With security becoming important than ever before, it’s come to our attention that some security champions have been valiantly defending not only their realm, but also assisting others in the tactics of defense and stopping attackers from getting to the crown jewels.
At Microsoft Security, we are looking to get them the recognition they deserve, starting with an MVP award!
What’s the MVP award?
The MVP award is a statement of your dedication to the community, a thanks from Microsoft, and comes with benefits like invitations to exclusive Microsoft events, subscriptions with early access to products and direct communication channels with the product group.
For instance, within Microsoft 365 Defender Security group, we have a dedicated private channel for MVPs to directly engage with Product Group experts and other fellow Security MVPs. There are many Award Categories with a number of Contribution Areas focused on Developer and IT Pro products and services.
Sounds amazing, how do I become an MVP?
The MVP award is given to the brightest and best community leaders for sharing their passion and technical knowledge for the benefit of others. Nomination referrals are submitted by current MVPs or a Microsoft Full Time Employee (FTE). To be nominated, your efforts have to be noticed, so today we will cover some of the common pathways and stories of our MVPs to help you on your journey!
You can also read what it takes to be an MVP to get more insights and advice.
How do I contribute to the Security award category?
For the new Security award category, we are always welcoming experts helping the community in the following contribution areas:
- Cloud Security
- Identity & Access
- SIEM & XDR
Putting it all together, with some examples:
So, let's say you'd like to be a Security MVP, you're focused on one of the key areas we are taking nominations for, and you have a passion for helping others in the community. Some of the things we are seeking are, but not limited to:
- Being a technical expert - We've already covered that deep technical knowledge is key, but did you consider that if you're new to a product, your journey of discovery and learning would be hugely beneficial to others in the same position? You have a unique perspective which would be of great use to others in the same position, just like someone who has been working with a product for years will have more advanced knowledge and tips equally as valuable to those in a similar position.
- Active in the community - You don't need to have a super blog to be a community champion, things like the Tech Community (for example: Microsoft Defender for Office 365 - Microsoft Community Hub) give you a place to share ideas, help others with problems and connect with Microsoft product teams, you may find your community uses a mailing list, or LinkedIn group. - essentially where you find your fellow community members, that's a great place to help.
- Content creation - Videos on sites like YouTube benefit the people who like to learn by seeing, blogs and contributions to Microsoft Docs via GitHub can help those who prefer reading, speaking at events or running workshops can assist those who would prefer to listen or get hands on. - Did the advanced hunting query you had during the most recent migration really make the difference? - share it with the community. And don't forget to signpost others to useful content you found yourself on your journey.
So, as you can see, there really is a wealth of ways you can help others, show off your expertise & get noticed. Never be afraid to step outside the box, think differently & if you struggled to understand something, or find an answer you needed, chances are there are others in the same boat, and you could be the person who really helps them be successful.
Submit this form if you’re an active contributor within the Security realm or would like to start at it, and we can point you in the right direction to getting your knighthood (MVP award)!
Hear from some of our existing Security MVPs
Check out this amazing upcoming episode on the Virtual Ninja Training Show to hear experiences from some of the Security MVPs. (The recording will be available post-event at aka.ms/ninjashow)
Read about Security MVP stories at the Security MVP Spotlight blog.
See examples of some global events from 2022 where MVPs were involved:
- Microsoft MVP & RD Global Summit
- Microsoft Ignite
- Microsoft Exchange Community (MEC) Technical Airlift
- Microsoft 365 Virtual Marathon
- India Cloud Security Summit
- Workplace Ninja Summit
- Experts Live
- Midwest Management Summit
- Identity Days (Cybersecurity on identity and access management)
- Modern Workplace Conference (Paris)
- Cloud Identity Summit
- PowerShell Hackathon
Thanks for reading, we look forward to seeing your contributions!
