The Tek

The Tek, based at 111 Old Williamson Rd in Raleigh, NC, works with businesses that need more than baseline antivirus and a firewall — particularly registered investment advisors and finance firms, a niche recognized by the company's listing on the Schwab Marketplace as one of the few cybersecurity providers offering specialized services for that sector. Founder and CEO Joey Costa, an engineer with more than 20 years in cybersecurity, IT, and network management, built the firm's approach around the NIST framework, layering multiple proven security products rather than relying on a single tool.

Services span managed IT, security audits, penetration testing, incident response planning, and security awareness training, alongside infrastructure work like firewall deployment and remote workforce protection for employees, contractors, and vendors working outside a central office. A 24x7 Security Operations Center provides what the company calls "eyes on glass" monitoring, backing up the automated defenses with human review. On the endpoint side, the firm evaluated virus protection platforms across the market and settled on Sophos for its AI-driven detection.

Beyond core security, The Tek also runs a custom VOIP phone solution that can be hosted onsite or offsite, and handles the day-to-day upgrades and process streamlining that fall under managed IT. COO Jim Cumming, an enterprise executive with more than two decades in sales, operations, marketing, and management, rounds out a leadership team built around long-tenured operational and technical experience rather than a generalist bench.