VPN Security for Remote Workers: A UK Business Guide
With hybrid and remote work now the norm across the UK, securing your team's internet connections is no longer optional. Here is how VPNs protect business data and keep your organisation GDPR-compliant.
The Rise of Remote and Hybrid Work in the UK
Remote and hybrid working has become a permanent fixture of UK business culture. According to the Office for National Statistics, over 40% of UK workers spent at least part of their week working from home in 2025, a figure that has remained stable since the post-pandemic adjustment period. Major employers from Lloyds Banking Group to the Civil Service have adopted formal hybrid policies, and the trend shows no signs of reversing.
This shift has fundamentally changed the security landscape for businesses of every size. Employees now access sensitive company systems from home broadband connections, coffee shop Wi-Fi, co-working spaces, hotel networks, and mobile data on the commute. Each of these environments presents distinct security risks that a traditional office network firewall simply cannot address.
Security Risks of Working Outside the Office
Home networks are rarely configured with business-grade security. Consumer routers often run outdated firmware, use weak default passwords, and share the network with smart home devices, games consoles, and family members' devices — any of which could be compromised. An attacker who gains access to a home network can potentially intercept unencrypted traffic or launch attacks against connected devices.
Public Wi-Fi presents even greater risks. Networks in cafes, trains, airports, and hotels are shared environments where man-in-the-middle attacks, packet sniffing, and evil twin hotspots are all realistic threats. A remote worker logging into a company CRM, accessing client records, or joining a video conference on an unsecured network is exposing potentially sensitive business data to interception.
Even mobile data connections, whilst more secure than public Wi-Fi, are not immune. Mobile network traffic can be intercepted using IMSI catchers, and mobile providers are subject to the same data retention requirements as fixed-line ISPs under the Investigatory Powers Act.
Why Businesses Need VPN Solutions
A VPN encrypts all internet traffic between the employee's device and the VPN server, creating a secure tunnel that prevents anyone on the local network from reading the data. This single measure neutralises the majority of risks associated with home and public networks. Whether an employee is filing invoices from a kitchen table or reviewing contracts in a Pret A Manger, their connection is protected to the same standard.
Beyond encryption, VPNs provide consistent IP addresses that can be whitelisted by company systems, reducing the risk of unauthorised access. They also prevent ISPs from logging which business services employees access, adding a layer of commercial confidentiality that many organisations overlook.
Personal VPN vs Business VPN: Key Differences
Personal VPN services, like the ones we review and compare on this site, are designed for individual users who want to protect their own privacy and security. They connect you to shared servers used by thousands of other subscribers, which is excellent for anonymity but less suited to business requirements.
Business VPN solutions offer centralised management, allowing IT administrators to provision accounts, enforce security policies, and monitor connection status across the entire team. Many provide dedicated IP addresses, meaning your company's traffic originates from a consistent, identifiable address that can be whitelisted by SaaS providers, cloud platforms, and internal systems. Some enterprise VPNs also integrate with existing identity management systems like Azure AD or Okta.
That said, for small businesses and freelancers, a quality personal VPN with business-friendly features is often sufficient and considerably more affordable. Several providers now offer team plans that bridge the gap between consumer and enterprise products.
Essential VPN Features for Remote Workers
Kill switch: This feature immediately cuts your internet connection if the VPN drops unexpectedly, preventing any data from being transmitted unprotected. For remote workers handling sensitive information, this is non-negotiable. Both NordVPN and ExpressVPN offer robust kill switches across all platforms.
Split tunnelling: This allows you to route some traffic through the VPN whilst letting other traffic connect directly. For remote workers, this means you can protect business applications whilst allowing personal browsing or bandwidth-heavy activities like music streaming to bypass the VPN. This reduces latency for non-sensitive tasks and conserves VPN bandwidth.
Dedicated IP addresses: A static IP address that belongs solely to you (or your team) enables IP whitelisting for company resources. Services like Surfshark and NordVPN offer dedicated IP add-ons that suit small business use cases perfectly.
Multi-device support: Remote workers frequently switch between laptops, phones, and tablets. A VPN that supports simultaneous connections across all devices — without requiring separate subscriptions — is essential. Surfshark offers unlimited simultaneous connections, making it particularly well-suited for teams.
Setting Up a VPN for Your Remote Team
Start by selecting a VPN provider that meets your security requirements and budget. For small teams, a consumer VPN with a team plan is usually the most cost-effective option. Install the VPN application on all work devices and configure it to connect automatically when the device starts or joins an untrusted network. Enable the kill switch on every device. If your company uses IP whitelisting, arrange dedicated IP addresses and update your access control lists. Document the setup process and provide clear instructions to your team — the best security tool is useless if people do not use it consistently.
GDPR Compliance Considerations
UK businesses remain subject to the UK GDPR (the retained EU regulation, as amended by the Data Protection Act 2018). If your employees handle personal data — customer records, employee information, health data, financial details — you are legally obligated to implement appropriate technical measures to protect that data. A VPN is widely recognised as one such measure.
The Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has made clear that organisations must account for the security of remote access to personal data. Failing to encrypt connections used to access personal data could be considered a breach of your data protection obligations. In the event of a data breach, being able to demonstrate that you had VPN protection in place is a meaningful part of showing due diligence.
Choosing the Right VPN for Your Business
The right VPN for your remote team depends on your size, budget, and specific requirements. For a detailed breakdown of the top providers and their business-relevant features, visit our VPN comparison tool or read our individual reviews of NordVPN, ExpressVPN, and Surfshark — our top three recommendations for remote work security. Not sure where to start? Take our VPN quiz and tell us your priorities — we will recommend the best fit for your team.