IT DUE DILIGENCE FOR M&A
Hidden IT Risk Doesn't Kill Deals.
Undiscovered IT Risk Does
Here's the free IT Due Diligence Checklist — the same framework RIATA uses to help brokers and buyers turn technical findings into price adjustments, escrow terms, and negotiation leverage before close, not surprise expenses after it.
IT DUE DILIGENCE FOR M&A
HIDDEN IT RISK DOESN'T KILL DEALS.UNDISCOVERED IT RISK DOES
Here's the free IT Due Diligence Checklist — the same framework RIATA uses to help brokers and buyers turn technical findings into price adjustments, escrow terms, and negotiation leverage before close, not surprise expenses after it.
WHAT BROKERS ALREADY KNOW
A DEAL CAN CLOSE CLEANLY AND STILL LEAK VALUE POST-CLOSE.
NOT THE QUESTION
"Does the target have computers?"
THE REAL QUESTION
"What cost or liability is the buyer inheriting?"
01 - HIGH
CYBERSECURITY EXPOSURE
Missing MFA, EDR, backups, monitoring, or firewall controls.
02 - HIGH
COMPLIANCE / REGULATORY EXPOSURE
HIPAA, legal, financial, privacy, vendor, or contract obligations.
03 · MODERATE
INFRASTRUCTURE TECHNICAL DEBT
Aging servers, unsupported operating systems, old network gear.
04 · MODERATE
DATA CONTROL & CLOUD SPRAWL
Scattered files, personal devices, unmanaged SaaS, weak permissions.
05 - HIGH
ACCESS TO SENSITIVE DATA
Who holds admin access today, and whether it's ever been audited.
06 - LOW
IT POLICIES & DEPENDENCY
No onboarding, offboarding, access review, or written IT procedures.
07- MODERATE
CYBER INSURANCE GAPS
Coverage may be missing, limited, or invalidated by weak controls.
Turning Diligence Into Deal Terms
NEGOTIATION LEVERS BROKERS CAN USE
The output of this checklist isn't a technical report for the seller's IT guy — it's leverage for the negotiating table.
01
Purchase price adjustment tied to remediation costs.
02
Escrow holdback for unresolved cyber or compliance items.
03
Seller-funded remediation before close for urgent gaps.
04
Reps and warranties tied to security posture.
Who's Behind the Checklist
TOMMY WALD
IT Due Diligence & M&A Advisor for MSPs · CEO, RIATA Technologies
Tommy Wald has sat on every side of the MSP M&A table — as a founder who built and sold an IT services company, as an acquirer who rolled up five bolt-on MSPs, and as an advisor who has helped private equity firms decide which MSPs are actually worth buying.
In 2011, Tommy sold the first iteration of RIATA Technologies but stayed on as minority owner and CEO. Using capital from that sale, he acquired five MSPs across Texas, growing RIATA from a single Austin office into a statewide platform of 120 employees. In 2013, he sold the company again — this time in full, to a national MSP platform then owned by Best Buy.
That second exit put Tommy on the other side of the deal. He moved into consulting, working with private equity firms — including Evergreen Services Group — to source MSP acquisition targets and lead the due diligence that determines whether a target is worth the price: evaluating the technology stack, contract terms, client concentration, staffing risk, and the operational gaps that don't show up in a seller's pitch deck.
In 2021, Tommy started RIATA Technologies again from scratch, once more building and scaling an Austin-based MSP — this time applying what a decade of buying, selling, and evaluating IT services companies teaches you about where the real risk and value live in a deal.
2011
Sell-side: Sold the first RIATA iteration; stayed on as minority owner and CEO.
Buy-Side
Integrated five MSP acquisitions and scaled RIATA to 120 employees statewide.
2013
Sell-side: Sold RIATA to a national MSP platform then owned by Best Buy.
PE Advisory
Advised private equity firms, including Evergreen, on MSP acquisition targets.
Diligence
Led technical reviews assessing whether MSP targets justified their asking price.
2021- Today
Refounded RIATA; brings an active operator's lens to every deal.
GET THE CHECKLIST
GET YOUR FREE IT DUE DILIGENCE CHECKLIST
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ALSO USEFUL IF YOU'RE CURRENTLY:
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Prepping a business for sale and want to fix IT issues before a buyer finds them.
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Mid-diligence on a target and need a document request list, fast.
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Backup verification status
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A PE firm standardizing IT diligence across a portfolio.
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A broker who wants to sound fluent in IT risk during the next listing call.