Why Microsoft?
At Security Risk Advisors (SRA), we pride ourselves on being technology-agnostic, always prioritizing the most effective tools to secure our clients’ environments. Our expertise lies in utilizing these tools to strengthen security postures, manage incidents, and provide swift response services. While we maintain our agnostic stance, our insights as trusted advisors often lead us to recommend robust solutions like Microsoft’s Defender stack and Sentinel due to their proven effectiveness.
Over the past year, SRA has cultivated a stronger bond with Microsoft. This includes direct engagement with the engineers crafting these cutting-edge products and collaboration with Microsoft’s field teams who share our commitment to client success. As a result, you might notice an increased presence of Microsoft in our messaging and hear them highlighting SRA’s impactful contributions. Rest assured, our core mission remains unchanged: to be the trusted advisor for our clients, aligning with the technologies that best meet their unique needs.
What Does the Microsoft Partnership Mean for SRA?
Our enhanced partnership with Microsoft grants SRA privileged insights into Microsoft Security’s development roadmap. As a partner, we are in a unique position to advocate for our clients’ needs and to shape the tools and services that will best serve them. This encompasses a breadth of initiatives, from streamlining data loss prevention (DLP) integration with Sentinel to sharing Advanced Hunting Queries effectively, and even to demystifying licensing frameworks for better comprehension.
Within SRA, we have established a dedicated Microsoft expert group whose sole focus is to stay abreast of the latest innovations, ensuring that we consistently deliver industry best practices. This partnership also secures our invitation to exclusive previews of upcoming Microsoft features, giving us a glimpse into “what’s next.” Moreover, our close relationship enables us to participate in Microsoft’s incentive programs, further empowering us to enhance our services for current clients and expand our reach to new ones.
What Does the Microsoft Partnership Mean to Clients?
For organizations that leverage both Microsoft’s solutions and SRA’s services, our partnership signifies a unified front of defense. It’s about closing the loop between technology providers and security services to fortify your security and efficiently address incidents. SRA’s access to Microsoft’s customer incentive programs, such as the End Customer Investment Funds (ECIF), has already benefited numerous clients by reducing costs associated with deploying the Defender stack and optimizing Sentinel log ingestion.
An additional, optional advantage for our clients is the opportunity to feature in Microsoft-sponsored case studies. These narratives showcase the collaborative efforts between Microsoft, SRA, and you, the client, in securing your digital assets. Above all, our partnership ensures that SRA is always equipped with the latest Microsoft Security insights and actively represents your interests in every strategic discussion.
Our Approach to Partnerships
At Security Risk Advisors, our approach to forming partnerships is discerning and deliberate, with a laser focus on what serves our clients best. We align ourselves with technologies and solutions where our expertise can shine and where we can deliver the most value. While Microsoft is a key partner in our portfolio, it is important to note that they are part of a broader ecosystem of strategic alliances we cultivate. Our dedication to our clients is steadfast; irrespective of the partnerships we hold, our promise is to provide the highest caliber of security solutions to meet the diverse needs of those we serve.
Learn more about SRA’s partnerships here: https://sra.io/partnerships
Joe Cicero
Joe is the Director of Strategic Alliances, a role that harnesses his extensive expertise in building strategic partnerships and navigating the tech landscape. Tasked with spearheading collaborations between SRA, Microsoft, Cribl, and other leading technology firms such as Amazon and Google, Joe plays a crucial role in developing co-sell strategies and enhancing SRA's service offerings. His efforts are instrumental in refining SRA’s Microsoft services collateral and establishing deep connections within Microsoft engineering communities to stay ahead of functional releases and unique value propositions.
Joe's journey to SRA is underpinned by a distinguished tenure at Microsoft, where he demonstrated his exceptional ability to lead diverse teams, manage complex projects, and drive significant growth. As a Principal PM Manager, he doubled product revenue for nascent MDR service offerings and was pivotal in developing product roadmaps for Microsoft Defender Experts, showcasing his adeptness in translating feedback into actionable insights. His experience extends to managing large-scale initiatives, such as enhancing educational device management and fostering community engagement within the education sector.
Before embarking on his corporate journey, Joe was a dedicated history teacher in the Rochester City School District, where he led technological transformation efforts and managed Google Workplace for Education. This unique blend of educational and tech industry experience enriches Joe's approach to strategic alliances at SRA, allowing him to leverage a deep understanding of both the operational and partnership-building aspects of the tech world. His role at SRA not only marks a continuation of a career characterized by innovation and leadership but also reflects a commitment to driving forward the company's mission to deliver cutting-edge security solutions.