Why Remote Access Poses a Major Risk for London Hedge Funds

In the fast‑paced world of London hedge funds, uptime isn’t just desirable, it’s essential. But remote working introduces a hidden cost: if access isn’t tightly secured, you're not just risking operational disruption: you're exposing yourself to serious compliance and reputational risk. A successful breach could undermine client trust, jeopardise regulatory standing, or even destabilise your core trading systems.

Here are three best practices to mitigate those risks - plus how Maple helps you get there without slowing your team down.

1. Adopt a Zero‑Trust Security Model

The core of zero trust is simple: never trust, always verify. Rather than assuming that internal systems are safe simply because they’re “inside” your network, zero trust demands continuous verification of users, devices, and systems. This is particularly relevant for financial institutions, where security and regulatory pressure are both very high. 

Key Benefits for Hedge Funds:

• Least Privilege Access: Only grant users the permissions they absolutely need. That way, even if credentials are compromised, the damage is limited. 

• Micro‑Segmentation: Breaking your network into isolated “micro‑perimeters” means a breach in one zone doesn’t allow attackers to roam freely across everything. 

• Continuous Monitoring and Contextual Access: Every request is evaluated in real time, based on who is requesting, from which device, location, and what they’re requesting, to ensure that only legitimate, low-risk access is granted. 

Implementing zero trust can also help with regulatory requirements, since it supports strong identity controls, detailed access logs, and containment strategies. 

How Maple Helps:
We design and build zero-trust architectures tailored to hedge funds, combining identity and access management (IAM), micro‑segmentation, and real‑time policy enforcement. We ensure that your trading systems remain both secure and performant, not locked down into a rigid fortress.

2. Enforce Multi‑Factor Authentication (MFA) Everywhere

MFA is one of the simplest, yet most effective, protections you can put in place. By requiring more than just a password (for example, a code on a phone or a physical token), you make it much harder for attackers to gain unauthorised access. 

Why MFA Matters in Finance:

• It dramatically reduces the risk of account takeover, even if login credentials are compromised. 

• In a financial services context, MFA is increasingly required by regulations or cyber‑insurance policies to protect remote access. 

• For remote workers, including third-party vendors or off-site staff, MFA is a key line of defence, especially when they’re connecting into sensitive systems. 

How Maple Helps:
We configure and enforce MFA across all critical access points: remote desktop, VPN, trading platforms, internal apps - you name it. We partner with reputable tools and can help you choose phishing-resistant MFA (such as app-based authenticators or hardware tokens) to enhance security without frustrating your users.

3. Segment Remote Access Away from Core Trading Systems

Even with zero trust and MFA, it’s risky to let remote-access users freely roam across your entire network. Network segmentation, especially via micro‑segmentation,  is essential to isolate your most sensitive systems (like trading engines or market data servers).

Best Practices:

1. Isolate High‑Risk Zones: Put trading systems, market data servers, and core infrastructure into tightly controlled segments. This keeps lateral movement by attackers very difficult. 

2. Use Secure Access Gateways: Rather than giving full network-level access (e.g., via VPN), use gateways that limit what remote users can reach, ideally only their required applications.

3. Just‑In‑Time (JIT) Access: For particularly sensitive systems, grant access only when needed and for a limited time, reducing persistent risk.

4. Continuous Auditing: Log every access request, monitor for anomalies, and alert on anything suspicious.

How Maple Helps: 
We architect networks such that remote access is strictly controlled: users only hit the systems they’re supposed to, when they’re supposed to. We also deploy logging, alerting, and JIT access mechanisms — so you always have visibility and control over who is doing what in your environment.

Why These Measures Are Critical for London Hedge Funds

• Business Resilience: Minimises the risk of downtime from security incidents.

• Regulatory Assurance: Supports compliance with FCA (or other relevant UK/EU) regulations by demonstrating robust access controls and logging.

• Client Confidence: Your institutional clients expect that you take security seriously, implementing zero trust and MFA gives you a clear competitive advantage. 

• Scalable Security: As your team grows or as more staff work remotely, you don’t compromise on safety or agility.

Why Partner With Maple

Maple offers IT Support to London firms and understands both the intensity of hedge fund operations and the finesse required for top-tier security. We bring:

• Deep experience designing zero-trust frameworks for financial firms.

• Expertise in deploying strong, business-friendly MFA.

• Capability to build segmented, monitored networks that support secure but efficient remote working.

• A commitment to keeping your performance high, we don’t trade security for speed.

In hedge funds, remote access isn’t just a convenience, it’s a potential vulnerability. By adopting:

1. A zero-trust mindset,

2. Strong multi-factor authentication, and

3. Segmented access to your trading systems,

…you significantly reduce your exposure without slowing down your teams.

Securing your remote access doesn’t just mean locking things down: it means enabling your people to work flexibly, safely, and confidently. If you’d like to explore how we can help you build out a secure remote access architecture, get in touch with us.

Tel: +44 (0) 203 900 4300

Email: connect@mapletech.co.uk