No email access for a week until we were called in. Back to business in 5 hours!

Case Study
Over the past year, our accounting firm has had the privilege of working with Seventh Wall. Their service has been nothing short of exceptional, consistently exceeding our expectations in every aspect. From the moment we reach out with a tech issue, their response time is impressively swift. This rapid response is not just a testament to their efficiency, but also their understanding of the importance of minimizing downtime in our operations. The team at Seventh Wall is a group of highly knowledgeable professionals who have demonstrated an in-depth understanding of our technology needs. Their expertise is evident in the way they handle each issue, providing thorough solutions that not only resolve the immediate problem but also prevent future ones. What sets them apart is their ability to combine speed with quality. Despite their quick response and resolution times, the quality of their service never wavers. They are meticulous in their work, ensuring that every detail is taken care of and every issue is resolved to our satisfaction. In conclusion, Seventh Wall has been an invaluable partner to our firm. Their exceptional service, quick response times, and knowledgeable team have made our tech experience seamless and stress-free. We highly recommend them to any business in need of top-notch tech support. We look forward to another year of excellent service with Seventh Wall!

—Steve Murray - Allsouth Accounting - Partner

Overview

Allsouth Accounting is an Enrolled Agent Accounting firm located in the Greater Atlanta area, specializing in small business and tax accounting. Like many modern businesses, client communication is handled primarily through phone and email.

Situation Analysis 

The Catalyst for Change 

Allsouth Accounting had been locked out of their email accounts after being blocked by their provider. While they had other means of communication, email was unavailable.  They reached out to our team after a week of trying to solve this issue themselves.  Our team had them functional again in 5 hours.

The Challenge 

The immediate challenge was restoring business continuity as quickly as possible while minimizing the risk of recurrence and implementing safeguards should another incident occur. Also, to further complicate the issue, they were not an existing client, so we had no information and no access to anything.  Our initial steps included:

  • Immediate email redirection to another provider so that business communication could resume NOW
  • Cybersecurity assessment and implementation to make sure we were working with clean systems
  • Enact backup solutions to safeguard all DATA
  • Begin process of gaining access to existing email system

Seventh Wall’s Strategic Solution 

Stage One: Restore Business Continuity while securing the company

Allsouth Accounting used a different provider for both email and data storage, which allowed for the following steps to be taken:

  • Lock down web domain to prevent unauthorized access.
  • Secure the data storage accounts and configure all necessary email addresses through a secondary provider
  • Removed DNS records from the original email provider and updated DNS records with the data storage provider to make it their primary email location.
  • Enabled enhanced security measures to keep all configured accounts safe.
  • Enact data backups of both the email accounts and data storage files

Once that was done, the Allsouth team could work.  They could use email through their secondary provider.  This removed much of the pain and urgency in the situation.

Stage Two: Gain access to locked account

Now that Allsouth was back in business, we began the long process of unlocking their primary email system.  This took over a week, but once this was completed, the following steps were taken:

  • Enable enhanced security measures with their primary email vendor
  • Route emails from the secondary provider back to this primary provider

Stage Three: Become their IT team

After this event, Allsouth asked us to take care of them.  They never wanted to have to worry about email or data access or security again.  We completed a full audit and subsequent onboarding process, all while minimally impacting day-to-day business operations.

The Aftermath and Legacy 

This case highlights the importance of quick response and strategic planning in addressing urgent IT issues while laying the groundwork for long-term security and operational efficiency. The successful resolution of this emergency built trust between both companies.  Allsouth trusted us to help this with expertise and patience and we trusted Allsouth as a responsive and polite client.  Ultimately, Allsouth as well as Seventh Wall gained from this event.  We gained a quality, thoughtful client and Allsouth gained a caring partner to help them as their business grows.