Live Replay WebinarBasic level

Cloud Computing for Accountants

Technology continues to expand at an exponential rate, creating many opportunities for you to improve your company’s efficiencies and lower your operating costs. Firms across the nation are quickly realizing the need to adopt these new technologies or risk being left behind. This presentation introduces the Cloud, one of the fastest-growing trends in Internet technology. It takes a deep dive into the major components, deployment methods, service providers, and applications. It aims to help attendees have a good working knowledge of how the Cloud and Internet work so they can better implement these technologies in their organizations. This essential course explores the use of how the Cloud can be used inside your organization and the benefits and risks of moving to the Cloud. The course discusses the differences between the different levels of cloud technology, applications vs. thin clients, the role of mobile apps, and different types of Internet connections. Finally, many examples of actions your office can take to move to the cloud are explored, outlining the risks and benefits of these actions.

CPE Credits2

Field of Study Information Technology

Instructor Stephen Yoss

PublishedDec 3, 2025

NASBA sponsor ID167619

Ways to save

Save $10.56 with a credit pass

At the 40-Credit Pass rate ($22.22 a credit with the bonus), this 2-credit course comes to about $44.44: $10.56 less than buying it on its own.

Or start smaller: the 10-Credit Pass ($275.00) pays for it and leaves you 8 credits for more.

Year-end bonus: up to 5 free credits through Dec 31.

Certain conditions apply: not valid for the Federal Tax Update. Pass terms

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Watch

3:17 The security mistake that causes data breachesStephen Yoss breaks down three critical security practices for cloud accounting platforms: individual logins for accountability, role-based permissions to limit access, and immediate account termination when employees leave. Learn how proper configuration prevents costly data breaches before they happen.

2:16 Why One Backup Is Not EnoughStephen Yoss breaks down his multi-layered backup strategy for critical business data—from hourly snapshots to cross-provider cloud storage. Learn why relying solely on Microsoft 365 or Google's built-in sync falls short, and discover the RPO/RTO framework that protects against account lockouts and data loss. Watch to understand the minimum backup layers your business needs.

2:40 The Hidden Cost of Cloud: Internet DependencyStephen Yoss walks through real examples of how Internet outages and cloud service downtime can devastate your operations—from GitHub's 8-hour outage that slowed development to primary connection failures. Learn why redundant internet and failover systems aren't optional when your business runs on the cloud.

3:28 Vendor Lock-In: When You Can't Leave (The Expensify & Adobe Reality)Stephen Yoss breaks down the hidden terms embedded in popular SaaS subscriptions—from Expensify's lock-in clauses to Adobe's annual billing traps to AWS savings plans that commit you to minimum spend. Learn what happens when cloud vendors own your data and why negotiating fees becomes nearly impossible once you're locked in. Understanding these contract structures is critical for managing your company's software costs.

What's included

Every registration comes with the course materials — yours to keep.

Course presentation PDF
Additional course files PDF

Course details

Recommended CPE credit: 2
Field of study: Information Technology
Program level: Basic
Delivery method: Group Internet Based
Prerequisites: None
Advance preparation: None
Course number: 26c01400

CPE Today (Devmatics, LLC) is registered with the National Association of State Boards of Accountancy (NASBA) as a sponsor of continuing professional education on the National Registry of CPE Sponsors (Sponsor ID 167619). State boards of accountancy have final authority on the acceptance of individual courses for CPE credit. Complaints regarding registered sponsors may be submitted to the National Registry of CPE Sponsors through its website, nasbaregistry.org. For information about our refund, complaint, and program cancellation policies, see Company Policies or contact [email protected].

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Your instructor

Stephen Yoss

Speaker & Author · CPE Today · ★ 4.7 instructor rating

Stephen M. Yoss, Jr., CPA, MS, is a certified public accountant, partner and CEO of Devmatics, LLC, a continuing education instructor for financial professionals, and a licensed pyrotechnician. While his interests and skills are varied, they all share a common thread—his love for and skill in finding technology-based solutions. In 2017, Stephen and Alex White formed Devmatics, LLC, a company focused on helping...

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Common questions

I'm a solo practitioner with limited IT knowledge—is this course going to be too technical for me?

No. This course is designed for accounting professionals at any technical level. Stephen walks through the fundamentals using real accounting examples like QuickBooks Online versus Desktop, and explains cloud concepts through everyday metaphors (like Netflix versus owning a DVD). You'll learn what cloud *is* and *why* it matters to your firm without needing to configure servers or write code.

Will this help me actually reduce costs, or does cloud just mean paying forever?

Both are true, and Stephen addresses this honestly. You'll learn the real trade-off: cloud replaces large upfront hardware purchases with monthly subscription fees. The course includes a cost comparison framework and a case study showing when cloud makes financial sense for a CPA firm. You'll also discover that hybrid approaches—using cloud for client-facing systems and self-hosting secondary services—can cut costs dramatically if you have good internet access.

What if my internet goes down? Will I be completely stuck?

Yes, that's a real risk, and Stephen emphasizes it. The course shows you how to plan for this by having redundant internet (like fiber plus Starlink), by understanding what you can do offline, and by designing your systems so a temporary outage doesn't cripple your firm. You'll learn what Recovery Time Objective (RTO) and Recovery Point Objective (RPO) mean and how to set realistic goals for your business.

Our firm uses QuickBooks Desktop. Do I really need to move to the cloud?

Stephen explains the difference between QuickBooks Desktop (legacy, your responsibility to maintain) and QuickBooks Online (cloud-based, continuously updated). Desktop isn't going away tomorrow, but Intuit has signaled its future is Online. The course covers when it makes sense to stay put versus migrate, including the costs and effort involved—and why some firms are actually moving *back* to on-premise alternatives using tools like NextCloud.

I'm worried about data security in the cloud. Isn't my data safer on my own server?

Counterintuitively, no. Stephen explains why: cloud providers have physical security (locked warehouses, biometric access) and logical security (encryption, redundancy, expert teams) that most firms cannot afford. The course covers encryption at rest and in transit, the Shared Responsibility Model, and why ransomware attacks are actually *less* likely on reputable cloud infrastructure. You'll also learn how to audit a vendor's security using SOC 2 reports.