Client Overview

A professional services firm in Saskatchewan reached out to Accelerate IT Services Inc (AITS) after experiencing a sudden cybersecurity breach. Overnight, several user accounts were locked out, suspicious emails were sent from internal addresses, and confidential client files were inaccessible.

The company relied heavily on Microsoft 365 for daily operations — meaning any extended downtime could cause major disruption to their business and reputation.

Challenges

Before contacting AITS, the client was facing:

  • Unauthorized access to multiple user accounts
  • Potential data exfiltration via compromised inboxes
  • Inactive endpoint protection and outdated security policies
  • Lack of centralized monitoring and threat visibility
  • Users reporting phishing emails and missing data

The client had no dedicated IT team and needed immediate expert intervention to contain the attack, assess impact, and restore secure operations.

Our Response

AITS activated its Emergency Incident Response Protocol within hours of the initial call, assigning a dedicated cybersecurity team to lead the containment and recovery process.

Phase 1: Containment and Investigation

  • Isolated compromised accounts and revoked active sessions across Microsoft 365
  • Conducted audit log and mailbox rule analysis to trace attacker activity
  • Disabled malicious forwarding rules and suspicious connectors
  • Implemented temporary MFA enforcement across all accounts

Phase 2: Threat Removal and System Hardening

  • Deployed advanced endpoint protection and EDR tools to all devices
  • Reset user credentials and applied conditional access policies
  • Patched vulnerabilities and removed unauthorized PowerShell access
  • Enabled real-time logging and alerting via Microsoft Defender for Cloud Apps

Phase 3: Recovery and Restoration

  • Verified data integrity in OneDrive, SharePoint, and Exchange
  • Restored deleted and encrypted data from secure backups
  • Rebuilt affected user profiles with clean configurations
  • Conducted user awareness sessions to identify phishing threats

Phase 4: Long-Term Prevention

  • Implemented AITS Managed Security Stack, including:
    • 24/7 monitoring and alert response
    • Monthly vulnerability reporting
    • Managed MFA, email filtering, and conditional access policies
  • Deployed a phishing simulation and security awareness program for all staff

Results

In less than 48 hours, the client’s business operations were fully restored — with no permanent data loss or regulatory exposure.

Key Outcomes:

  • Zero residual malware activity post-containment
  • Full restoration of data and mailboxes
  • Improved account security with enforced MFA and modern authentication
  • 24/7 threat monitoring implemented to prevent recurrence
  • Enhanced employee cybersecurity awareness

Client Feedback

“AITS responded faster than we ever expected. Their team took control of the situation immediately, explained everything clearly, and had us back up within two days. We now have stronger protection than before the incident — and complete confidence in our IT security.”