.
4
Keep it current
We monitor, patch and review as your business changes, and train your team so security holds over time.
— Why Tomlinson
Security you can prove, from a partner who knows the sector
We do not just talk about security, we hold the certification ourselves and protect construction firms with it every day.
Cyber Essentials Plus
Independently certified to the UK government-backed standard, with a live verification badge, the standard your contracts ask for.
Real construction clients
We secure firms like EHV Structures, Thorverton Stone and Co-Create Architects. Named clients you can ask.
Local to the South West
Based in Paignton, covering Devon, Exeter, Plymouth, Somerset, Cornwall and Bristol. On a call, or on site, fast.
120+ 5-star reviews
A 5.0 Google average and an NPS of 90+, from clients who stay with us year on year.
Fraud-aware, not generic
We build protection around the threats that actually hit construction, led by what we see in the sector.
An extension of your team
A genuine partner with a Virtual IT Director approach, not a distant help desk.
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Good to know
Construction cyber security: your questions, answered
Why do construction firms need cyber security specifically?
Construction firms move large payments between many parties, share designs and contracts by email, and work across multiple sites and devices. That makes them a favourite target for invoice and payment fraud, where a single redirected payment can cost a fortune. On top of that, main contractors and public bodies increasingly require proof of cyber security before they award work, so weak security can cost you contracts as well as money.
What is invoice fraud and how do you stop it?
Invoice fraud is when a criminal impersonates a supplier or colleague and tricks someone into paying a genuine-looking invoice into the wrong account. It is part technical and part human. We reduce the risk with email security that catches spoofed and impersonation messages, clear payment-verification processes, and staff awareness so your team knows the warning signs. No control is perfect, but the right combination makes it far harder to pull off.
What is Cyber Essentials and do construction firms need it?
Cyber Essentials is a UK government-backed certification covering the security basics every business should have. Cyber Essentials Plus adds an independent technical audit. Many construction contracts, especially public-sector and main-contractor work, now require it before you can bid. We hold Cyber Essentials Plus ourselves and help construction clients reach the standard their contracts and insurers expect.
How do you protect design files and project data?
Your drawings, models and project data are the business, so we back them up properly, with copies held securely and tested so they actually restore. Combined with endpoint protection and monitoring, that means a device failure, ransomware attack or lost laptop on site never means starting a project again.
Do you provide construction cyber security across the South West?
Yes. From our base in Paignton, Devon, we secure construction, architecture and engineering firms across the South West, including Exeter, Plymouth, Torbay, Somerset, Cornwall and Bristol, and UK-wide. We are local enough to meet in person, which matters when you are talking about protecting the business.
No obligation
Protect the business behind the projects
Book a free assessment and we will show you, plainly, where your firm is exposed and what is worth doing first. No jargon, no scare tactics, no pressure.