CLIENT CASE STUDY
AO IT Consulting | Portland, Oregon | aoitconsulting.com
How AO IT Stopped a Ransomware Attack in Its Tracks and Transformed a Law Firm’s Security Posture
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Industry Legal / Law Firm |
Location Portland, OR |
Challenge Active Ransomware Attack |
Outcome Full Recovery & Hardened Security |
Background
AO IT Consulting had recently completed a migration project for a Portland-area law firm and installed our monitoring and remote management tools on one of the firm’s servers as part of the engagement. The relationship was new, and full deployment across all systems had not yet been completed.
A few months after the migration, that single monitored server triggered an alert that would prove to be a pivotal moment for the firm.
The Alert: Ransomware Detected
Our Security Operations Center (SOC) received an alert: ransomware had been detected on the monitored server. Our team acted immediately — the server was isolated within minutes, containing the threat on that machine.
But when we investigated further, we discovered something alarming: the firm’s other six servers had already been compromised. Because our tools had not yet been deployed across the full environment, those servers were unprotected and unmonitored — and the attackers had been inside the network.
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⚠️ Situation at Discovery 1 server monitored and isolated — 6 servers compromised and unprotected |
Immediate Incident Response
AO IT moved fast. Within minutes of confirming the scope of the attack, our team took decisive action:
- Immediately brought down the firm’s entire network to stop lateral movement
- Isolated all six compromised servers from the environment
- Engaged our cybersecurity incident response team to lead remediation
- Identified and patched the vulnerability that allowed the attackers in
- Reset all user passwords across the organization
- Implemented two-factor authentication (2FA) for all accounts
- Initiated disaster recovery for all impacted servers and services
- Worked directly with every end user to restore network access safely
Full Security Overhaul
Once the immediate threat was contained, AO IT worked with the firm to ensure this could never happen again. We implemented a comprehensive security transformation:
- Deployed our SOC monitoring across all servers and devices — any suspicious activity now triggers an alert within 2 minutes
- Replaced outdated antivirus software with Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) for advanced threat protection
- Implemented organization-wide security policies to harden the network and all connected devices
- Established patching schedules for all devices, not just servers
- Enforced password length, complexity, and rotation requirements alongside 2FA on every device
- Encrypted hard drives on all devices across the organization
- Upgraded backup and disaster recovery with high availability and failover clusters for business continuity
The Results
The law firm recovered fully — with minimal downtime — and emerged from the incident with a security posture dramatically stronger than before the attack. The client praised AO IT for the speed of response and the thoroughness of the recovery.
Today, the firm benefits from continuous SOC monitoring, hardened endpoints, and a layered security strategy that evolves every month. What began as a crisis became the foundation for a long-term partnership built on trust.
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“We couldn’t believe how fast they responded. They not only stopped the attack — they made sure we were better protected than we’d ever been. The peace of mind is invaluable.” — Managing Partner, Portland Law Firm |
By the Numbers
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2 Minutes SOC alert response time after full deployment |
7 Servers Recovered and fully secured after the attack |
100% Of devices now monitored, patched & encrypted |
Is Your Business Protected?
Ransomware doesn’t wait for a convenient time. AO IT Consulting provides 24/7 SOC monitoring, EDR protection, and comprehensive cybersecurity services for Portland-area businesses. Don’t wait for an incident to find out where your vulnerabilities are.
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🌐 aoitconsulting.com |
📞 (503) 257-3332 |
✉️ aoit@aoitconsulting.com |
Serving Portland and the Pacific Northwest since 2003 | Managed IT • Cloud Services • Cybersecurity • Network Infrastructure