CIS Cyber Defence Specialist

Spektrum supports apex purchasers (NATO, UN, EU, and National Government and Defence) and their Tier 1 supplier ecosystem with a wide range of specialist services. We provide our clients with professional services, specialised aerospace and defence sales, delivery, and operational subject matter expertise. We are looking for personnel to join our team and support key client projects.

Who we are supporting 

The NATO Communication and Information Agency (NCIA) is responsible for providing secure and effective communications and information technology (IT) services to NATO's member countries and its partners. The agency was established in 2012 and is headquartered in Brussels, Belgium.

The NCIA provides a wide range of services, including:

• Cyber Security: The NCIA provides advanced cybersecurity solutions to protect NATO's communication networks and information systems against cyber threats.
• Command and Control Systems: The NCIA develops and maintains the systems used by NATO's military commanders to plan and execute operations.
• Satellite Communications: The NCIA provides satellite communications services to enable secure and reliable communications between NATO forces.
• Electronic Warfare: The NCIA provides electronic warfare services to support NATO's mission to detect, deny, and defeat threats to its communication networks.
• Information Management: The NCIA manages NATO's information technology infrastructure, including its databases, applications, and servers.

Overall, the NCIA plays a critical role in ensuring the security and effectiveness of NATO's communication and information technology capabilities.

The program

Assistance and Advisory Service (AAS)

The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCI Agency) is NATO’s principal C3 capability deliverer and CIS service provider. It provides, maintains and defends the NATO enterprise-wide information technology infrastructure to enable Allies to consult together under Article IV, and, when required, stand together in the face of attack under Article V.

To provide these critical services, in the modern evolving dynamic environment the NCI Agency needs to build and maintain high performance-engaged workforce. The NCI Agency workforce strategically consists of three major categorise's: NATO International Civilians (NIC)'s, Military (Mil), and Interim Workforce Consultants (IWC)'s. The IWCs are a critical part of the overall NCI Agency workforce and make up approximately 15 percent of the total workforce.

Role Background

The NCI Agency has been established with a view to meeting the collective requirements of some or all NATO nations in the fields of capability delivery and service provision related to Consultation, Command & Control as well as Communications, Information and Cyber Defence functions, thereby also facilitating the integration of Intelligence, Surveillance, Reconnaissance, Target Acquisition functions and their associated information exchange.

As per NATO directive “Minimum Level of Communication and Information Systems Capabilities at Land Tactical Level” [MC(2019)0640], the Mission Network Operation Centre (MNOC) contains the Mission Cyber Security Operation Centre (MCSOC), which is the central mission service management and cyber security operations centre. The MCSOC provides mission-wide Cyber Defence (CD)/CIS Security visibility to the mission commander and coordinating/facilitating CD/CIS Security related reporting, incident management, coordination of incident responses, etc., for DCIS operating in exercises or actual operations.

The MCSOC is expected to be supported by staff from the NATO Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the NATO CIS Group (NCISG). Deployed systems are connected to static primarily via SATCOM link, so dependency on this need to be carefully planned and managed. The MNOC also has a controlled interface to existing fixed systems (e.g. NATO Secret – NS).

The MCSOC has further relationships to other NATO programmes, systems, policies, processes, and procedures that need to be integrated or reflected in developing requirements as NATO enterprise strategy evolves (for example, Federated Mission Networking).

Role Duties and Responsibilities

Development and baselining of existing documentation (AS-IS)

• Update the existing MCSOC documentation (produced in 2022 and 2023) to reflect the change of focus from the NRF towards the emerging concept of an Allied Reaction Force (ARF);
• Continuation of the previous ACT Programme of Work;
• Update the DCIS CD roadmap from 2024;
• Update MCSOC documentation;
• Update / further develop the Identity and Access management concept developed in 2022.

Reviewing, integrating, and referencing documentation

• Review and integration of aspects from previous MCSOC documentation (produced in 2022 and 2023);
• Review the Identity and Access management concept developed in 2022.

Development of a Target Architecture (TO-BE) and its technical analysis

• Develop a Programme of Work product, delivered as a standard NCI Agency Technical Report.
• With the aim to:
  • Identify DCIS specific requirements and gaps to implement NATO’s Cyber Defence Regulations in the deployed environment and explore and propose possible solutions and develop a roadmap for implementation of Cyber Defence requirements in to the DCIS environment.
  • Review and further develop the existing MCSOC Concept of Employment (CONEMP) in line with emerging and changing requirements of DCIS and other adjacent programmes of work in NATO.
  • Review and further develop the existing concept documentation for federated SOC operation, including uplift of MSOC documentation to reflect the latest changes to Federated Mission Networking (FMN) Spirals.
  • Create and/or update additional MCSOC project documentation as directed by the Technical Lead (TL) and Project Manager (PM).

Essential Skills and Experience

They shall have extensive knowledge and experience (totalling more than 10 years) in Cyber Security and Information Security. More specifically:

• Certification on Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP);
• Proven experience of at least 2 years in any of the activities below:
  • Concept development in the area of cyber security;
  • Cyber as a domain operational concepts;
  • Working in a Security Operations Centre;
  • Setting up processes for a Security Operations Centre;
  • Setting up SIEM/Logging, Firewalls and NIDS/NIPS/HIDS concepts;
  • Converting requirements into security architectures and technically feasible solutions;
  • System design, architecture, and implementation;
  • NATO organisational structures and relationships with NATO and Partner nations;
  • Working within a complex customer environment and multi-national team;

Desirable Skills and Experience

• Knowledge to evaluate and assess scenarios for cyber security threat / risk ratios;
• Ability to independently produce and edit technical documentation and scientific reports in English;
• Excellent communications skills; and
• Good understanding of project management methodologies.

Education

• Sc. or PhD in Information Security or in a related field of study;

Working Location

• Remote

Working Policy

• Off-Site

Travel

• Some travel to other NATO sites may be required

Security Clearance

• Valid National or NATO Secret personal security clearance