If your only touchpoint with your co-managed IT provider is when something breaks — or once a year at contract renewal — it’s time to rethink the relationship.
Technology doesn’t sit still, and neither do the cyber threats targeting your business. That’s why quarterly check-ins with your co-managed partner aren’t optional. They’re essential.
But here’s the problem:
Most internal IT teams don’t know what to ask. Or worse — they don’t realize what their co-managed provider should be proactively bringing to the table.
That’s why we’ve built this cheat sheet. These 7 questions should be part of every quarterly conversation — to ensure your internal IT efforts are backed by a partner who’s not just filling gaps, but actively driving business continuity and security.
1. What Vulnerabilities Have You Identified in Our Environment?
Your co-managed provider should always have a pulse on your infrastructure. Ask them:
- Are there systems that still need patching?
- Is antivirus or EDR up-to-date across all endpoints?
- Have there been any red flags or near misses in the last 90 days?
You don’t want to discover a vulnerability after it’s been exploited. A proactive partner brings this to the table before you even ask.
2. Have Our Backups Been Tested Recently — And Are We Backing Up the Right Data?
You might have local backups. You might have cloud. But if your co-managed provider hasn’t tested recovery in the last quarter, that’s a problem.
Make sure they’re answering:
- When was our last full restore test?
- Are we covering mission-critical systems and cloud data?
- Are backups stored securely off-site?
- What’s our RTO/RPO — and has that changed?
Your backups are only as good as your ability to restore them — fast.
3. Are End-Users Following Security Best Practices?
Even the best internal security stack can be undone by human error.
You should be reviewing:
- Unusual login attempts or shadow IT behaviors
- Whether MFA is enforced company-wide
- Whether end-user phishing training is current and effective
- Who clicked what — and how quickly it was caught
A good co-managed IT partner helps coach your team and close the human loopholes.
4. How Is Our Network and System Performance Trending?
Your internal team already fields enough tickets. Let your co-managed partner help solve the root causes:
- Are recurring slowness or outages being logged?
- Are we hitting capacity on any hardware or SaaS licenses?
- Is there an optimization opportunity we’ve overlooked?
Better performance = fewer tickets and a more productive team.
5. Are We Still Compliant With Industry Regulations and Cyber Insurance Requirements?
Your compliance burden doesn’t disappear just because you share IT responsibilities.
Ask your partner:
- Are we up to date on HIPAA, PCI-DSS, SOC 2, or state-level laws?
- Have policies or frameworks changed since last quarter?
- Are we aligned with evolving cyber liability insurance requirements?
A strong co-managed partner helps keep you audit-ready and legally covered.
6. What IT Investments or Upgrades Should We Be Planning For?
You don’t need surprises. You need foresight.
Get insight into:
- Licensing renewals or software nearing end-of-life
- Hardware replacement timelines
- Security tools worth budgeting for
- Any project recommendations for Q2/Q3
If your partner isn’t helping you plan ahead, they’re not helping you grow.
7. What Cybersecurity or Tech Trends Should Be On Our Radar?
The right co-managed IT partner isn’t just filling support tickets — they’re thinking like a CIO.
Ask:
- Are we falling behind on any emerging threats or standards?
- Are there automation, cloud, or AI tools we should consider?
- What are similar companies doing that we’re not?
- Where could we be more secure — or more efficient?
It’s their job to keep your internal team competitive, not just reactive.
If You’re Not Having These Conversations, That’s a Red Flag 🚩
If your co-managed IT provider can’t clearly and confidently answer these questions — or worse, if they never bring them up — it’s time to reevaluate the partnership.
Co-managed IT isn’t just a help desk extension. It’s a strategic alliance. You need a partner who helps you stay ahead of threats, avoid outages, reduce internal workload, and scale smart.
✅ Want a 2nd Opinion?
We offer FREE Security Assessments designed specifically for co-managed IT environments. Whether you want to benchmark your current provider or validate your internal practices, we’ll show you exactly where you’re solid — and where you’re exposed.
🔍 Click here to book your free assessment today.
Let’s get your next quarter off to a smarter, safer, and more strategic start.