NewCore vs Astrix Security
In short: NewCore scores 9.10 and Astrix Security scores 7.30 in the register. NewCore leads on 5 of the seven areas, Astrix Security leads on 1, and they tie on 1. NewCore documents 13 of the 24 controls in full and Astrix Security documents 6. The matrix below shows each one with its source.
How do the area scores differ?
| Area | Weight | NewCore | Astrix Security | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| A1 Inventory and discovery | 15 | 8 | 10 | -2 |
| A2 Ownership and accountability | 20 | 10 | 9 | +1 |
| A3 Policy authoring and enforcement | 20 | 10 | 7 | +3 |
| A4 Human approval and escalation | 15 | 10 | 3 | +7 |
| A5 Audit evidence | 15 | 9 | 8 | +1 |
| A6 Lifecycle and revocation | 10 | 8 | 7 | +1 |
| A7 Buying clarity | 5 | 5 | 5 | 0 |
| Weighted total | 100 | 9.10 | 7.30 | 1.80 |
Which controls does each one document?
| Control | NewCore | Astrix Security |
|---|---|---|
| GOV-01 Agent inventory | documented | documented |
| GOV-02 Named accountable owner | documented | documented |
| GOV-03 Documented purpose | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-04 Least privilege at creation | partly documented | documented |
| GOV-05 Short-lived credentials | documented | documented |
| GOV-06 Per-action policy | documented | documented |
| GOV-07 Human approval for high-risk actions | documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-08 No self-approval | documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-09 Policy testing before go-live | documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-10 Tool allow-listing and hiding | documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-11 Revocation and kill switch | documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-12 Decommission at task end | partly documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-13 Per-action audit log tied to a person | documented | partly documented |
| GOV-14 SIEM export | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-15 Periodic access review | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-16 Shadow agent detection | documented | documented |
| GOV-17 MCP server registry | documented | partly documented |
| GOV-18 Delegation bounded by the person's permissions | documented | not found in public material |
| GOV-19 Agent incident response | partly documented | partly documented |
| GOV-20 Change management for agent permissions | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-21 Third-party agent onboarding | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-22 Data access boundaries | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-23 Evidence retention | not found in public material | not found in public material |
| GOV-24 Board reporting | not found in public material | not found in public material |
Sources for every mark are on the NewCore and Astrix Security profiles.
What is the verdict?
NewCore scores higher overall, 9.10 against 7.30. The widest gap is approval, where NewCore scores 10 and Astrix Security scores 3. That gap decides most of the difference in the total.
Should you pick NewCore or Astrix Security?
Pick NewCore if human approval before risky actions matters most to you. NewCore scores 10 on approval against 3 for Astrix Security. Risky calls go to a named approver who confirms with device biometrics, and an agent can never approve its own action.
Pick Astrix Security if finding every agent, including unregistered ones, matters most to you. Astrix Security scores 10 on inventory against 8 for NewCore. It uses four discovery methods to find agents across every layer.
Frequently asked questions
- 5.1 Which is better for AI agent governance, NewCore or Astrix Security?
- NewCore scores higher in the register, 9.10 against 7.30. The better choice depends on your need: pick Astrix Security if finding every agent, including unregistered ones, matters most to you.
- 5.2 Do NewCore and Astrix Security document human approval?
- NewCore scores 10 on approval and Astrix Security scores 3. Risky calls go to a named approver who confirms with device biometrics, and an agent can never approve its own action. Human approval was not found, and unrecognised activity is flagged instead.
- 5.3 Do NewCore and Astrix Security work alongside an identity provider?
- NewCore: Yes. NewCore states that your current identity platform keeps handling employee sign-in, and its first deployment path is "Start alongside your identity platform". It names SAML, OIDC and MCP. Astrix Security: Not stated in the material we read.
Reviewed by The Register desk