Illustrative SME engagements
Cybersecurity and Automation Case Examples
Three practical examples showing how businesses can identify cyber risk, reduce repetitive administration and strengthen its digital foundations.
Evidence and transparency
How to read these examples
Case example 1 · Professional services
Finding hidden Microsoft 365 security gaps
A 22-person professional-services firm used Microsoft 365 for email, file sharing and remote collaboration. A cyber-insurance renewal raised questions management could not confidently answer about MFA coverage, administrator access, former users, backups and incident response.
The engagement
A fixed-scope Cyber Risk Health Check reviewed identity and access, Microsoft 365, devices, backup arrangements and incident readiness. The work complemented the firm’s existing IT provider rather than duplicating general support.
Illustrative findings
- A legacy account without the expected MFA protection.
- More administrator privileges than operationally necessary.
- Inconsistent employee offboarding documentation.
- Backups without a documented recovery test or owner.
- No concise incident escalation guide.
Prioritised response
- Secure or remove the legacy account.
- Reduce administrator access and establish separate admin identities.
- Formalise the offboarding checklist.
- Confirm backup coverage and complete a documented recovery test.
- Create a practical incident contact and escalation guide.
illustrative team size
sequenced for action
illustrative remediation window
Case example 2 · Accounting
Reducing repetitive client-document administration
A 14-person accounting firm relied on Outlook, Microsoft 365 and practice-management software. During busy periods, employees spent substantial time requesting missing documents, checking inboxes, saving attachments and updating task records.
Measured starting point
- Approximately 90 active document requests in a busy week.
- Several manual follow-ups per request.
- About 12 staff hours per week spent checking and updating records.
- Occasional duplicate reminders when documents arrived through another channel.
Recommended controlled workflow
- Create tracked requests from approved templates.
- Send scheduled reminders for outstanding documents.
- Route incoming responses for staff review.
- Save approved documents to the relevant location.
- Update an internal tracking list.
- Escalate uncertain cases to an employee.
illustrative weekly effort before improvement
potential weekly capacity released
indicative annual capacity across 46 weeks
Key takeaway: The value comes from measuring and improving one high-volume process while retaining human review—not from adding AI everywhere.
Case example 3 · Field services
Secure foundations and faster job reporting
A 35-person maintenance and field-service company had grown quickly. Staff used mobile devices to submit job notes and photographs, but access management, backup ownership and administrative processes had developed informally.
The challenge
- Files moved through personal or inconsistent channels.
- Contractor access removal depended on manual reminders.
- Job reports arrived in different formats.
- Office staff re-entered information.
- Backup and recovery responsibilities were unclear.
Illustrative implementation
- Defined user and administrator roles.
- MFA and account-management requirements.
- Documented onboarding and offboarding.
- Approved locations for reports and photographs.
- A standard mobile-friendly completion form.
- Automated report routing and human-reviewed customer updates.
illustrative weekly volume
potential handling-time change per report
potential weekly capacity released
Key takeaway: Clearly owned accounts, information and processes can improve both security and operational efficiency.
What every engagement should produce
Defined scope, accountable owners and measurable next steps
Evidence before recommendations
Start with the client’s actual systems, process, risks and available baseline information.
Transparent assumptions
Separate measured findings from estimates, illustrative scenarios and dependencies.
Human accountability
Retain authorised review for sensitive, financial, legal, safety-related and high-impact decisions.
Practical handover
Document ownership, limitations, operating requirements and the sequence of next actions.
Start with one defined business problem
Find the right first engagement.
Tell CyberCrunch about your current risks, repetitive work or technology foundations. You will receive a practical recommendation for the most appropriate fixed-scope starting point.