The Challenge

Cybersecurity threats are at an all-time high for businesses, and law offices often face more unique attempts with severe consequences. Lisa Jo and Jessy were no strangers to phishing emails and other attack attempts, especially due to the sensitive nature of their work with financial and personally identifiable information. Lisa Jo recounts how a major incident in the Florida panhandle brought the looming ransomware threat closer to her office's doorstep.

"The First Judicial Circuit was hacked in 2023, and the whole system was down for months," she says. "Right around that time, I started receiving emails that exactly mirrored what the judges would send. I ended up clicking on one without thinking twice about it."

Past the barrage of cyberattack attempts, the law firm was fighting an internal battle with its IT infrastructure before its partnership with Bit-Wizards. The equipment supplied by previous IT providers was unsuitable for the team's everyday tasks as a legal office, from drafting documents to attending virtual hearings. Instead of using computers that fit their needs, Jessy recalls how she and Lisa Jo had devices incapable of supporting their work or functioning consistently.

"We'd come into work to computers that were down, crashing, or loading at a snail's pace," Jessy says. "As the firm grew bigger with more clients and responsibilities, our hardware just couldn't keep up with us answering emails or handling other basic needs."

Despite their frequent, urgent calls for help turning around client work, Lisa Jo and her team were often left to fend for themselves against technology issues. Despite the time-sensitive nature of the firm's work, prior IT providers offered haphazard solutions over the phone. Before Bit-Wizards, Lisa Jo's best hope was that her IT guy would schedule an office visit a few days later, leaving her no productive way to help her clients.

"It was incredibly frustrating to deal with people who were very good at IT but couldn't be there on time, and it critically impacted how we did business," Lisa Jo states. "There were days where we asked ourselves if it was better to go home since there was nothing we could do, and there were a couple of times where that unfortunately was our reality."

As if those challenges weren't enough, the legal office faced an even more exasperating effort when contacting its other vendors. When the team's copy machine, internet connection, or phone lines went down, they dreaded calling the company's customer support hotline. While Jessy jokes that her least favorite part was listening to horrible background music, the worst aspect was the lost time she couldn’t recover.

"Time is money at our office, and every minute I spent on hold was a minute I couldn't do something productive for a client," she says. "Even if they had an urgent need, we were unable to help because we were stuck waiting for a vendor's assistance."

The Solution

As part of the Bit-Wizards onboarding process, the firm began leveraging additional protections to strengthen its cybersecurity against phishing attempts. The MITS team set up Lisa Jo’s office with Microsoft's advanced threat protection (ATP) and additional spam filters in Outlook, which have blocked many potentially malicious emails they typically receive. Lisa Jo and Jessy especially benefited from the ability to consult MITS Wizards about specific email content and determine whether certain links were safe or harmful.

“When Lisa Jo clicked into the email from a judge and realized it was malicious, she contacted us immediately so we could identify the root cause, block it, and prevent her network from being compromised,” says Walter Palmer, Infrastructure Engineer at Bit-Wizards. “She and her team get phishing emails all the time, and they let us know so we can do our due diligence and check that each message is authentic.”

Bit-Wizards also assisted the law office by providing infrastructure optimization services, leaving it with updated hardware and software that perfectly fit the team's needs. The firm's infrastructure is evaluated annually and cross-referenced with the initial assessment and upgrade schedule created by the MITS team during onboarding. One of the most valuable additions to Lisa Jo's infrastructure was a TV, microphone, and camera system that enabled her team to attend virtual court hearings and client meetings in their office's conference room.

"We're masters of configuring conference rooms, but this case was unique because we needed to ensure the equipment was consistently reliable," explains Angie Smith, Lead Infrastructure Engineer at Bit-Wizards. "We did a lot of investigation to find the best solution for her office, and Lisa Jo's been very happy with the setup's dependability and cost-efficiency."

After hearing of Lisa Jo's previous experiences with cut-rate IT providers, the MITS team ensured her team would never experience a significant outage or downtime period again. Bit-Wizards provides IT help desk services to all MITS clients, emphasizing the importance of timely, effective responses that don't include tech speak or condescending tones. Lisa Jo especially appreciates the ability to communicate her team's level of need and get an equally urgent response.

"I love that Bit-Wizards has a triage system in place, so I know to add '911' or another indicator when I submit a time-sensitive MITS ticket," she states. "Even when I call and say we need immediate assistance, we're never left waiting for a response or wondering when they’ll be able to help us."

One of the most apparent benefits the firm noticed after becoming a MITS client was the significant time regained by no longer waiting on endless holds with vendors. Vendor management, an incredibly unique offering at Bit-Wizards, involves MITS team members interfacing with third-party customer support on behalf of each client. Instead of coping with internet or phone outages with no relief in sight, the legal team can use their time optimally while a Wizard handles the rest.

"Our team can be on the phone with Lisa Jo's internet provider or phone company to fix an issue, all while she and Jessy can do what they can to assist their clients," says LXS Fregger, Client Success Manager at Bit-Wizards. "Our team waits on the line with vendors and coordinates resolutions, enabling our clients to continue doing business."

The Result

With Bit-Wizards in their corner, the law firm's days of combating IT issues to focus on their clients are a distant memory.

"Bit-Wizards keeps us running without any hiccups, and I tell every small business owner I know that it's such a relief to sign up as a MITS client and not worry about technology," says Lisa Jo. "Jessy and I get to sit back and watch the magic happen, and we love it."

Jessy believes the business growth she and Lisa Jo continue to experience can be directly connected to their partnership with Bit-Wizards.

"If we hadn't switched to better technology and IT support from Bit-Wizards, there's no way we could have kept up with the growing demands of our business," she says. "Having the Wizards on your team to handle IT issues and walk you through each problem and solution makes our lives so much easier."

Lisa Jo Spencer, P.A., has been part of the Bit-Wizards family since 2019 and continues to enjoy working with the MITS team.

"Our team helps Lisa Jo's firm do what they love by providing peace of mind and reliable, consistent communication," says LXS. "We're always there to listen to their concerns, help with their technology, and celebrate their wins."

Bit-Wizards doesn't just provide magical managed IT for law firms. With clients in various industries and service areas, our team is here to support businesses of all sizes with their technology needs. If you're ready to partner with the IT provider your business deserves, contact us today.