How Precision Hydration, a UK-based startup, protects its team and intellectual property with NordLayer

Precision Hydration helps athletes—such as English Premier League, NFL, NBA, and Formula 1 stars, and individual runners—nail their performance by staying hydrated with science-backed products. The company was founded by a sports scientist who worked for the Renault and Benetton Formula 1 teams and the Porsche Human Performance Center.

As a lean startup headquartered in the UK with hubs in Europe, Canada, and Australia, Precision Hydration sells products in 96 countries. Their team often travels to marathons and Ironman events all over the world. That’s why Chairman and Head of Operations in Canada, Sean O’Mahony, wanted to ensure that each of their 55 employees could work safely from anywhere—be it a Starbucks in Vancouver, an airport lounge at Heathrow, or home.

The company also needed a solution that could protect its intellectual property (IP). By partnering with NordLayer, they’ve turned security into a background habit, achieving 5 years of "nothing happening"—no reported cyberattacks, the ultimate win for any business.

The challenge: keeping the team and intellectual property on track

In a startup, you wear many hats, says Sean. He isn't an IT person, but he knows that one security breach can ruin a company’s reputation and finances.

The challenge was finding a way to protect their intellectual property (IP) and support employees who are always on the move to sports events. Precision Hydration was previously using other security solutions, but needed one that removed the human element of forgetting to turn on protection. They required an enterprise-grade security tool that was as simple to use as their hydration products. They found it in NordLayer.

How NordLayer helped Precision Hydration

Sean had personally used NordVPN for years, so adopting NordLayer for the business was an easy decision for him. Having experienced NordVPN’s reliability at home, Sean felt confident that NordLayer would deliver the same advanced security for his team.

By choosing a trusted vendor, Precision Hydration gained a security solution that runs quietly in the background, allowing Sean to stay focused on his job rather than troubleshooting connections.

Benefit 1: security as an easy background habit for the team

As Sean stresses, he wanted security to be effortless for their team. When an employee connects to a network that isn’t on their trusted list—like airport Wi-Fi—NordLayer turns on the VPN automatically, encrypting data in transit. This keeps the VPN on, and users don’t need to set it up manually.

Precision Hydration uses Shared Gateways to support secure internet access for its team while working from anywhere.

Also, NordLayer’s intuitive interface helps new team members get started quickly with minimal training. By keeping multi-factor authentication (MFA) enabled and VPN usage consistent, Precision Hydration maintains a strong security posture without slowing down day-to-day work.

Benefit 2: Real-time network visibility without the IT overhead

Precision Hydration uses NordLayer's Usage dashboard in the Control Panel to gain real-time, actionable insights into their network security and user activity. Because they don’t have a dedicated IT department, having a single place for monitoring network access and performance is essential.

The Usage dashboard provides critical data on active sessions and top protocols, but it’s the geographic breakdown that matters most for their traveling team. They can see Shared Gateway usage by country—such as the UK, US, and Canada—ensuring their team stays connected whether they are at a tea shop in Damascus or a Starbucks in London.

This visibility helps Precision Hydration manage access and protect sensitive data, making security an easy background habit for its employees.

Results: the luxury of "nothing happening"

The ultimate win of business security isn't a flashy feature—it's silence. By partnering with NordLayer, Precision Hydration has turned network security into a background habit, achieving five years of "nothing happening".

• No reported cyberattacks. In half a decade of global operations, the company hasn’t suffered a single breach.
• Protected intellectual property. The company’s proprietary data is secured.
• Secured 55 employees. A VPN protects employees when they work on public Wi-Fi networks.

Why NordLayer works for Precision Hydration

Why NordLayer fits Precision Hydration’s day-to-day work:

• "Set and forget” protection. When an employee connects to an untrusted network, NordLayer turns on the VPN automatically without manual effort.
• Secure internet access with Shared Gateways. Employees connect to a nearby VPN location through Shared Gateways, helping them access company resources from anywhere.
• Fast onboarding for new hires. NordLayer is easy to use. With MFA enabled and VPN usage, securing the team without slowing down daily work.
• Visibility without extra IT overhead. The Usage dashboard gives a real-time view of active sessions and usage by country—useful for a team that works and travels across many locations.

Pro cybersecurity tips for startups

Sean shares these common-sense insights for fellow business leaders:

• Don't wait for a breach to act. The cost of compromised data is far higher than the price of a security solution.
• Protect your integrity. If you value your customers, invest in their privacy.
• Physical security is cybersecurity. Don't leave your laptop open on a plane or your phone unlocked on a table. Common sense is your best shield.
• Make security part of the culture: Use MFA and VPNs until they become as natural as locking your front door.

Conclusion

Precision Hydration has proven that you don't need an IT department to have enterprise-grade security. The NordLayer app runs silently in the background, helping ensure that while athletes are breaking records, Precision Hydration’s team and data stay secure.