NorthStar Technology Group, Inc

05/29/2026

📌 Save this — the May playbook. Eight things to do before June.

For every regulated firm running into Q3 with discipline:

1️⃣ Refresh inventory — assets, data, vendors
2️⃣ Update risk assessment if anything material changed
3️⃣ Complete quarterly access reviews
4️⃣ Review and disposition open POA&M items
5️⃣ Confirm workforce training is current
6️⃣ Verify cyber insurance evidence matches operational reality
7️⃣ Review AI tools in use against governance policy
8️⃣ Document leadership review of program status

📌 Eight checks. Quarterly cadence. The discipline that compounds.

👉 Want help operationalizing this cadence? Book 30 minutes with Ken.


https://northstartechnologygroup.com/

05/28/2026

🛡️ The 5-tier FTC Safeguards readiness model. Every firm we engage falls into one of these tiers.

TIER 1 — AWARENESS — leadership has read the rule
TIER 2 — DESIGNATION — qualified individual named in writing
TIER 3 — DOCUMENTATION — WISP written, risk assessment complete
TIER 4 — IMPLEMENTATION — controls in place, evidence being generated
TIER 5 — OPERATION — quarterly cadence, board reporting, mature program

📌 Most firms self-identify higher than they're actually operating. Honest assessment is the leverage point.

The journey from Tier 2 to Tier 5 is typically 6 to 12 months when run with discipline.

👉 Want a frank read on your tier? Book 30 minutes with Ken.


https://northstartechnologygroup.com/

05/27/2026

✅ Ten prime/sub contract clauses to review with your contracts team this quarter.

Most CMMC failures happen one or two levels down the supply chain. The clauses determine whether they happen to you.

1️⃣ CMMC level required of the sub
2️⃣ Flow-down of DFARS 252.204-7012 obligations
3️⃣ Incident notification timeline (typically 72 hours)
4️⃣ Right to audit clause
5️⃣ Vendor risk management requirements
6️⃣ Cloud and SaaS approval procedures
7️⃣ Personnel screening obligations
8️⃣ Subcontracting restrictions and approval
9️⃣ Data destruction at end-of-relationship
🔟 SPRS scoring attestation requirements

📌 Save this. Walk it through with your contracts lead.

👉 Need help structuring the supply chain side of your CMMC program? Book 30 minutes with Ken.


https://northstartechnologygroup.com/

05/26/2026

📊 Seven EHR risks you can fix in 30 days. Each one is a finding waiting to happen — and each one is closeable in a focused sprint.

1️⃣ Shared user credentials → enforce unique IDs
2️⃣ Audit logs not being reviewed → schedule and document review cadence
3️⃣ Stale terminated accounts → same-day deprovisioning
4️⃣ Mobile access without MDM → enroll all devices
5️⃣ Vendor admin access uninventoried → audit and document
6️⃣ Data exports unmanaged → export policy with technical enforcement
7️⃣ EHR vendor reports unreviewed → quarterly leadership review

📌 Save this. Send to your practice manager and IT director.

👉 Want a 30-day plan to close all seven? Book with Ken.


https://northstartechnologygroup.com/

05/22/2026

🧠 The 6-step AI sequencing model for compliance-driven firms. The sequence is the strategy.

1️⃣ GOVERN — write the AI use policy first
2️⃣ INVENTORY — every AI tool already in use (including shadow IT)
3️⃣ VERIFY — DPAs, model training opt-outs, security attestations on every approved tool
4️⃣ TRAIN — workforce on what's allowed and what's prohibited
5️⃣ SEQUENCE — three to five workflows where AI delivers measurable ROI
6️⃣ MONITOR — quarterly review with documented adjustments

📌 Most firms jump to step 5. They get six months of "wins" — then the audit finding catches up.

The sequence is the protection. The protection is the leverage.

👉 Need a sequenced AI roadmap? Book 30 minutes with Ken.

Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation for growing businesses. Trusted by companies across healthcare, finance, and professional services.

05/21/2026

📋 Twelve incident-response items every law firm needs in place. Save this. Forward to your managing partner.

✅ Named incident commander + backup
✅ 24/7 escalation contacts (current)
✅ Pre-established outside counsel
✅ Pre-engaged forensics partner
✅ Cyber insurance hotline (offline accessible)
✅ Internal communication tree
✅ Pre-reviewed client communication templates
✅ Bar notification requirements (per jurisdiction)
✅ Regulatory notification timelines (HIPAA, GLBA, state, international)
✅ Evidence preservation procedures
✅ Annual tabletop exercise (with minutes)
✅ Plan dated within 12 months, leadership signed

📌 Can't check all 12? The gaps don't matter on a quiet day. They define the response on a bad one.

👉 Need help building or testing your IR plan? Book 30 minutes with Ken.

Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation for growing businesses. Trusted by companies across healthcare, finance, and professional services.

05/20/2026

🔍 Five GLBA misses every CPA firm needs to check this quarter.

These are the patterns that show up in audits — and the ones easiest to close before the auditor finds them.

1️⃣ Risk assessment that's generic or stale
2️⃣ Vendor management that's informal (names on a list, no signed agreements)
3️⃣ Workforce training without attendance records
4️⃣ Incident response plan that's never been tabletoped
5️⃣ Encryption that's assumed, not verified

📌 Each one is fixable in under 90 days when prioritized.

👉 Want a frank read on your GLBA posture? Book 30 minutes with Ken.

Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation for growing businesses. Trusted by companies across healthcare, finance, and professional services.

05/19/2026

✅ Eight SPRS gap items to close this month. Each one moves your score upward — and survives verification.

1️⃣ MFA on every CUI-handling account (no exceptions)
2️⃣ Encryption verified at rest and in transit
3️⃣ Access reviews completed in last 90 days
4️⃣ Audit logs being reviewed (with documented evidence)
5️⃣ Incident response tabletop in last 12 months
6️⃣ Background screening evidence for CUI personnel
7️⃣ Vendor flow-down clauses signed for every sub
8️⃣ POA&M items with current dispositions and target dates

📌 Save this. Walk it through with your CIO this week.

👉 Need a 90-day path to a stronger SPRS score? Book 30 minutes with Ken.

Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation for growing businesses. Trusted by companies across healthcare, finance, and professional services.

05/18/2026

🛡️ The four-pillar HIPAA-AI deployment plan for clinical practices ready to modernize without exposure.

1️⃣ GOVERN — written AI use policy, approved tools, prohibited tools, data classifications
2️⃣ VERIFY — BAA, security review, model training disclosure on every tool
3️⃣ AUDIT — role-based access, logged interactions, reviewed audit trails
4️⃣ TRAIN — workforce trained on what's allowed, what's prohibited, what to do if something goes wrong

Each pillar reinforces the others. Skip one, the rest is improvisation.

📌 Save this. Send to your practice manager and IT director.

👉 Need help building your four-pillar plan? Book 30 minutes with Ken.

Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation for growing businesses. Trusted by companies across healthcare, finance, and professional services.

05/15/2026

📊 Nine reasons cyber insurance renewals are getting denied — or repriced — in 2026.

The carriers tightened. Here's what's triggering the friction.

1️⃣ MFA gaps — including executive and partner exceptions
2️⃣ Endpoint detection and response missing
3️⃣ Untested backups — no restore evidence in 90 days
4️⃣ Vendor risk programs absent or informal
5️⃣ Incident response plans never tabletoped
6️⃣ Privileged access without monitoring
7️⃣ Outdated patch management
8️⃣ AI tools in use without governance
9️⃣ Workforce training gaps and missing phishing programs

📌 Save this. Walk it through with your CFO before renewal — not during.

👉 Want a hardened renewal posture? Book 30 minutes with Ken.

Managed IT, cybersecurity, compliance, and AI automation for growing businesses. Trusted by companies across healthcare, finance, and professional services.