Deadline Date:
06 March 2025
Requirement Title: Support for Cyber Security Officer
Location of Performance:
Braine-L'Alleud, Wallonia, Belgium
Cost Not to Exceed:
NTE € 104,040
Required Start Date:
14 April 2025
Required Security Clearance:
NATO SECRET
This is a position within the NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA), an organization of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
NCI Agency – CloudOps team
The NATO Communications and Information Agency (NCIA) is dedicated to supporting NATO's strategic objectives, including the ambitious NATO 2030 agenda. As part of this commitment, we are spearheading the modernization and digital transformation of NATO’s IT services. Our focus is on leveraging public cloud technologies like Microsoft 365 and Intune, incorporating a security‐by‐design approach, and ensuring a seamless transition to a modern, collaborative workplace environment.
To achieve these goals, we are building a Cloud Operationsteam under the Cloud Portfolio, operating under the NATO Enterprise Cloud Operating Model (NECOM) and under the guidance of the Cloud Center of Excellence (CCoE). The NECOM framework provides a standardized approach for cloud service management, ensuring interoperability, scalability, and security across NATO's IT infrastructure. The Cloud Center of Excellence will serve as a hub for best practices, innovation, and expertise, driving the adoption and optimization of cloud technologies within NATO.
Objective:
The NCI Agency is embracing cloud services by transitioning to Microsoft 365 with a security‐centric design. This shift aims to enhance operational efficiency, collaboration, and security across the organization.
The main objectives of this statement of work can be summarized as follow:
- Efficient ITSM request handling;
- Compliance verification;
- Azure portal monitoring and dashboard management;
- Incident handling and coordination;
- Continuous improvement.
Under the direction/guidance of the CIS Security Manager, the Cyber Security Officer (Assistant) will be supporting the following activities:
Efficient ITSM request handling
- Promptly respond to and resolve IT Service Management (ITSM) requests related to security and compliance issues.
- Ensure accurate documentation of all requests and actions taken in the ITSM tool.
- Maintain a high level of customer satisfaction through effective communication and resolution of issues.
- Collaborate with relevant teams to develop and improve service request definitions
- Regularly review and audit systems to ensure compliance with internal security policies.
- Identify and report any compliance gaps or vulnerabilities, and coordinate with relevant teams to address them.
- Stay updated on the latest compliance standards and best practices to ensure continuous improvement. d) Actively maintain a risk register and inform the appropriate stakeholders
- Set up, configure, and fine‐tune monitoring dashboards in Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS portals to provide real‐time visibility into the security posture of the organization.
- Implement alerting mechanisms for critical security events and ensure they are effectively monitored. c) Continuously optimize and update dashboards to reflect changing security needs and threats.
- Act as the first point of contact for security incidents, ensuring prompt identification and coordination with internal and external stakeholders.
- Coordinate with internal and external teams to manage and mitigate security incidents.
- Maintain detailed incident logs and reports, and conduct post‐incident reviews to identify lessons learned and improve future response efforts
- Organize, coordinate and perform CIS security test and verification activities;
- Support CIS security accreditation activities and remediation tasks;
- Coordinate and plan security audits.
- Actively participate to enhance the overall security posture of the organization sharing knowledge and best practices with team members
- Create and update knowledge base articles and documentation to assist in the resolution of common cybersecurity issues.
The contractor shall participate in weekly status update meetings, activity planning and other meetings as instructed, physically in the office, or in person via electronic means using Conference Call capabilities, according to the Team Leaders instructions.
For each sprint to be considered as complete and payable, the contractor must report the outcome of his/her service during the sprint, first verbally during the retrospective meeting and then in written within three (3) days after the sprint’s end date. The format of this report shall be a short email to the NCIA Point of Contact mentioning briefly the service held and the development achievements during the sprint.
Constraints:
All the deliverables provided under this statement of work will be based on NCIA templates or agreed with the project point of contact.
Security:
The expected classification level of the deliverables is NATO UNCLASSIFIED.
The Contractor providing the services under this SOW is required to hold a valid NATO SECRET security clearance.
Practical Arrangements:
The contractor will be required to provide the service 80% of the time off‐site from home location in a NATO country as per NATO Security Policy.
The contractor shall support the NCIA on‐site for up‐to 20% of time in the NCIA B raine L’Alleud site – Belgium as part of this engagement
Travel costsfor the 20% support on‐site to NCIA B raine L’Alleud site – Belgium shall be included in the sprint costs. Additional on‐site presence will be required based on the security posture of the environment.
Qualification:
The consultancy support for this service requires a Cyber Security Officer (Assistant) with the following qualifications:
Essential qualifications
- University Degree and 3 years function related experience or Higher Secondary Education and completed advanced vocational training leading to a professional qualification or professional accreditation with 4 years post related experience.
- Experience and knowledge in Cloud platforms such as (but not limited to) Microsoft Azure and Amazon AWS.
- Experience in incident handling and coordination, cyber security hygiene and cyber security compliance frameworks.
- General experience in all lifecycle aspects of Communication Information Systems (CIS) aimed at achieving effective system development and deployment. Sound technical knowledge on wide area networks and local area networks.
- Ability to work independently, with minimal guidance
- Experience in implementing CIS security criteria and associated applications, assessing the effectiveness of security software, resolving problems.
- Previous work experience in international organizations, such as NATO, or specialized Defence Industry,
- Knowledge of NATO CIS Security Policy, Directive and Guidance,
- CISSP Certification,