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IT case studies: real VMware, Citrix and Cisco projects

Real projects, told as stories: what went wrong or what was at risk, what we did, and what it changed. Client names and private details stay out, to protect them from hackers.

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Watch the ransomware recovery story

Illustrated story. Narrated by an AI copy of Nazy Rafaeil's voice, used with consent.

Client hit by ransomware

A multi-million-dollar ransom demand, deleted backups, and back online in under 24 hours

  • Ransomware recovery
  • Off-site backup
  • Disaster recovery

A ransomware attack shut this client's operations down completely. The attackers demanded a multi-million-dollar ransom. They had also deleted the client's online backups, leaving the business at a standstill.

Why attackers delete backups

Backups are the reason a company can refuse to pay. So attackers often go after them first. When the online copies are gone, the owner is left looking at a ransom note and a business that can't work.

What we did

  • We had already set up a secure off-site backup and disaster recovery strategy for this client, before the attack.
  • We restored the client's systems and data in less than 24 hours.

What it changed

The business was fully back online without paying the ransom. That result came from preparation done before the attack, which is why we push so hard on backups kept away from the main network.

Disaster recovery

Furniture company

Ransomware at a furniture company running on VMware

  • Ransomware recovery
  • VMware
  • Cloud

This furniture company ran on a VMware environment when ransomware hit it. It needed its data back, and it needed its staff working again.

What a company like this usually runs into

A furniture business lives on its orders, inventory and delivery schedules. When ransomware locks those files, staff often can't tell what was sold, what is in stock or what ships next. Every hour of that hurts, and customers start calling.

What we did

  • Recovered the company's data after the ransomware attack on its VMware environment.
  • Moved its workstations to VMware in the cloud.

What it changed

Staff desktops now run in the cloud rather than on each office PC. A broken or infected computer can be swapped out without rebuilding that person's whole setup.

Virtual desktops

Law office

A law office moves its servers to data centers

  • VMware
  • Citrix
  • Data center

This law office moved all of its servers into data centers, and its staff got their programs through Citrix.

What a firm like this usually runs into

Servers in a back room depend on that room. A power cut, an internet outage or an aging machine can stop the whole firm, often on the day a filing is due. Attorneys also need their files from home and from court, and client files need to stay protected wherever they work.

What we did

  • Moved all of the office's servers to data centers, running on VMware.
  • Implemented Citrix access with published applications.

What it changed

The servers now run in data centers on VMware. Staff open their programs through Citrix, while the programs and data stay in the data center.

IT for law firmsCitrix managed services

Accounting company

An accounting company moves everything to a data center

  • VMware
  • XenServer
  • Citrix StoreFront
  • NetScaler
  • HP servers

This accounting company ran its servers in its own office. We moved all of them to a data center and rebuilt how staff reach their work.

What a firm like this usually runs into

An accounting firm can't lose a day in tax season. An office server room is a risk at exactly the wrong time, and tax files are a prime target for attackers. Staff working late or from home also need a safe way in.

What we did

  • Moved all servers from the office to a data center and put the HP servers on VMware.
  • Incorporated XenServer alongside VMware.
  • Set up Citrix StoreFront, NetScaler and security.

What it changed

The servers now live in a data center instead of the office. StoreFront gives staff one place to open their programs, and NetScaler sits between the internet and those programs.

IT for accounting firmsCitrix managed services

Manufacturer

Joining a Los Angeles office to distant sites, with Cisco security and warehouse Wi-Fi

  • Cisco security
  • Cisco wireless
  • Multi-site network

This manufacturer had an office in Los Angeles, a warehouse to keep connected, and sites in another state and another country that needed to reach it.

What a company like this usually runs into

Sites in different countries can end up working like separate companies, with orders and stock figures that don't match. Warehouses are also hard on Wi-Fi, because metal racks block the signal and a dropped connection stops the work. And every link between sites is one more door an attacker can try.

What we did

  • Implemented and configured Cisco security with high security settings.
  • Set up Cisco wireless access points for the warehouse.
  • Connected the Los Angeles office to the company's other sites.

What it changed

The Los Angeles office was connected to the other sites, with Cisco security and wireless access points built for the warehouse.

IT for manufacturersManaged network services

Consumer products company

From aging physical machines to VMware, Citrix and a safer login

  • VMware
  • Citrix
  • MFA
  • Firewall
  • AWS VPN

This consumer products company ran on physical workstations and servers, with an old SonicWall firewall at the edge of its network.

What a company like this usually runs into

Physical machines age one at a time, and each replacement means downtime and setup work. An old firewall can fall out of support, which leaves the front door without current protection. And a remote login protected only by a password can be opened by anyone who steals that password.

What we did

  • Moved physical workstations and servers to VMware and upgraded from basic VMware to the advanced level.
  • Implemented Citrix virtual apps and required multi-factor authentication to log in to Citrix.
  • Replaced an old SonicWall firewall with a new system and transferred the configuration.
  • Connected the firewall to Amazon Web Services with a VPN.

What it changed

A stolen password alone can't open Citrix. The firewall is new, its configuration came across, and the company has a private VPN link to Amazon Web Services.

Virtual desktopsCitrix managed services

City of Agoura Hills

Street cameras and servers connected to a data center

  • Firewalls
  • VPN
  • Data center

George Mansoor worked on this public sector project as a project engineer. The city's servers moved to a data center, and its street cameras needed to reach it.

What a project like this usually runs into

Cameras spread across a city are only useful if their video reaches one safe place, and every link to them has to be protected.

The work

  • Moved the city's servers to a data center.
  • Created a secure VPN connection and connected the city's street cameras to the data center.

What it changed

The servers moved to a data center, and the street cameras were connected to it over a VPN. This describes George's project engineer work, which ended in 2009, not the city's network today.

George Mansoor's background

Questions about our projects

Why don't you name your clients?

We keep client names out of these stories, both for confidentiality and because tying a name to project details can make a client a target for hackers. Each project here is described by the type of business. The City of Agoura Hills is named because it is public sector work George did as a project engineer.

Are these stories real?

Yes. The work described is exactly what was done, by our team or, on the Agoura Hills project, by George as a project engineer. Where a story says what a business like this usually runs into, that is the common risk behind this kind of project, not a private detail about that client.

Can you move our servers to VMware or a data center?

Yes. The projects on this page include moving physical servers and workstations to VMware and moving all of a company's servers out of the office into a data center. A free IT assessment is the place to start.

Do you take projects outside California?

Yes. We take on projects anywhere in the United States and gladly travel to you, so call us wherever you are.