ISSO

Information Security Security Specialist Officer (ISSO)

The ISSO conducts security and risk assessments as required using a range of security accreditation frameworks (e.g., NIST, RMF, Common Criteria, DoD, the Intelligence Community Directives (ICDs)), and works to mitigate risks by applying security controls effectively to achieve an acceptable degree of operational risk. As part of this process, the ISSO performs testing and security assessments to sustain required accreditations. The ISSO promotes the use of secure hardware and software within the systems affected by government and corporate approval standards. The ISSO works to ensure all required security policies and practices are effectively applied to systems and ensures security controls implementing these policies are applied and achieve the proper levels of confidentiality, integrity, availability, and privacy protection throughout the system life cycle. The ISSO also assists with the execution, analysis, and remediation activities for the vulnerability management program (scanning, assessment, reporting, and mitigation verification) that spans different accreditation entities, three distinct classification domain enclaves (U), (S) and (TS), using the Nessus and Tenable-ACAS vulnerability scanning tools.

Primary Responsibilities:

• Develops risk mitigation strategies that contribute to the effectiveness, efficiencies, and performance outcomes for strategic projects, program goals, and business processes.
• Must be able to quickly respond to the needs for updates and maintenance of security documentation, especially System Security Plans, Plans of Actions and Milestones (POA&Ms); Security Impact Assessment for proposed system changes, and Concept of Operations that identify and explain how each system satisfies its assigned security control baselines.
• Maintains system security plans and related configuration records in customer Service+ (ServiceNow), XACTA-360 platform, and Leidos- CIO security tools.
• Drives necessary security changes through steering groups and control (review) boards to meet Risk Management milestones.
• Can work independently as well as collaboratively to drive security process improvements, especially to address gaps in meeting customer or Leidos security requirements and meet due diligence responsibilities.
• Provides guidance and engages the program lab team to implement secure software and hardware processes, apply government security standards, and commercial best security practices.
• Resolves highly complex security problems by applying technical knowledge, conceptualizing, reasoning, and interpretation of requirements.
• Communicating with Leidos and NGA leadership (internally or client) regarding matters of significant importance to the organization/project.
• Apply in-depth understanding of information security technical principles, theories, concepts, and their application across a range of programs.
• Develop and maintain security documentation per NGA/IC/DoD- DISA/NIST/Industry standards and policies.
• Initiate and coordinate all Assessment and Authorization (A&A) and renewal activities working with the NGA Designated Authorization Officials (DAO or DAOR).
• Address any Information Assurance or Cybersecurity notices, orders, tasking, or directives as required following the NGA operations vulnerability and patch management processes.
• Measure effectiveness of defense-in-depth architecture and Zero Trust policy implementations against known vulnerabilities.
• Perform security audits and assessments, including creating, tracking, and assisting in remediation of Plan of Action and Milestones (POA&Ms).
• Coordinate with System Administrators and others to remediate all vulnerabilities and report results.
• Track open vulnerabilities and obtain and document approvals while managing POA&M status.
• Update Security CONOPS and Information Technology Disaster Recovery (ITDR) plans for each Security Plan.
• Manage security profiles and implementation for systems and services scheduled for Assessment and Authorization (A&A).
• Work with the Systems Engineers and Administrators, Senior ISSO, ISSMs, Lab Team, and Leidos Corporate Security as required to develop and maintain security plans and associated documentation.
• Maintain records and documentation on program IT systems, upgrades, patches, and connectivity configurations.
• Evaluate security solutions and implementation strategies for program IT systems and services and maintains operational security posture of development, integration, and deployed capabilities.
• Provide training and approve user access and IAA (identification, authorization, and authentication) mechanisms for information systems.

Basic Qualifications:

US citizenship is required per contract. BS degree and 8 to 12 years of prior relevant experience to operate within the scope of responsibilities. Active TS-SCI clearance with Polygraph NGA experience desired. Experience that demonstrates an understanding and application of the ICD-503 and NIST risk management framework. Experience desired with the following systems/platforms/tools: XACTA; XACTA 360 (preferred); HBSS; ACAS; Nessus, SPLUNK.

Preferred Qualifications: Has 3+ years of experience operating, analyzing, and resolving vulnerability scan results using tools such as Nessus, Tenable Security Center, or a comparable commercial or GOTs product. Active Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) certification or ISACA Certified Information Security Manager (CISM) certification. Intelligence Community experience preferred.