A newly hired technician, identified as Phil, deleted 300GB of Microsoft Exchange log files after an IT director told him to clear space on a company-wide email server. The deletion crashed the system, disrupting email at a 24/7 business with sites across the country.

Phil spent the weekend learning how to repair and rebuild the Exchange database, then restored service by Sunday afternoon and learned how to truncate the logs properly. He expected to be reprimanded on Monday, but the CEO praised his dedication; Phil did not reveal that the director had instructed him to delete the files.