You give secure cover access to a colleague’s mailbox with proper delegated permissions or a shared mailbox, granted by your IT team and removed when it’s no longer needed, never by sharing a password. That way client work continues when someone is on holiday or off sick, without weakening security or breaking the rules around who can see what. For an accountancy practice, where a delayed client email can mean a missed deadline, having a safe way to cover is important.
Sharing a login to cover someone is a common but risky shortcut. Here’s the secure way to do it.
1. Delegated access, not shared passwords
We grant a colleague proper delegated access to the mailbox, so they can read and respond under their own login. Nobody shares a password, which keeps the account secure and every action traceable.
2. The right level of access
Cover might need full mailbox access or just the ability to send on someone’s behalf. We set the right level for the situation, so the cover person can do what’s needed and no more.
3. Granted quickly when it’s urgent
Cover is often needed at short notice. Our helpdesk sets up access quickly, so an absence doesn’t leave client emails unanswered while someone is away.
4. Removed when it’s done
When the colleague is back, the cover access is removed, so permissions don’t linger as a quiet risk. Tidy access is part of keeping the firm secure.
A real example: cover sorted quickly
We support a London accountancy practice serving music and entertainment clients where a member of staff needed urgent access to a colleague’s emails while they were away. We granted the right delegated access quickly and securely, so client work carried on. As the user said: “Request sorted quickly, thank you.”
For a London accountancy practice serving music and entertainment clients, this is part of managed IT and security that usually costs about £45 to £100 per user per month, scaling with headcount, your hosted desktop or CCH setup, and the security your high-profile clients expect.
Why music and entertainment accountants choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including London accountancy practices serving music and entertainment clients. We know the software your firm runs every day: CCH, QTAC, QuickBooks, payroll software, FYI and INVU, alongside Microsoft 365 and hosted desktops, and we understand the discretion high-profile clients expect. We support accountancy practices in London and across Essex and Hertfordshire. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Want a safe way to cover absences? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll set it up.