How Clarion Insight secures government data with NordLayer

Clarion Insight is a British consultancy specialising in complex change across the defense and public administration sector. The company’s philosophy is simple, yet powerful: people make the biggest difference. With a team of over 40 professionals, they handle highly sensitive data that demands the highest level of protection.

The company faced a distinct dilemma: how do you give employees the freedom to work from the office, home, and various client sites, while ensuring highly classified data remains locked down? This geography of work creates a security perimeter that is theoretically infinite and notoriously difficult to police. The firm required a solution that could reconcile the "people-first" flexibility of modern consulting with the ironclad security demands of the defence industry. The solution was NordLayer.

By deploying NordLayer, Clarion Insight satisfied the rigours of Cyber Essentials Plus compliance with negligible administrative friction.

The challenge: the burden of compliance

For a company working in defense, security isn't just a priority; it’s a requirement for doing business. Clarion Insight faces rigorous compliance obligations, including Cyber Essentials Plus and strict IT health checks involving penetration testing.

To maintain their contracts and client trust, Clarion Insight must ensure that sensitive data is never accessed via unsecured networks. Alex, Operational Director at Clarion Insight, notes that with employees working from different locations, relying on public or home Wi-Fi was not an option.

How NordLayer helped Clarion Insight

Clarion Insight deployed NordLayer’s Business VPN for secure connections for its hybrid workforce. Whether an employee is accessing files from a high-security client facility or a domestic connection, the data remains encrypted and invisible to external actors.

For Alex, the utility of the VPN lies in its ability to transform a complex regulatory requirement—data privacy—into a passive background process.

Benefit 1: passing the Cyber Essentials Plus audit

The Cyber Essentials Plus certification demands proof that internet gateways are secure. NordLayer provided the necessary infrastructure to pass the IT health check and penetration testing. By mandating that all sensitive data traffic flows through the VPN, Clarion Insight ensures that its compliance posture is not theoretical, but operational.

Benefit 2: secured data and remote workforce

Flexibility is at the core of Clarion Insight's culture. Their "people-first" approach means allowing employees to work where they are most effective. Yet, handling highly sensitive data requires following rigid security standards.

NordLayer acts as the bridge between these opposing forces. It allows Clarion’s staff to move freely—working where they need—and at the same time, protects the data.

Since implementing NordLayer, Clarion Insight’s workforce has grown from approximately 20 to 43 employees. Usually, doubling a headcount doubles the security risk. In this instance, thanks to NordLayer, the risk remained static while the capacity grew.

Benefit 3: the 30-second onboarding and ease of use

As the Operational Director in a small business, Alex wears "multiple hats," including managing IT. She needs tools that are fast and efficient.

NordLayer has simplified the onboarding process for new staff to a matter of seconds.

NordLayer’s intuitive Control Panel allows Alex, a non-technical admin, to manage licenses, handle two-factor authentication (2FA), and oversee the network with ease. It also frees up Alex’s time to focus on operational strategy rather than technical troubleshooting.

Results: scalable security and compliance readiness

With NordLayer, Clarion Insight has successfully scaled its operations while maintaining its security posture.

• Scalable security: As the company nearly doubled in size (from ~20 to 43 users), NordLayer allowed them to instantly secure new hires without complex infrastructure changes.
• Compliance support: The solution helps them meet the requirements for Cyber Essentials Plus and pass rigorous IT health checks required by defense clients.
• Reduced admin burden: With zero connection issues reported in the last 12 months, IT admin time has been drastically reduced, allowing Alex to focus on operations rather than troubleshooting.

Why NordLayer works for Clarion Insight

NordLayer provides the perfect balance of enterprise-grade security and operational simplicity.

For a company that deals with highly sensitive data but operates with a lean team, NordLayer helps simplify compliance with Cyber Essentials Plus. Additionally, NordLayer’s support team ensures that if issues arise, they are resolved by a real person immediately.

Pro cybersecurity tips

Alex shares her advice for other SMBs navigating security:

• Be skeptical: You can't be overly skeptical. You need to question everything and check everything, especially regarding phishing attacks.
• Seek expert advice: If you are wearing multiple hats, don't guess. Ask experts questions; you can't know everything.

Conclusion

Clarion Insight proved that you can meet the strictest security standards of the defense and public administration industry while maintaining a flexible, hybrid culture.

By choosing NordLayer, they secured their sensitive data, simplified their IT management, and enabled their team to work safely from anywhere.