One foundation, not many frameworks
A single control baseline mapped to every applicable requirement eliminates duplicate work and keeps the program coherent as obligations grow.
Why NorthStar exists
NorthStar did not start with a software idea. It started with a problem.
After years of working with organizations across security programs, technology environments, regulations, and audits, a recurring pattern became clear. The same requirement discussed in multiple places. The same control documented in different systems. Evidence collected separately. Risk tracked separately. The people responsible for fixing something working from a different list than the people reporting on it. NorthStar was created to connect those pieces. Because IT is typically already overwhelmed by vulnerabilities and technical debt. NorthStar helps leadership see the underlying risks, prioritize them, and get more value from each remediation effort.
Our mission
One control foundation. Every applicable requirement.
Most organizations are managing the same security work in five different places — a spreadsheet for controls, a separate tool for risk, another for evidence, and a manual or generic AI process for every audit or customer questionnaire. That fragmentation is not a technology problem. It is a design problem. NorthStar was designed from the start to connect requirements, controls, risk, remediation, evidence, and reporting into one operating view.
The platform is built around a simple idea: compliance is an outcome of a well-run security program — not the purpose of one. When requirements, controls, risk, remediation, and evidence are connected, IT can stop playing whack-a-mole with the endless vulnerabilities, technical debt, and threats competing for attention every day. Instead of treating every issue as another isolated problem, NorthStar gives leadership a clearer view of where the organization is most exposed so the business can focus on the risks that matter most. The goal is to fix the underlying problem once and let that work do more than solve a single issue. A well-implemented control can reduce security risk, strengthen an operational process, and satisfy multiple regulatory or compliance requirements at the same time. Fix once. Solve many. NorthStar starts with a NIST-aligned foundation and connects it to the federal, state, industry, privacy, and customer requirements that apply to the organization — without turning each new requirement into another separate project.
Why Texas first
Texas complexity. National ambition.
Texas is one of the most complex compliance environments in the country — a diverse economy, fast-growing organizations, and a demanding mix of federal, state, public-sector, privacy, and critical-infrastructure obligations. It was the right place to prove that one connected operating model could make that complexity manageable. Texas-first refers to the depth of jurisdiction-specific regulatory intelligence in the platform. NorthStar is available to organizations nationwide, and the framework library expands by region on a published roadmap.
The connected operating model
RequirementsControlsRiskRemediationEvidenceReporting
What we believe
What we believe
Connected, not fragmented
Requirements drive controls. Controls surface risk. Risk creates remediation. Remediation is supported by evidence. Evidence powers reporting. Nothing should live in isolation.
Compliance follows security
Compliance is an outcome of a well-run security program — not the purpose of one. We build tools that reinforce that order.
Evidence over assertion
A defensible program is built on documented decisions and artifacts teams can stand behind — not claims that disappear under scrutiny.
Practitioner-led
We design for the people doing the work — the analysts, program managers, and security leads who need clarity, not more dashboards.
Context before automation
AI is more useful when it understands the organization it is serving. We build intelligence on top of your program's own data — not generic internet content.
Two capabilities. One team.
NorthStar Security connects cybersecurity, risk, and compliance through purpose-built technology and experienced professional guidance.
The NorthStar platform helps organizations manage requirements, controls, risk, remediation, evidence, and reporting. NorthStar Professional Services provides experienced guidance, assessments, and advisory work. Either can be engaged on its own. Customers who want both can use them together.
The people introduced on this page lead both.
The team behind the platform
Meet the founders
NorthStar is led by practitioners who have run security programs, managed compliance obligations, and built enterprise infrastructure across government, healthcare, financial services, and critical infrastructure. They built NorthStar because they lived the problem it solves and this is the solution they wish had existed.
Nathan Smith
Chief Executive Officer
Nathan Smith has spent his career at the intersection of security, technology, and organizational complexity. He has led security programs at Deloitte, managed multi-million dollar risk and cost-savings initiatives at the Texas Department of Transportation, and co-founded and helped grow an infrastructure and technology services firm. He also led a global domain consolidation for General Dynamics covering more than 200,000 users and contributed to the United Nations World Congress on IT.
At NorthStar, Nathan leads the platform's development and the integration of NIST control baselines with federal, state, and industry requirements. His focus is on translating the complexity of regulatory compliance into something organizations can actually manage — not just document. He holds the CISSP and PCIP certifications.
Zach Ward
Chief Operating Officer
Zach Ward has spent more than 20 years building and operating technology infrastructure across enterprise, government, and high-growth environments. He led enterprise deployments across more than 160 locations at Sonic Healthcare USA, managed cloud migrations for Pathway Vet Alliance, and directed statewide cybersecurity and compliance implementations at the Texas Department of Transportation.
At NorthStar, Zach leads operations and ensures the platform delivers a dependable, practical experience for every customer. He brings a direct understanding of what it takes to run security and compliance programs at scale — not just design them. He holds the Google AI Professional certification, Certified in Cybersecurity (CC) from ISC2, and Certified Scrum Master (CSM).
Michael Brady
Chief Technology Officer
Michael Brady is a technology executive and security leader whose career spans enterprise infrastructure, governance, and complex regulatory environments. He has served as Cybersecurity and IT Manager and Acting CISO at Retractable Technologies, Cybersecurity Architect at the Texas Department of Transportation, and VP of IT and CISO at ETAN Industries. Earlier in his career he held roles as CTO for DriveAds.com, Executive VP and COO at Vergent Communications, and co-founded Brady-Liu Technologies.
A United States Marine Corps veteran, Michael brings disciplined leadership and deep technical expertise in network architecture, NIST frameworks, and regulatory compliance. At NorthStar, he leads technology strategy and the development of the connected compliance platform — with a focus on helping organizations build and maintain a defensible regulatory compliance posture, not just pass a review.