When we take on a new client, the onboarding process is usually a methodical transition; We get to know the team, we map out the systems. It takes time.

But for a larger business we were still in the middle of onboarding - this didn't really happen.

At 3:00 AM on a Tuesday in early December, the Managing Director, was woken up by a heavy knock from the Police. Their message was chilling: "Your business is under an active cyber attack. You need to get to the office now".

At 4:13 AM, our Out of Hours Support WhatsApp group (a direct line we give our top-tier clients for critical emergencies) recieved the following:

Hi. Sorry for the early contact. We are under cyber attack... I am on site. Please call me.
- L

Within a minute one of our team members was on the phone. We weren't just logging a ticket and going back to bed. We were awake and we were already moving.

The Police do that? How do they know? What type of attack?  Which bit of their network?  When did it start? 
Is this real? 
...
Who's at your house now L? Are they safe?

They're all fair questions. We were genuinely worried that it was a hoax to get L out of their house.

As it turns out, the NCA are actively watching for these threats. We don't know all the details (they won't tell us), but they proactively reached out and we needed to take emergency action before damage could be done.

Teamwork in the trenches: A true partnership

We don’t usually shout from the rooftops, but we are incredibly proud of how our team responded. It wasn’t just a technical race to get tools live; it was a moment of true partnership. We weren't just "the IT guys" working in the background - we were right there, providing the calm and clarity they needed during a high-stakes crisis. 

Together, we built a digital fortress in real-time, even while the "intruders" were already trying the doors - before we'd even finished onboarding the client.

• Our team stayed in constant contact with the customer via phone, providing calm, jargon-free updates so they knew exactly what we were doing and what they could do.
• We pushed out Microsoft Defender instantly to provide a baseline shield across their network. Think of this as the high-quality locks on every door and window. It provides a rock-solid baseline of protection across the entire network, stopping known threats before they can even blink.
  We deployed Huntress in record time. If Defender is the lock, Huntress is the elite security team patrolling the building 24/7.
• • Unlike most tools that rely purely on AI, Huntress is backed by a 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC) filled with human experts.
  • Hackers are sneaky; they often slip in quietly and hide persistent footholds (think digital spare key under the doormat) so they can come back later. Huntress specifically hunts for these hidden traces that traditional antivirus misses.
  • This allowed their 24/7 human threat hunters to join forces with our team, spotting the specific fingerprints of the intruders and helping us slam the door shut before they could do any damage.

We didn't just fix the "tech"; we managed the crisis. We verified the threat was real (to put L’s mind at ease) and worked alongside the authorities to ensure the business was safe.

The result: A quiet morning (eventually)

By lunch the customer wasn't just onboarded; they were protected by a team that had already proven they'd go to the ends of the earth (or at least the end of a 4:00 AM phone call) for them, and more importantly there was:

• Zero data loss. 
• No ransom paid. 
• Minimal downtime (all things considered).

What should you take from this?

• If the police knock at "silly o'clock" about a cyber-attack, it’s likely real. Pay attention, stay calm, and call your IT partners immediately.
• Having a direct line to a team that actually answers and cares is the difference between a crisis and a controlled situation.
• A great IT partner doesn't just have a "plan" - they have the skill to adapt even when the pressure is at its highest.

Is your business "3:00 AM ready"?

Whether you’re looking for a team that masters Odoo or an IT partner that stays awake so you don’t have to, we're here for you.

P.S. If any Hollywood producers are reading this and want to option the film rights for a high-stakes IT thriller, our inbox is open. We’ve already got the plot. Though we might need a bigger budget for the coffee.