Rakesh Datta – Security and Privacy Lead for Microsoft’s disruptive SASE Launch
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Rakesh Datta - Security and Privacy Lead for Microsoft's disruptive SASE Launch
Additional Info
| Job title of nominated professional (or team name) | Senior Technical Leader |
| Company (where nominated professional or team is working) | Microsoft Corporation |
| Website | https://www.linkedin.com/in/rakeshdatta/ |
| Company size (employees) | 10,000 or more |
| Country | United States |
| Headquarters Region | North America |
Overview
Rakesh Datta, a Senior Technical Leader and Software Architect at Microsoft Corporation (USA), is globally recognized as a preeminent figure in networking and security industry space. At Microsoft, he commands a pivotal role in steering one of the key portfolios driving the company’s recent disruptive launch, the SASE/ZTNA initiative. Rakesh’s expertise in cybersecurity is highly sought after worldwide, resulting in numerous prestigious accolades, including recognition in the Fox Interviewer’s ‘Most Influential 40 Under 40’ leaders for 2023-2024, the Indian Achievers Award in 2023, and induction into Facebook’s esteemed Whitehat Security Researcher Hall of Fame.
Accomplishments
• At Microsoft, Rakesh led the groundbreaking launch of the Zero-Trust-Network-Access
or SASE product, overseeing the creation of a cutting-edge security and privacy engineering team. He crafted a state-of-the-art observability framework, prioritizing customer data privacy and GDPR compliance, tailored for 20 multi-tenant cloud and on-premises services. Managing a global fleet of 6000 service instances, this effort processed all Microsoft O365 and internet traffic, handling millions of requests per second.
• As security architect for the Zero-Trust-Network-Access product, Rakesh meticulously managed its security posture, uncovering numerous vulnerabilities and implementing robust engineering frameworks (threat models, component governance etc.) across 20 development teams. His strategic approach facilitated a seamless transition to worldwide public preview, marking a significant milestone in Microsoft's $52 billion projected SASE market entry, with a forecasted revenue of $7 billion, gaining widespread attention within the industry, as evidenced by CNBC's coverage(https://www.cnbc.com/2023/07/12/palo-alto-networks-and-zscaler-tumble-as-microsoft-expands-in-security.html). Rakesh's contributions to this massive historical moment, garnered substantial media recognition(https://www.khaleejtimes.com/kt-network/rakesh-datta-building-microsofts-disruptive-network-security-product).
• Rakesh's cybersecurity expertise extends beyond Microsoft, earning him recognition as an ethical hacking expert. His contributions to tech giants like Facebook have garnered widespread media attention (https://www.freepressjournal.in/tech/indian-engineers-shine-in-facebooks-whitehat-bug-bounty-awards-programme) and prestigious awards, solidifying his position among the industry's top cybersecurity researchers.
• Rakesh is dedicated to giving back, sharing his knowledge by mentoring students at San Jose State University (USA) and collaborating on groundbreaking cybersecurity research. He's a respected public speaker, presenting at conferences like DeveloperWeek and LinuxFest. Rakesh also serves as a judge for prestigious industry awards such as the Globee Awards, BrandonHall Awards, and Cloud Award, reviewing projects worldwide.
