Information Systems Security Officer, Classified (#1875)

BACKGROUND

The National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center (NBACC) is a one-of-a-kind facility located on Fort Detrick in Frederick MD and is dedicated to defending the nation against biological threats. Its work supports DHS and National biodefense preparedness planning, response, emerging threat characterization and bioforensic analyses. It is the first national laboratory created by DHS in response to biodefense gaps identified following the Amerithrax attacks of 2001 and has been operated by the Battelle National Biodefense Institute (BNBI) since 2006. Since its inception, NBACC and its staff have filled critical shortfalls in our scientific knowledge of biological agents needed to protect the public and defend the Nation from biological threats, whether naturally occurring, accidental, or deliberate and provided federal law enforcement with scientific data to support the investigation and attribution of biocrimes and protection of the US bioeconomy.

NBACC includes two centers: the National Bioforensic Analysis Center (NBFAC), which conducts the technical analyses in support of federal law enforcement investigations, and the National Biological Threat Characterization Center (NBTCC), which conducts experiments and studies to obtain data required for a better understanding of biological vulnerabilities and hazards. Together these centers offer a unique national resource for understanding the risks posed by biological agents and emerging technologies to inform biodefense policy and response planning and the operational capability to support the investigation, prosecution, and prevention of biocrimes and bioterrorism.

PRIMARY FUNCTION

The Information Systems Security Officer, Classified (ISSO, Classified) advises the Network Security Manager (NSM), IT Manager, and System Owner on NBACC Information Systems security matters for the systems assigned. This individual must ensure that NBACC IT Systems are compliant with DHS information security policies, regulations and requirements and must complete and maintain assigned system Authorization and Accreditation (A&A) requirements. The ISSO, Classified, serves as the primary point of contact for all security matters related to the assigned systems and supports the NSM to ensure implementation of an Information Security Program is maintained throughout NBACC.

MINIMUM REQUIRED QUALIFICATIONS

• Bachelor's Degree (or equivalent), preferably in Cybersecurity and/or Computer and Information Systems related studies and a minimum of 4 years of related experience.
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) preferred, although other security certifications will be considered.
• Federal cybersecurity policy and compliance experience are required.
• Experience working in a secure environment is desired.
• Strong understanding and working knowledge of information security principles and risk assessment/risk management techniques.
• Experience with security technologies including vulnerability scanning, firewalls & log analysis, host-based detection tools, Security Event and Incident Management (SEIM), antivirus, network packet analyzers, malware analysis, and forensics tools.
• Ability to interpret, analyze, and report significant event findings and anomalies in accordance with computer network directives.
• Experience managing COMSEC is highly desired.
• Skills and experience to support laboratory activities and work in accordance with NBACC's management system (e.g., ISO).
• Must be a citizen of the United States, able to obtain and maintain an interim secret clearance leading to a top-secret suitability for DHS. SCI clearance required.
• Participation in the Immunization Program, Medical Surveillance Program and/or enrollment in the Personnel Reliability (PRP) is required.
• May be required to participate in NBACC's alternative work and/or on-call schedule, dependent upon business needs.

PRIMARY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Serves as the principal point of contact for all IT security aspects pertaining to the classified IT systems for which the ISSO is responsible.
• Familiarity with 4300C policies.
• Works closely with the Component ISSM and DHS CISO staff, as appropriate, to interpret and apply IT security policies and procedures.
• Ensures that the NSM and the IT Manager are kept informed of all pertinent matters involving security or non-compliance of IT systems.
• Works with other ISSOs and the NSM as needed, to maintain, enhance and optimize the technologies that are currently deployed within the organization.
• Works with system owners to document system vulnerabilities and weaknesses in Plans of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms) and to initiate corrective actions.
• Employs automated tools approved by the DHS CISO, such as Nessus, CSAM, SwimLane, Crowdstrike.
• Ensures that all NBACC personnel receive computer security awareness training as part of the onboarding process and ensures that all security measures are in place with NBACC personnel offboarding. In addition, ensures that all security procedures are in place and performed in the case of terminated employee specifically to prevent unauthorized access.
• Responsible for performing vulnerability scanning and analysis, eliminating false-positives, and providing administrators with relevant reports to assist in mitigating or removing actual threats.
• Performs monitoring and data correlation to events of interest using multiple tools such as system event logs, IPS/IDS logs, network traffic, anti-virus console and client end-point software.
• Maintains all documentation and security artifacts detailing the information systems purpose, implemented controls, inventory of hardware, firmware, and software, configurations and other security relevant details. Develops and maintains the system security plan for every IT system assigned.
• Evaluates proposed modifications to assigned NBACC classified information systems, ensures modifications meet regulatory compliance and provides input on the impact of system changes to security to the NSM.
• Assists in the development of system modifications and system change proposals and ensures that security procedures are in place and performed to prevent unauthorized access.
• Performs tuning for security monitoring products and customizes tools to automate security processes and event correlation, as needed.
• Audits and evaluates back-up and disaster recovery plans to identify weaknesses.
• Researches the latest information technology security trends to increase the organization's situational awareness and stay up to date on the latest methods attackers are using to infiltrate computer systems.
• Recommends tools and implementation of security controls based on directives, vulnerability matrix, and threat advisories. Provides summary reports of events and activities and delivers metric reports as needed.
• Must be a team player, communicate clearly, be open to hearing ideas and suggestions from others, diffuse situations, and exercise empathy and patience with colleagues.
• Must have the ability to multi-task, maintain composure under pressure, and utilize effective time management skills to prioritize tasks.
• Must be a self-starter driven by an eagerness to succeed, maintain flexibility, adapt to change in a productive and positive manner, learn new concepts, and utilize critical thinking to resolve complex problems.
• Maintains appropriate records.
• Performs other duties as assigned/authorized.