Updated October 2026. Originally published April 3, 2024.
For a growing business, choosing an IT partner shapes how efficiently you operate and how well you are protected. It is also a security decision: breaches involving a third party reached 48% of all breaches in Verizon’s 2026 report, up 60% from the year before, and 55% of breaches at small and mid-sized businesses (Verizon DBIR). The right partner fits your goals and strengthens your defenses rather than adding risk.
What to look for in an IT partner
Starfish Computer recommends starting with four qualities:
Vendor agnosticism. Look for a partner that is impartial to brands and recommends the technology that suits your business, not the one with the best reseller margin.
Solution flexibility. Whether you prefer on-premises, cloud or a hybrid approach, a good partner adapts to what works best for you.
A client-centric approach. Your partner should put your interests first, with solutions that are efficient, cost-effective and sized to your needs.
Open dialogue. You should be able to have honest conversations about your technology strategy and whether it fits your current and future goals.
Security questions to ask any provider
CISA is clear that outsourcing IT to a managed service provider does not remove your own responsibility for managing risk (CISA). Before you sign, ask:
Who is responsible for what? Agree in writing on who applies patches, maintains hardware and trains employees, using a shared responsibility model (CISA). NIST’s Cybersecurity Framework 2.0 calls for cybersecurity roles and responsibilities with suppliers and partners to be established and communicated (NIST CSF 2.0).
What are our most critical assets? A good partner helps you build an inventory of systems and data and prioritize protection by importance to the business (CISA).
How is access secured? Every administrative login should use multifactor authentication, and CISA calls phishing-resistant MFA the gold standard (CISA). Third parties are slow to fix this: only 23% fully remediated missing or weak MFA on their cloud accounts (Verizon DBIR).
Will this provider be around? CISA notes that a vendor’s financial health can signal future service disruptions (CISA). Ask how long the company has been in business and who will actually support you.
How Starfish Computer works with clients
Since 1994, Starfish Computer has put client needs at the front of everything we do. We start with real conversations to understand your business and the “why” behind each request. That way, the technology we recommend is not just installed, it is aligned with your objectives and makes financial and operational sense for your situation.
Find your IT partner with Starfish Computer
If you are looking for an IT partner that understands your business goals and takes security seriously, contact Starfish Computer. We will walk through your current environment, answer the questions above and show you how we would tailor IT support to your business.
Protect your business: start with an assessment
The question isn’t whether your business will face a cyber threat, but whether you’ll be ready when it does. Since 1994, Starfish Computer Corporation has helped businesses across Northeast Ohio:
Assess current security posture and risk
Plan a cybersecurity roadmap aligned to NIST CSF 2.0
Implement the right tools and processes for your size and budget
Train your team on today’s threats, including AI-driven scams
Support and improve your security over time
Call (440) 808-0468 or visit starfishcomputer.com to schedule a security assessment.
About the author
R.J. Arhar is President of Starfish Computer Corporation. He has more than 35 years of experience in IT, served as a consultant to the National Institutes of Health, led IT operations for an international security company with more than 8,000 users, and is the author of Attack or Defend – When is Enough Cybersecurity Enough?
This post provides general cybersecurity guidance. Requirements vary by industry and business. Statistics are current as of October 2026; consult Starfish Computer Corporation for a plan tailored to your risk profile.