Zero trust remote working setup: practical steps for UK businesses

If you run a business of 10–200 people in the UK, remote working is part of daily life. The challenge is not whether staff can work from home, but whether they should be trusted to access company data just because they’ve logged in from the kitchen. That’s where a zero trust remote working setup comes in — a straightforward, risk-focused approach that treats every access request as uncertain until proven otherwise.

Why zero trust matters for UK SMEs

It’s tempting to think cyber security is only for the big firms. Trouble is, attackers don’t care whether you have 20 or 2,000 employees — they care about weak points. For many small and medium businesses, the weakest link is remote access: unmanaged devices, shared homes, public Wi‑Fi, and multi-account reuse. A zero trust approach reduces the likelihood of a breach without turning your team into security specialists.

Put simply, zero trust is about verifying people and devices, limiting what they can do, and logging activity so problems are spotted quickly. For business owners that means less downtime, fewer fines or reputational headaches, and a firmer handle on who can see what.

Business benefits — not geek speak

Talk to any finance director and they’ll ask the same questions: Will this save time? Will it reduce cost or risk? Will it help us win or keep customers? A proper zero trust remote working setup delivers on all three:

• Reduced risk of costly data breaches and associated regulatory headaches.
• Clearer accountability for staff actions — useful for audits or compliance conversations.
• Faster recovery and less downtime when things do go wrong, because access is segmented and logged.
• Improved confidence among customers and partners; demonstrating you control access is tidy evidence of competence.

Focus on outcomes, not gadgets

You don’t need a room full of hardware or a team of security engineers. The aim is to make remote access predictable and controllable. Focus on three outcomes:

1. Verify identity reliably.
2. Limit access to only what’s needed.
3. Detect and respond quickly to unusual activity.

Those outcomes can be met with modest tools and sensible policy, which is good news if you’re balancing budgets and headcount.

Practical steps to set up zero trust for remote teams

1. Start with identity

Make identity the front door. Require unique, centrally managed accounts for all staff and enforce multi-factor authentication (MFA). Avoid SMS-only MFA if you can — app-based or hardware tokens are safer. This reduces the chance that a stolen password becomes an immediate catastrophe.

2. Treat devices as part of the decision

Know which devices access your systems. Require device checks (is the OS updated, is disk encryption enabled) before full access is granted. For smaller businesses this can be handled by endpoint software or simple configuration checks that your IT support runs as a standard onboarding step.

3. Apply least privilege and segmentation

Not everyone needs access to everything. Use role-based access so people only reach what’s relevant to their job. Segment sensitive systems — accounting, HR records and customer data — so a compromised account can’t stroll through everything.

4. Use conditional access policies

Conditional access ties identity and device signals to rules. For example, require stronger checks for access to payroll systems, block logins from risky locations, or force re-authentication for high‑risk actions. These rules often deliver more security for less disruption than blanket bans.

5. Log, monitor and plan to respond

Logging isn’t glamorous, but it’s invaluable. Keep records of who accessed what and when, and set alerts for unusual activity. Practice the response: agree who does what if an account looks compromised. A quick, well-drilled response is where you save time and reputation.

6. Train staff in plain language

People are the first line of defence. Short, relevant training — not a thousand‑word manual — helps reduce risky behaviour. Focus on recognising suspicious messages, safe Wi‑Fi habits, and the reason behind MFA and device checks.

How to start without breaking the bank

You don’t need to rip out everything and start over. Prioritise the highest-value moves:

• Enable MFA across all accounts now.
• Restrict admin rights to a few people and audit those accounts.
• Segment the most sensitive data stores first (finance, HR, customer lists).
• Set up logging and a simple alert for unusual logins.

These steps are low-to-moderate cost but substantially reduce exposure. From working with firms across London, the Midlands and the north, I’ve seen these changes prevent long, expensive incidents that often follow small oversights.

If you want a concise plan that links technical steps with company policy and staff communications, our practical remote-working checklist maps actions to business outcomes so efforts aren’t wasted.

Common pitfalls to avoid

Several mistakes keep coming up in conversations with accountants, HR directors and IT managers:

• Thinking a VPN alone equals zero trust. A VPN can extend a perimeter — it doesn’t verify identity or device health.
• Applying one policy to everyone. Different roles need different controls; a sales rep doesn’t need the payroll system.
• Delaying logging and monitoring because “no one has time.” If you don’t know what happened, recovery costs more.
• Training once and assuming it sticks. Short refreshers and real examples work better than an annual lecture.

Who should lead this in your business?

Responsibility sits best with someone who understands risk and can act across departments — often the operations director, finance lead or an IT manager if you have one. For businesses without in‑house expertise, a trusted external adviser can set the plan and hand it over with clear documentation and training.

FAQ

What exactly does “zero trust remote working setup” mean for my team?

It means access decisions are based on who the user is, the health of their device and the context (location, type of data), rather than assuming someone inside the network is automatically trustworthy. For your team it usually means MFA, device checks and clearer limits on what people can access.

Is zero trust expensive to implement for a small company?

Not necessarily. The biggest costs are time and attention. Many core improvements — MFA, role-based access and basic logging — are inexpensive. The investment pays off by reducing the chance of costly breaches and downtime.

Will zero trust slow down my team?

Well-designed controls minimise friction. Yes, some extra checks are needed, but they’re targeted. Staff rarely notice conditional controls unless they’re performing high-risk actions; good implementation keeps everyday work smooth.

How long does it take to get meaningful protection in place?

You can get significant wins in weeks: enable MFA, restrict admin accounts, and segment sensitive systems. Full maturity takes longer, but early steps already cut much of the common risk.