If you examine the root cause of many major cyber incidents today, a pattern emerges: attackers don’t force their way in - they authenticate. Remote access has become the easiest route into the enterprise because it relies on systems, accounts and devices that often sit outside the organisation’s direct control.

As one security leader commented in a recent panel:
“Our perimeter didn’t fail. Our access decisions did.”

Hybrid working and cloud-based systems mean organisations now manage far more access points than they once did, each one is a potential target if not properly secured. Employees connect from home networks, cafés and client sites. Suppliers access critical systems through maintenance portals. Cloud platforms are reached from changing locations and devices throughout the day.

When access is secure, work flows without friction. When it isn’t, attackers find exactly the opportunity they need.

At Britannic, we see Secure Remote Access as one of the most strategic capabilities any organisation can invest in. This is no longer an IT configuration exercise - it’s a business resilience strategy.

Why Secure Remote Access Belongs on Every Board Agenda

Most criminals have learned that breaking in is harder than logging in. Phishing kits, MFA fatigue attacks and stolen credentials on the dark web make it inexpensive to impersonate legitimate users. When remote access controls are weak, attackers gain a level of trust that makes them hard to detect.

Traditional VPN models were never designed for this environment. They assume you’re inside or outside the perimeter - a line that no longer exists. Once a user is connected, they often have broad visibility across networks and systems. If those access privileges are too wide or too old, the attacker inherits them instantly.

For leaders, the risk isn’t theoretical. A compromised remote access session can silently escalate into data exposure, operational disruption, financial loss and reputational damage. This makes Secure Remote Access both a cybersecurity priority and a continuity-of-service priority.

When Remote Access Fails: A Case Study That Deserves Attention

One of the clearest examples of insecure remote access leading to real-world consequences is the Oldsmar Water Treatment Facility cyberattack in Florida (2021). The incident didn’t begin with sophisticated malware or a chain of zero-days. It began with a remote access tool left exposed.

Oldsmar’s operators used TeamViewer to allow remote monitoring and maintenance. It had been installed years earlier, intended for convenience. According to official investigations, the system had:

• No multi-factor authentication.
• Shared credentials used across staff.
• Direct connectivity from the internet.
• No network segmentation between the remote access point and critical systems.

In early February 2021, an attacker connected through this remote access route using what investigators believe were valid credentials. Once authenticated, they gained access to the plant’s control interface and attempted to raise the levels of sodium hydroxide (lye) in the water system.

Fortunately, the operator noticed the changes in real time and reversed them, but the breach highlighted how dangerous insecure remote access can be. Not just for data, but for physical safety and public wellbeing.

What Secure Remote Access Really Means Today

Many companies still view secure access as “VPN plus MFA”. In reality, modern security demands a far more adaptive and intelligent approach.

The strongest Secure Remote Access environments share four traits:

1. Identity-first access - Access decisions are driven by who the user is, their role, their history and the context of their login. Verification continues throughout the session, not just at the time of connection.

2. Device trust as a prerequisite - A device must prove it is secure before it is allowed near sensitive systems. Patch levels, endpoint protection, encryption, configuration and running processes all matter.

3. Access is granted to applications, not networks - Users should only reach the systems they need for their role — nothing more. Application-level access removes the historical risk of lateral movement deep inside the network.

4. Real-time monitoring, analytics and insight - Access isn’t static. Systems must log, analyse and flag abnormal behaviour — especially during high-value or sensitive sessions.

This combination shifts remote access from a “gateway” to a continuously validated security posture.

Building Secure Remote Access: The Policy Foundations

Technology can only enforce what policies define. Strong Secure Remote Access policies set clear expectations around three areas:

1. Access eligibility and purpose

Every employee, contractor and supplier should have access tied explicitly to their responsibilities. Stale or inherited permissions must be removed to avoid privilege creep.

2. Conditional access requirements

Access should only be granted when certain criteria's are met: trusted device, valid identity, approved location, known network, normal behaviour. If anything deviates, access adapts automatically.

3. Oversight, auditing and retirement of access

Remote access accounts must be regularly reviewed. Supplier access should be time-bound. Any account associated with a role change or departure must be disabled immediately.

Policies guide behaviour. Technology enforces consistency. Together, they prevent the most common access failures seen in enterprise environments.

The Technologies That Enable Modern Secure Remote Access

With strong policies in place, several technologies work together to deliver secure, seamless and verifiable access.

Technology	What It Does
Zero Trust Network Access (ZTNA)	Provides application-level access rather than full network exposure, ensuring users only reach the systems they are authorised to use.
Next-Generation Firewalls (NGFW)	Enforces identity-based rules, inspects encrypted traffic and segments access to protect internal systems from risky or unverified connections.
Endpoint Detection & Response (EDR/XDR)	Detects malicious activity on remote devices, isolates compromised endpoints and prevents attackers from escalating privileges.
Secure Access Service Edge (SASE)	Delivers cloud-based security and networking, ensuring consistent access controls across office, home and remote locations.
Identity & Access Management (IAM)	Centralises identity, automates joiner/mover/leaver processes and ensures strong authentication such as MFA is applied everywhere.
SIEM & Behavioural Analytics	Monitors and correlates activity to detect unusual patterns. Such as suspicious login locations or abnormal data access,  enabling rapid response.

How Fortinet and Acronis Strengthen Secure Remote Access

Britannic works with partners whose technologies directly support modern access models.

Fortinet: Zero Trust, segmentation and device posture in one ecosystem

• FortiGate NGFWs bring deep inspection, identity-aware policies and segmentation.
• FortiClient ensures device posture checks happen before access is granted.
• FortiSASE extends these controls into the cloud for distributed teams.

Fortinet’s strength lies in its consistency — the same policies can apply across branches, home users and cloud environments.

Acronis: Protecting the endpoint — the beginning of every remote access session

• Acronis Cyber Protect Cloud combines security, backup and ransomware rollback. If a remote device becomes infected, Acronis can isolate it, prevent data loss and restore it to a clean state.

Given how frequently attackers target endpoints to gain access, this capability is invaluable.

Together, these technologies secure both sides of the access equation:
the connection and the device.

The Britannic Approach: Secure Remote Access by Design

For us, Secure Remote Access is not a standalone project — it’s part of a broader resilience strategy.

We integrate it into:

• Network & Security architecture to ensure access is segmented and monitored.
• Intelligent Managed Services, where our teams proactively detect anomalies and enforce policy.
• Unified communications platforms, such as Teams, Zoom and SIP telephony.(would a link to our SIP page be better? Especially that it was updated)
• Secure email, workflow and CTI tools.

Our goal is simple: make access seamless for approved users and extremely difficult for everyone else.

Practical First Steps for Enterprise Leaders

If you want to strengthen Secure Remote Access without disrupting operations, these three actions deliver the fastest impact:

1. Audit who has access today - You will find accounts that should no longer exist, privileges that exceed job roles and suppliers who still have access long after contracts ended. This is the quickest way to shrink risk.

2. Enforce MFA and basic device health checks - Even if you don’t have a full ZTNA deployment, ensure no remote session is established without multi-factor authentication and a minimum device posture check.

3. Prioritise high-value systems for stronger controls - Finance platforms, CRM, HR data, contact centre systems and administrative consoles should be the first to receive strengthened access controls.

These steps build momentum and give you clarity around the maturity of your access environment.

Secure Remote Access has become one of the most influential elements of cybersecurity. When attackers can authenticate instead of break in, access becomes the decisive control point. Organisations that invest in identity, device trust, segmentation and real-time monitoring build a security posture capable of supporting long-term resilience.

Access is no longer a doorway into the business. It is the business. Securing it is now fundamental to protecting your people, your customers and your future.

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