IT Support for Accountants and Accountancy Firms

Modern accountancy firms need more than a helpdesk. They need a managed partner who governs Microsoft 365, runs layered cyber security, maintains tested backups, supports secure remote access to client systems, and provides senior, partner-level strategic input. Reactive break-fix support is no longer enough, clients, regulators and cyber insurers all expect a documented, proactive operating model behind your IT.

Start with the controls that matter most: enforce phishing-resistant MFA on every account, deploy managed EDR on all devices, lock down Microsoft 365 with Conditional Access and modern authentication, run independent backups of your tenant, and align the environment with Cyber Essentials. Layer in user awareness, a documented incident response plan, and quarterly review of identity and tenant risk. ATS delivers all of this within a single managed retainer.

Microsoft 365 holds your client data, communications, working papers and financial records, making it the highest-value target in your firm. Default tenant settings are not secure or audit-ready: legacy authentication is often enabled, SharePoint is over-shared, guest access is uncontrolled and there is no third-party backup. A properly governed tenant with MFA, Conditional Access, retention policies, DLP and independent backup dramatically reduces the risk of email compromise, invoice fraud, regulatory exposure and data loss.

Look for a UK-based MSP with genuine professional-services experience, named senior engineers, fast and predictable response SLAs, continuous monitoring, Microsoft Partner status, Cyber Essentials certification, transparent pricing, and a structured quarterly review process led by a senior account contact, not a ticket queue that only responds when something breaks. Ask to see their onboarding plan, their governance approach and how they support cyber insurance renewals.

While not a universal legal requirement, Cyber Essentials is increasingly expected by clients, professional bodies, cyber insurers, larger commercial customers and HMRC-related contracts. It demonstrates a defensible baseline of security maturity and is often the difference between a smooth insurance renewal and a heavily caveated one. ATS aligns every managed accountancy client to Cyber Essentials by default and supports firms through certification and Cyber Essentials Plus where required.

Our average response time is under 15 minutes across all support channels. 98% of issues are resolved on first contact by our UK-based engineers, and the majority are handled remotely without partners or fee-earners ever needing to leave their desk. Critical, business-impacting incidents are escalated immediately under documented major-incident procedures.

Yes. We deliver managed IT and cyber security to firms operating fully remotely, hybrid or across multiple offices, using Intune-managed devices, Conditional Access and modern remote access. Many of our accountancy clients work daily inside client systems and online portals, so we engineer their environments for consistent performance, security and auditability regardless of location.

Yes. ATS is based in Arundel and supports firms across Sussex, Surrey, Hampshire and London on-site, with managed IT and cyber security delivered to accountancy practices throughout the UK using secure remote tooling. On-site engineering visits are scheduled where they add real value, for projects, partner meetings or critical incidents.