Hill & Ponton is a law firm based in Orlando, Florida. It handles sensitive client data and places a high priority on availability and stability, both to defend against cyber threats and to withstand natural disasters. The firm runs a small internal IT department and has been growing, which puts pressure on its lean team to stay technologically current while meeting compliance and security requirements.

Hill & Ponton stood at a crossroads. Its equipment was aging, and the firm had to decide whether to invest in upgrading it or transition to a private cloud. As a law firm in Orlando, Florida, it prioritised high availability and stability to safeguard sensitive data against both cyber threats and natural disasters.

The firm wanted additional security layers and a robust recovery strategy, and it recognised that an effective security management program was essential to its future success. It also acknowledged that the threat landscape was evolving and that the IT environment law firms depend on was becoming increasingly disruptive.

Hill & Ponton therefore looked for a specialised partner able to navigate that environment, keep the practice stable and protect sensitive client information. With a small internal IT department and a growing business, the firm also needed help that would free its lean team to focus on critical tasks rather than day-to-day infrastructure upkeep.

Thrive gave Hill & Ponton a secure pathway to the cloud, allowing the firm to use cloud capabilities beyond what its legacy systems could deliver. The cloud migration was completed in May 2020, and the added performance flexibility proved crucial as COVID-19 lockdowns forced the firm to operate remotely.

In June 2020 Thrive integrated managed services into the firm’s Virtual Private Cloud (VPC), covering monitoring, alerting, antivirus, patch management and server support. Thrive then added immutable backups and advanced endpoint protection through Managed Detection and Response (MDR), adding further layers of protection to Hill & Ponton’s infrastructure.

Under the engagement Thrive takes responsibility for data management, accountability and advanced security measures. The service set spans managed cloud services, Data Protection as a Service (DPaaS), Security as a Service, vulnerability management and Microsoft 365 services. Thrive also handles the firm’s compliance and security requirements, which lets the lean internal IT team focus on critical work while the company grows.

• Cloud migration completed in May 2020, giving the firm the flexibility to operate remotely through COVID-19 lockdowns.
• Managed services added in June 2020: monitoring, alerting, antivirus, patch management and server support within the private cloud.
• Immutable backups and MDR-based endpoint protection strengthened the firm’s security and disaster preparedness.
• Hill & Ponton reports its infrastructure is now its most reliable and secure to date.
• The small internal IT team gained the tools and capabilities of a much larger team for a fraction of the cost.