The company
Welch LLP is a full-service chartered public accounting firm headquartered in Ottawa, Ontario, with more than 100 years of experience serving clients across Canada. Known for its high-touch service and trusted expertise, the firm delivers audit, tax, advisory, and consulting services to individuals, private businesses, not-for-profits, and public sector organizations.
As cybersecurity threats continue to grow in scale and sophistication, Welch prioritizes safeguarding the sensitive data at the heart of their operations. Driven by a commitment to innovation, they integrated Field Effect MDR into their IT strategy—a move which helped to strengthen their cybersecurity posture, and respond quickly to the evolving cyber threat landscape.
The challenge
As a trusted accounting and advisory firm, Welch LLP manages some of their clients’ most sensitive data, everything from Social Insurance Numbers and personal tax records to corporate financial statements and confidential business filings.
For Welch, cybersecurity goes beyond an IT function—it’s a critical pillar of client trust and uninterrupted business operations. “The information that we process, store, and work with is among the most sensitive type of information," said Graham Conte, Director of IT at Welch LLP.
A data breach could compromise private client information, erode trust, and trigger regulatory consequences.
Like many businesses, Welch faced the challenge of maintaining enterprise-level protection while balancing cost and effort to implement and maintain. They needed a solution that could protect against increasingly complex cyber threats and uphold client confidence while allowing them to focus on future initiatives.
The solution
Choosing Field Effect MDR was a strategic decision by Welch LLP, reflecting their commitment to proactive and intelligent cybersecurity. The platform delivers comprehensive protection, backed by a fully staffed, 24/7 Security Operations Center (SOC). This gave Welch access to the enterprise-grade cybersecurity they needed, without the complexity or resource demands of traditional solutions.
With firsthand experience in threat intelligence, Graham understands the challenge of continuously monitoring the cybersecurity landscape, and saw an opportunity to augment his team’s skills with Field Effect’s solution.
“Field Effect gives us the benefit of a fully staffed SOC without having to build one ourselves,” Conte said. “Someone always has eyes on our environment, so we can focus on what matters internally.”
Field Effect MDR provided immediate clarity and control, surfacing only the most important threats with prioritized alerts and step-by-step remediation guidance—so the team could act quickly and confidently.
The solution worked right out of the box, with intuitive setup and pre-configured alert logic. Unlike many security tools that require weeks or months of tuning to eliminate false positives and deliver truly actionable alerts, Field Effect MDR was immediately effective.
“I didn’t have to spend hours or weeks fine-tuning it. It just works—and it works well,” Conte emphasized. “We can catch threats early without having to fine-tune detection rules or sift through false positives. And when we do need more targeted visibility, we can request custom detections for specific threats.”
The results
Field Effect MDR delivered more than protection for Welch LLP—it delivered clarity, control, and lasting peace of mind. The partnership has become a cornerstone of their IT strategy, allowing the team to operate with the confidence and protection of an enterprise-grade security operation.
“Field Effect literally helps me sleep better at night,” said Conte. “Experts are always watching our environment, and I know someone’s got my back.”
This assurance has enabled Welch to shift focus from reactive security management to proactive business enablement. With the Field Effect MDR platform operating quietly in the background—delivering precise, actionable alerts without the need for constant tuning—Conte and his team have been able to reclaim valuable time and redirect it toward more strategic goals.
“My mandate is for IT to be a true value driver within the business,” Conte shared. “With Field Effect handling our monitoring, detection and response needs, we’ve been able to focus on digital transformation, analytics, and new technologies that deliver real value to the organization.”
As Welch evolves and expands, Field Effect remains a trusted partner—enabling the IT team to operate with greater efficiency, reduced risk, and the confidence to drive the business forward.
