How TST Helped Harlow & Ashford Solicitors Recover from a Live Ransomware Attack

The challenge

Harlow & Ashford Solicitors contacted TST when they came under an active ransomware attack. As the firm’s staff made the urgent call, files across the network were being encrypted and access to critical information was being lost.

The situation required an immediate, coordinated response. TST’s helpdesk technician answered the call straight away, enabling our team to take rapid action and contain the attack before further damage was caused.

Immediate response and remediation

TST halted the ransomware attack immediately. We then carried out a thorough scan and clean-up operation across every device on the firm’s network.

Once we were satisfied that the devices were clear of malware, we focused on strengthening the firm’s security infrastructure and reducing the risk of future attacks. We deployed a layered protection strategy across each endpoint, including:

• Remote monitoring and management (RMM)
• Antivirus and malware protection
• Ransomware detection
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR)
• Automated security updates and patch management

We also introduced a daily backup routine for every PC, helping ensure that important business data could be recovered if a similar incident occurred in the future.

Protecting users and Microsoft 365

With the immediate threat contained, we turned our attention to user accounts and access security.

Harlow & Ashford’s Microsoft 365 environment was protected with TST’s enhanced security controls. We strengthened account policies and introduced automatic account locking to help prevent unauthorised access.

Using TST Password Manager, each user was provided with a unique, complex password, improving password security across the firm and reducing the risks associated with password reuse.

Email security was also enhanced with AI-powered phishing protection. The service scans incoming messages for attack vectors, suspicious patterns and other indicators of malicious activity.

Building a stronger security culture

Technology is only one part of effective cyber security. We delivered cyber security training to improve employees’ knowledge and awareness, followed by simulated email attacks to test understanding in a safe and controlled environment.

This helped the firm identify areas for improvement and reinforced good security behaviours across the team.

Securing the wider business environment

TST also strengthened the firm’s network and mobile security by:

• Installing a hardware firewall at the office
• Creating a dedicated guest network to separate non-business devices from the corporate network
• Deploying mobile device management (MDM) to protect corporate mobile devices
• Ensuring devices were fully updated with the latest security patches

These measures created multiple layers of protection across the firm’s systems, devices, users and network.

Ongoing support and protection

Harlow & Ashford now benefits from continuous monitoring, alerts and managed protection, with TST maintaining an active watch over the firm’s technology environment 24/7.

Regular meetings and ongoing consultancy help ensure that security controls, policies and procedures remain aligned with the firm’s changing needs. We have also helped Harlow & Ashford establish appropriate security policies and a disaster recovery plan, improving their ability to respond to future incidents.

We are currently working with the firm to introduce Secure AI for all users, supporting the safe and responsible adoption of AI within the business.

The result

Following a live ransomware attack, Harlow & Ashford Solicitors now has a comprehensive, layered cyber security strategy supported by continuous monitoring, regular backups, user training and expert guidance from TST.

Our rapid response contained the immediate threat, while the longer-term security improvements have helped create a more resilient and better-protected legal practice.