Northstar IT & Cyber Advisory provides fractional IT and cyber leadership to UK SMEs. Board-level oversight of IT governance, cybersecurity risk, supplier management and technology strategy, without the cost of a full-time IT Director.
Northstar IT & Cyber Advisory is a UK-based professional services practice led by Carl Spencer, an IT and commercial leader with over 27 years of experience across managed IT services, telecoms and cybersecurity.
The practice exists to provide fractional IT and cyber leadership to SMEs that do not require a full-time IT Director. We deliver board-level oversight of IT governance, cybersecurity risk, supplier management and technology strategy, giving leadership teams the senior, independent voice they need to make better decisions.
Your MSP keeps the lights on. That is their job, and a good one does it well. But no managed service provider exists to challenge your vendor contracts, flag your cyber exposure to the board, or tell you when you are overspending on technology that is not fit for purpose. That gap, between IT support and IT leadership, is where most UK SMEs are genuinely vulnerable.
Northstar fills that gap. Working alongside your existing MSP, above them when needed, or in place of poor commercial oversight, giving your leadership team a trusted, experienced voice on cyber risk, technology spend and supplier performance.
What Northstar is not
How we sit relative to your MSP
We partner with good MSPs. We do not compete with them. We hold them accountable on your behalf.
Every engagement is led by Carl Spencer personally. No junior consultants, no standardised frameworks, no vendor agenda.
Retained
Ongoing, independent IT and cyber leadership. Board attendance, MSP oversight, risk reporting and technology advisory as a trusted part of your leadership team.
Learn more →One-off
An independent assessment of where your business actually stands. IT governance, cyber risk, supplier performance, data protection and commercial exposure, in plain English.
Learn more →Independent
Vendor-neutral AI guidance. Where AI can genuinely help your business, what governance you need in place, and an honest assessment of Microsoft Copilot before you commit.
Learn more →Northstar works with a deliberately small number of clients. You get Carl's time and attention, not a junior account manager and a standardised programme.
You are responsible for the business but you are not an IT or cyber expert. You need someone senior enough to trust, independent enough to be honest, and commercial enough to speak your language.
You suspect you are overpaying for IT. You are being asked to approve security budgets you cannot fully interrogate. You want an independent view before you sign, not reassurance from the supplier selling it.
You are managing the day-to-day while trying to ensure the business is resilient, compliant and not exposed. You need an experienced hand to translate IT complexity into operational clarity and hold suppliers to account.
Preparing for Cyber Essentials. Facing a transaction or audit. Scaling headcount fast. These are the moments where poor IT and cyber oversight becomes a commercial liability, not just an inconvenience.
Your current IT provider is reactive, uncommunicative or simply not operating at the level your business needs. You do not want to firefight. You want proper commercial oversight and a plan.
Operating in professional services, finance, healthcare or supplying larger enterprises? Cyber and data obligations are increasing fast. We help you meet those requirements without over-engineering your response or overpaying for it.
Most SMEs accept their MSP's renewal offer without negotiation. This is almost always a commercial mistake. Here is how to approach contract renewal in a way that produces better terms, better service commitments and better value.
Ransomware gets the headlines. Business email compromise quietly costs UK businesses more money every year. Here is what it is, how it works, and why it is particularly dangerous for SMEs.
Most SME boards have no structured way to review their IT governance position. This practical checklist gives you a framework for doing exactly that in plain English, without technical jargon, in under an hour.
Free Resource
A plain-English guide drawn from real advisory engagements with UK SMEs. No technical knowledge required. No spam. Just ten questions worth asking.
SME leaders do not buy IT consultancy. They solve specific problems. These are the nine situations where independent IT and cyber advisory makes a material difference.
Independent, calm, experienced support when you need it most.
IT due diligence support that protects your valuation.
Deadline-driven readiness support that gets you certified correctly the first time.
A structured, independent review that typically recovers 10 to 20 percent of IT spend.
Independent IT leadership for businesses at the inflection point.
Plain-English compliance advisory that tells you what proportionate action looks like.
Independent assessment and managed transition support.
Vendor-neutral AI advisory without the hype or vendor bias.
Urgent governance support when AI use is already happening without oversight.
From how the fractional model works to what happens during a cyber incident. Straight answers, no jargon.
Read the Full FAQNo obligation. No sales pitch. If there is a fit, we will find it quickly. If there is not, we will tell you and point you in the right direction.
Direct contact
Based in the UK. Working with SMBs & SMEs nationally.
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