Expert Spotlight: Fortinet Solutions Engineering Manager Cody Starr

When asked about his professional journey, Cody Starr, Fortinet Solutions Engineering Manager at ACP, describes a career focused on technical proficiency and strategic expertise.

Cody brought more than a decade of experience to ACP from a notable tenure as a Systems Administrator/Technical Analyst in a prominent manufacturing company. His educational foundation was laid with a degree in Systems Administration from Midstate Tech in Stevens Point. 

Now, Cody serves as the Solutions Engineering Manager, overseeing a team of cybersecurity engineers dedicated to delivering industry-leading Fortinet cyber security solutions. On a daily basis, Cody is crafting effective solutions, offering technical support to the sales team, and staying up to date on ever-changing cyber security trends. His primary focus is on ensuring client success through efficient project management and the successful deployment of Fortinet solutions. 

We asked Cody about his most memorable projects and where the industry is moving. Here’s what he had to say.  

Q: What do you enjoy most about your career at ACP?

A: I thoroughly enjoy collaborating closely with our team of engineers and architects in this role. Witnessing the design and implementation of complex solutions by my team is a fascinating process. Over the past 12 months, we've successfully executed numerous enjoyable projects. With my new focus, I’m excited to continue contributing to these discussions and ensuring continued success for our customers. 

Q: How is Fortinet supporting businesses with their security fabric and how is the ACP team utilizing Fortinet to accelerate clients' digital transformation? 

As organizations continue their digital transformation journeys, they face an expanding attack surface and increasing network complexity. At the same time, cyber threats are becoming more automated and sophisticated. To ensure secure, high-performance user-to-application connections, organizations must adopt a new approach.

At ACP CreativIT, in close collaboration with our valued partner Fortinet, we are tackling these challenges directly. One of the core strategies we're leveraging is the implementation of a cybersecurity mesh architecture (CSMA), recognized by Gartner as a top strategic technology trend. Gartner predicts that organizations adopting CSMA within their collaborative ecosystems can reduce financial losses from cyberattacks by up to 90%.

While Gartner’s insight into CSMA may seem like a new initiative, Fortinet has been delivering this level of protection for over a decade through the Fortinet Security Fabric, a proven solution that integrates security across the entire digital infrastructure. 

Q: How do you see your practice innovating and changing?  

A: In the coming years, I foresee our technology practice evolving as we integrate AI for more efficient processes and decision-making.  

We'll continue to embrace the cloud, emphasizing hybrid models to enhance flexibility.  

Strengthening our security measures will be a priority to counter evolving cyber threats, and we'll focus on providing secure solutions for remote work. Ensuring data privacy and compliance will remain a key focus for our practice, and sustainability initiatives will be on our radar.   

Additionally, I anticipate exploring the benefits of edge computing for faster data processing. To stay current, I look forward to staying engaged with the latest industry insights.