Legitimate client emails end up in quarantine when the filtering is too strict or hasn’t yet learned to trust a sender. The fix is to review the quarantine and rejected-message logs, safelist your genuine clients, and tune the filtering, so real client mail gets through while threats stay blocked. For an accountancy practice that runs on client correspondence, getting this balance right matters, because a missed email can mean a missed deadline.
Quarantine is doing its job by holding suspicious mail, but it shouldn’t be holding the emails you need. Here’s how we keep it accurate.
1. Why good email gets caught
Filtering scores each message on many signals. A new client, an unusual attachment or a strict setting can push a genuine email over the line. It’s a sign the filter is cautious, which is good, but it needs tuning to be accurate.
2. Safelist genuine clients
Your regular clients and contacts can be trusted so their email is delivered reliably. We set this up so the people you deal with every day don’t keep getting held back.
3. Tune the filtering
We adjust the filtering so it catches real threats without being so strict that it blocks legitimate client business. It’s a balance, and we manage it for you rather than leaving you to fight the quarantine.
4. Release quickly when needed
When something important is held, it should be released fast. Our helpdesk handles quarantine queries quickly, so a delayed client email is a minor blip, not a missed deadline.
A real example: client mail flowing again
We support a London accountancy practice serving music and entertainment clients where a client’s emails were being blocked by the email-security gateway during a time-sensitive exchange. We reviewed the quarantine and rejected-message logs, confirmed the sender was genuine, released the mail and added a controlled allowlist entry so the client’s correspondence flowed reliably.
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
Losing real client emails to quarantine? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll get the balance right.