Hi Woody,
welcome to the IJug!
As for your question, two different aspects, hosting and looking after your joomla site (and its security).
Looking after your site is something I do professionally, so if you want some professional advice, pm me. You cannot leave security with your host. They can make sure their server is secure, but they cannot do the same for your site.
Although I have had issues with Blacknight, they are Irish and offer a good service.