You give contractors and offshore teams secure access with role-based accounts, multi-factor authentication, managed or controlled devices, least-privilege permissions and prompt removal when the work ends. The principle is simple: outside help should be able to do its job and nothing more, and the access should disappear the moment it is no longer needed.
Tech firms often use contractors and offshore developers, which is fine if the access is controlled. Here’s how to do it safely.
1. Role-based accounts with MFA
Give each contractor their own account, protected by MFA, rather than sharing logins. Individual accounts mean you can see who did what and switch access off cleanly when the engagement ends.
2. Least-privilege permissions
Grant access only to the systems and data the work genuinely needs. Keeping permissions tight limits the damage if an account is ever misused or compromised.
3. Controlled devices and access methods
Where possible, have contractors work on managed devices or through a controlled remote environment, so your code and data are not sitting on machines you cannot see. This is especially important for offshore teams.
4. Prompt offboarding
When a contract finishes, access should be removed straight away. A clear joiners and leavers process means old accounts do not linger as a quiet risk after people move on.
A real example: access on and off cleanly
We supported a software company serving financial trading firms where joiners, movers and leavers, including external staff, were handled centrally and promptly, with access granted and removed on time. That discipline is what stops outside help turning into a security gap.
For most technology and trading firms, this sits within fully managed IT at about £45 to £100 per user per month, billed per user, with the security and resilience these businesses rely on built in.
Why technology and trading firms choose First Stop IT
First Stop IT has supported businesses since 2002, including software and technology companies and firms that serve financial markets. We know the systems these teams depend on: secure VPN and remote access, source control and build pipelines, virtual dev and test environments, Microsoft 365 and Teams, and the security that banks and regulators expect, from multi-factor authentication and endpoint protection to application allowlisting and email security. We work with technology and trading firms in London and across Essex and Hertfordshire. Our credentials include:
- Cyber Essentials Certified
- IASME Cyber Assurance (Gold)
- NCSC Assured Service Provider (Cyber Advisor for Cyber Essentials)
- Microsoft Partner
- Crown Commercial Service Supplier (G-Cloud)
- Quality Principles Certified
We look after more than 2,000 endpoints across 50 companies, we’ve been named a Top 50 UK MSP for three years running, and we support organisations with 10 to 100 employees across Essex, Hertfordshire and London, including Harlow and Bishop’s Stortford.
Book a free IT and cyber security review
Using contractors or offshore teams? Book a free IT and cyber security review with First Stop IT and we’ll keep their access secure.