THE OFFICIAL BLOG OF THE SBS "DIVA"

Steve Riley on Security : Good bye, and good luck:
http://blogs.technet.com/steriley/archive/2009/05/06/good-bye-and-good-luck.aspx

Welcome to my new home - Steve Riley:
http://msinfluentials.com/blogs/steveriley/archive/2009/05/06/welcome-to-my-new-home.aspx

Layoffs hit Microsoft security unit | Zero Day | ZDNet.com:
http://blogs.zdnet.com/security/?p=3329

When a firm makes cuts, it's hard.  When I firm makes really stupid cuts is when I go, hang on, that's really really stupid decision to make.

So I sent an email to Steve Ballmer (steveb@microsoft.com)  to let him know how stupid I thought this layoff was.  I've reprinted it below:

Mr. Ballmer. 

I want you to know how grave a mistake is being made with some of the layoffs you are making.

Last Friday the California Society of Certified Public Accountants Technology committee met at Microsoft and the Microsoft Trustworthy Computing Team was gracious enough to allow Steve Riley to present to the group.  During the session it was clear that Steve made great strides in communicating to the members of the committee that in turn go back and give information back to 33,000 CalCPA members that Microsoft cared about Security, that they were winning on Security and that ensuring that as business owners we continue to choose Microsoft solutions was the way to go.

But this is not the first time I've had the pleasure to see firsthand how he singlehandedly has changed perceptions of Microsoft with your customers.  I have seen audiences at past TechEd Conferences impressed and gaining trust of Microsoft practices with his words as well as people reading his word in various blogs, magazines and other resources.  I've also been told repeatedly by various customers of how their perception of Microsoft's security has been raised by his honesty, clarity and trust that he presents when he is representing Microsoft.  He has truly been your ambassador to changing perceptions to thousands and thousands of IT Professionals, Business Decision Makers, and has impacted the perception of Microsoft from small businesses to large enterprises.

Today I found out that as part of the firm cutbacks, you have laid off Mr. Riley and many in his group.  I can't tell you how deeply disturbed I am, not only as a business decision maker, Community influencer but mainly as a Shareholder of Microsoft that you are impacting one of Microsoft's greatest assets.  We need Mr. Riley and people like him that can communicate what WE in the business community need to do to make better security choices more than ever.

May I respectfully request that you personally review this decision and understand how much it makes me personally question Microsoft's commitment to security, security education and that of its customers.  I am deeply troubled by this layoff and you should be as well.  To me, this is a grave mistake and is deeply impacting my perception of Microsoft's continued commitment to Security. 

Susan Bradley, CPA, CITP, GSEC

Microsoft Shareholder
Small Business Server Most Valuable Professional