Cybersecurity-first IT for Scottish housing associations
Protect tenant information, support essential services and give leaders clearer technology oversight
Stratiis helps housing associations across Scotland improve managed IT, Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, field and hybrid working, backup, continuity and strategic planning—so technology supports tenants, employees and governance.
What IT support does a housing association need?
A housing association needs responsive user support, secure Microsoft 365 and identity management, protected devices and sensitive data, dependable housing-system infrastructure, safe access for office and field teams, tested backup and recovery, coordinated suppliers and clear reporting on technology risk, lifecycle and investment.
Technology in service of people
IT that supports tenant services, employees and organisational resilience
Housing associations depend on technology across customer contact, housing management, repairs, finance, governance, community work and collaboration.
Reliable services
Keep employees connected to the systems and information needed to support tenants.
Protected information
Strengthen identity, device, email, access and recovery controls around sensitive data.
Supported mobile teams
Provide consistent, secure access across offices, homes, community settings and tenant visits.
Clear governance
Give leaders usable insight into risk, resilience, investment, priorities and accountability.
Sector pressures
Technology challenges facing housing associations
The right service links technical improvements to tenant impact, operational resilience and governance.
| Challenge | Potential organisational impact | How Stratiis helps |
|---|---|---|
| Cyber threats | Exposure of tenant or employee data, service disruption, fraud and reputational harm. | Layer identity, endpoint, email, awareness, backup and monitoring controls. |
| Housing-system dependency | Employees cannot access records, repairs, finance or operational workflows. | Support the underlying environment and coordinate responsibilities with application vendors. |
| Hybrid and field working | Inconsistent access, unmanaged devices and sensitive information used outside the office. | Manage identities, devices, applications, connectivity and access policies centrally. |
| Microsoft 365 gaps | Account compromise, uncontrolled sharing, collaboration sprawl and licence waste. | Review and manage security, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Intune and Entra ID. |
| Ageing infrastructure | Reliability problems, unsupported systems and unplanned replacement costs. | Maintain a lifecycle plan linked to budgets, risk and organisational priorities. |
| Unclear recovery | Extended disruption to essential services after deletion, attack or failure. | Define backup scope, recovery priorities, responsibilities and testing. |
| Limited risk visibility | Boards and leaders cannot make informed decisions about technology and resilience. | Provide strategic reviews, roadmaps, budgets and clear governance reporting. |
A joined-up service
Core IT services for housing associations
Daily support, security, continuity and governance are stronger when responsibilities connect.
Managed IT support
Helpdesk, monitoring, patching, user administration, network support, vendor liaison and onsite or remote assistance.
Cybersecurity
Identity, endpoint, email, awareness, vulnerability, monitoring and governance controls.
Microsoft 365
Secure management of Exchange Online, Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive, Intune, Entra ID and Defender.
Cloud, backup and recovery
Protect critical information and services and clarify how recovery will work.
Field and hybrid working
Provide managed devices and secure access for employees across offices, homes and community locations.
Communications and connectivity
Support reliable internet, networks and business communications across sites and teams.
Projects and transformation
Deliver migrations, office changes, collaboration improvements and service-modernisation projects.
vCIO and governance
Give leaders a roadmap, budget, lifecycle plan, supplier view and cyber-risk reporting.
Co-managed IT
Add specialist skills, project capacity and escalation support around an internal IT resource.
Governance and compliance
Turn technology and cyber risk into decisions leaders can act on
Good governance needs clear evidence
Housing associations need to understand what is protected, where risk remains, who is responsible and how planned investment will improve resilience.
Translate technical findings into a roadmap
Recommendations should be prioritised by likelihood, tenant and service impact, urgency, dependency and cost—giving leaders a practical basis for accepting, reducing, transferring or avoiding risk.
Systems and information
Clarify ownership across housing applications and Microsoft 365
Housing associations often depend on several application, infrastructure and support providers. Clear boundaries prevent gaps during incidents and change.
| Service area | Typical role | Management priority |
|---|---|---|
| Housing management system | Tenant, property, repairs and operational workflows. | Document the application vendor, infrastructure, access, integration, backup and escalation responsibilities. |
| Exchange Online | Email, calendars and shared mailboxes. | Protect identities, mail flow, retention, permissions and joiner-leaver processes. |
| Teams | Meetings, communication and departmental collaboration. | Control team creation, guests, file sharing and workspace ownership. |
| SharePoint | Policies, procedures, governance documents and shared information. | Design clear libraries, permissions, retention and information ownership. |
| OneDrive | Individual work files and secure access across managed devices. | Set sharing, synchronisation, device and recovery policies. |
| Intune and Entra ID | Device management, authentication and access decisions. | Enforce MFA, compliance, encryption and Conditional Access. |
| Contractor access | Controlled collaboration with maintenance and service partners. | Use least privilege, defined ownership, expiry and prompt offboarding. |
Field and hybrid teams
Secure access for employees working across tenant-facing services
Protect the identity, device and information together
A laptop alone does not create secure hybrid working. Policies should reflect where employees work, the information they access and whether devices meet the organisation’s standards.
Support a consistent employee experience
Office, home, community and tenant-facing teams should use approved applications and receive the same support, while access is adjusted to device compliance, role and risk.
Cybersecurity and resilience
Protect sensitive data and maintain essential services
A cyber incident is a governance and operational-resilience issue, not only a technical event.
| Control area | What it should address | Evidence leaders should expect |
|---|---|---|
| Identity and access | MFA, Conditional Access, privileged accounts, joiners, movers and leavers. | Coverage, exceptions, risky access and administrator-account review. |
| Devices and vulnerabilities | Managed configuration, encryption, patching, endpoint protection and known weaknesses. | Device compliance, patch status, vulnerabilities and remediation priorities. |
| Email and awareness | Phishing protection, authentication, reporting and employee behaviour. | Policy status, incident trends, training completion and follow-up actions. |
| Backup and recovery | Critical systems, retention, independent copies, recovery objectives and testing. | Backup success, test results, gaps, ownership and corrective actions. |
| Incident response | Detection, escalation, decision-making, communications and external support. | A maintained plan, named responsibilities and exercise outcomes. |
| Supplier risk | Access, contracts, responsibility, assurance and continuity dependencies. | Supplier inventory, accountable owners and actions from periodic review. |
How we work
From housing association technology review to continuous improvement
The process addresses immediate service and security risks while building a longer-term plan.
Assess
Review users, systems, suppliers, Microsoft 365, devices, security and recovery.
Prioritise
Compare risk, tenant and service impact, urgency, dependency and cost.
Stabilise
Resolve immediate issues and establish clear support and supplier ownership.
Secure
Implement agreed identity, device, email, backup and monitoring controls.
Plan
Create a roadmap for lifecycle, governance, projects, resilience and investment.
Improve
Support employees and update priorities as services and risks evolve.
Indicative investment
How much should a housing association budget for IT support?
The existing Stratiis ranges are retained as indicative guidance. A proposal should define scope and account for systems, suppliers, locations, governance, licensing, security, backup and continuity requirements.
| Users | Indicative monthly managed-support range | Factors that can change total investment |
|---|---|---|
| Per user | Approximately £35–£60 per user per month. | Support coverage, response commitments, device count and included management. |
| 20 users | Approximately £700–£1,200 per month. | Microsoft licensing, security, backup and application responsibilities may be additional. |
| 50 users | Approximately £1,750–£3,000 per month. | Multiple sites, field workers, governance and continuity requirements affect scope. |
| 100 users | Approximately £3,500–£6,000 per month. | Internal IT responsibilities, supplier estate, service hours and organisational complexity must be defined. |
What should be included in a housing association IT proposal?
Look for clear user, device, location and system coverage; support hours and response targets; Microsoft 365 and vendor responsibilities; security, monitoring, backup and recovery; governance reporting; project rates; pricing assumptions; contract terms and exit arrangements.
Why Stratiis
A technology partner for service delivery, cyber risk and governance
Cybersecurity first
Security is considered across support, Microsoft 365, devices, systems and strategy.
Governance-focused
Translate technical findings into clear risk, accountability, decisions and priorities.
Joined-up capability
Connect support, cloud, communications, projects, security and vCIO guidance.
Service-aware planning
Prioritise technology by its effect on tenants, employees and operational resilience.
Coverage
IT support for housing associations across Scotland
Stratiis supports organisations operating from one location, multiple offices and community settings.
Glasgow
Managed IT, cybersecurity and governance support across Glasgow and the west.
Edinburgh & Lothian
Support for housing teams, offices and hybrid employees across the east.
Lanarkshire
Local and remote technology support across North and South Lanarkshire.
Ayrshire
Secure IT services for housing organisations operating across Ayrshire.
Dumfries & Galloway
Remote and planned onsite support for organisations across southern Scotland.
Perthshire
Managed support and strategic guidance for housing teams in Perthshire.
Multi-office organisations
Consistent identities, devices, access and support across locations.
Field and hybrid teams
Secure access for office, community, home and tenant-facing work.
Frequently asked questions
IT support for housing associations explained
What cybersecurity protections should housing associations have?
Controls should normally include MFA, secure administration, email and endpoint protection, managed updates, encryption, awareness training, backup, monitoring and a tested incident-response plan proportionate to risk.
Why are housing associations targeted by cybercriminals?
They hold sensitive tenant, employee, property and financial information and operate important services. Trusted accounts and supplier relationships can also be used for fraud or further attacks.
Can Stratiis help with Cyber Essentials?
Yes. Stratiis can assess the current position, explain technical gaps and help plan remediation. Certification scope and evidence requirements should be agreed before work begins.
How often should laptops and infrastructure be replaced?
Replacement should consider warranty, condition, performance, operating-system support, security and service impact. A risk-based lifecycle plan is more reliable than waiting for failure.
Can Stratiis support multiple offices and remote workers?
Yes. Support can cover identities, devices, Microsoft 365, networks, connectivity, cybersecurity and common standards across offices, homes and community locations.
Can Stratiis support a housing management system?
Stratiis can support the underlying devices, identity, infrastructure, connectivity, security and integrations, and coordinate with the application vendor for product-specific issues.
Do housing associations need independent Microsoft 365 backup?
It depends on retention and recovery requirements. Microsoft provides service resilience, but independent backup may add protection against deletion, compromised accounts, ransomware and retention gaps.
What happens during a housing association technology review?
Stratiis reviews support, systems, suppliers, Microsoft 365, devices, security, backup, governance and priorities, then explains risks and recommended next steps.
Protect essential services and plan what happens next
Book a housing association technology review
Understand the gaps in support, governance, Microsoft 365, cybersecurity, systems, backup and future technology planning.
Book a technology reviewExplore managed IT services
Call 0141 348 7960 or email hello@stratiis.com.
