Nakasone's New Firm Targets Elite Security Gaps

Retired U.S. Army General Paul M. Nakasone, who led the National Security Agency and U.S. Cyber Command until early 2024, has stepped back into the security arena with a new venture. The Nakasone Group, announced this week via LinkedIn, is a boutique advisory firm designed to serve government leaders, corporations, prominent families, and other private clients grappling with cybersecurity, geopolitical, and personal security risks. Nakasone’s move marks a notable transition from public service to the private sector, where he aims to bring government-grade security counsel to a select clientele.

From NSA to Private Practice

Nakasone, who served as the 18th director of the NSA and commander of U.S. Cyber Command from 2018 until his retirement in February 2024, is now the firm’s founder and chairman. The company’s CEO is Brett Goldstein, former director of the Defense Digital Service. The leadership pairing brings together decades of military and government technology experience, signaling a firm built on insider knowledge of how the highest levels of government handle security.

The firm’s advisory team includes former Drug Enforcement Administration chief Anne Milgram, retired Air Force Lieutenant General Charles “Tuna” Moore (a former deputy commander of U.S. Cyber Command), and retired Marine Corps Lieutenant General Matthew Glavy, a former commander of Marine Corps Forces Cyberspace Command. The roster is heavy with ex-officials from the military, intelligence, law enforcement, and government technology sectors.

Targeting the Unserved Elite

The Nakasone Group is positioning itself for influential and high-profile individuals who may face sophisticated threats but lack the security infrastructure typically found inside government agencies or large corporations. Its services span private cyber defense, family digital security, protection against fraud and impersonation, international travel security, geopolitical and threat intelligence, and tailored briefings for executives.

The cyber defense practice will advise clients on securing home networks, personal devices, digital accounts, connected systems, and online privacy. This is a niche that goes beyond typical corporate security offerings, focusing on individuals whose prominence makes them targets.

Beyond the Boardroom

The firm also addresses travel-related risks, helping clients protect devices and communications during international trips, prepare for surveillance and other threats in high-risk regions, and assess geopolitical, economic, and security developments affecting their organizations, investments, and families. This holistic approach mirrors the protective detail style of security often reserved for heads of state.

Quietly and Discreetly

In the announcement, Nakasone emphasized the firm’s ethos of discretion. “After more than three decades in uniform — including leading U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency — I’ve seen how quickly the threats facing individuals, families, and organizations are evolving,” he said. “We built this firm to bring the caliber of security counsel once reserved for the highest levels of government to those navigating today’s most complex challenges — quietly, discreetly, and to the highest standard.” Nakasone’s comments underscore a shift toward tailored, low-profile security services for a clientele that often shuns public attention.

“After more than three decades in uniform — including leading U.S. Cyber Command and the National Security Agency — I’ve seen how quickly the threats facing individuals, families, and organizations are evolving. We built this firm to bring the caliber of security counsel once reserved for the highest levels of government to those navigating today’s most complex challenges — quietly, discreetly, and to the highest standard.”

— Paul M. Nakasone, founder and chairman, The Nakasone Group

Legacy of Cyber Leadership

Nakasone’s tenure at NSA and Cyber Command saw significant changes in U.S. cyber operations, including the expansion of Cyber Command and a more persistent approach to identifying and disrupting foreign cyber threats. His background also includes leading U.S. Army Cyber Command and holding senior intelligence and command positions both domestically and overseas. This depth of experience lends credibility to a firm that promises high-level counsel.

This venture follows Nakasone’s earlier move into the private sector, where he joined Ballistic Ventures as a strategic advisor. The new firm, however, is a standalone effort focused on advisory services rather than venture investment.

What It Means for Clients

For the businesses and families the Nakasone Group seeks to serve, the firm’s arrival suggests a growing recognition that traditional security measures may not suffice for those in the public eye. The threats Nakasone describes are evolving quickly, and the average enterprise or family office may lack the specialized expertise to counter state-sponsored actors or sophisticated criminals. By offering services like geopolitical threat intelligence and family digital security, the firm fills a gap for clients who need more than a standard IT security provider.

The firm’s success could hinge on its ability to maintain the discretion it promises, as its clientele will likely value privacy as much as protection. As Nakasone builds this new chapter, the implications for the broader security industry are clear: there is a market for elite, personalized security advice that goes beyond technology to encompass a client’s entire risk landscape.