The situation
New login security controls were being rushed out in response to credential-stuffing concerns, just before E.ON Next's highest-demand period.
The problem
- Strong pressure to ship, and a high cost if it went wrong: legitimate customers locked out of their energy accounts in winter.
What I did
- Ran a QA and data-driven readiness check that found regressions in features already signed off, and clear risks to customers.
- Presented the evidence to senior stakeholders, which led to a decision to pause until the new year.
- Agreed interim protections instead (firewall rules, rate limiting, monitoring and incident readiness) so security wasn't compromised.
Sometimes the most valuable QA call is 'not yet', made with evidence and a plan B.