Updated October 2026. Originally published April 3, 2024.
Cloud services let your team work from anywhere, scale up as you grow and reach the same data from the office or the road. But the cloud also changes where your risk lives. Breaches involving a third party, such as a software or service provider, reached 48% of all breaches in Verizon’s 2026 report, up 60% from the year before (Verizon DBIR). Starfish Computer Corporation builds custom cloud solutions that match your business goals and are configured securely from the start.
Key considerations for your cloud strategy
Define your goals. Start with what you want the cloud to do for you. Whether it’s speed, connectivity, collaboration or remote access, your goals should guide every platform and software decision.
Flexibility and agility. Your team should be able to work effectively in the office or remotely without giving up speed or access. A good cloud design supports both from day one.
Customized solutions. Avoid one-size-fits-all approaches. Your business is unique, and your cloud environment should be built around your specific applications, users and requirements.
Security built in. Cloud platforms are only as secure as their settings. CISA and NSA guidance for cloud customers covers identity and access management, key management, network segmentation and encryption, securing data and managing the risks of service providers (CISA).
Configuration is where cloud security succeeds or fails
Many cloud problems come from settings nobody revisited. When Verizon tracked cloud exposures at third-party organizations, only 23% fully fixed missing or poorly configured multifactor authentication on their cloud accounts, and resolving half of the weak password and permission findings took almost eight months (Verizon DBIR). IBM’s 2026 research found that 53% of breached organizations lacked encryption (IBM via Baker Donelson).
Free government tools help close those gaps. CISA’s Secure Cloud Business Applications (SCuBA) project publishes secure configuration baselines for Microsoft 365 and Google Workspace, and its ScubaGear tool checks a Microsoft 365 tenant against them (CISA). Strong sign-in protection matters just as much: CISA calls phishing-resistant MFA the gold standard and urges organizations to make moving to it a high priority (CISA).
A consultative approach
At Starfish Computer Corporation, we start by understanding your objectives. With that in hand, we recommend and implement the cloud platforms and software that fit your infrastructure, migrate your data carefully, and set up the security controls, backups and monitoring to protect it. The goal is a solution that improves how your business runs while staying scalable and secure.
Build your cloud strategy with Starfish Computer
Whether you are moving to the cloud for the first time or untangling a setup that grew without a plan, we can help. Contact Starfish Computer Corporation to schedule a consultation and build a cloud strategy that moves your business forward.
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.