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CISM

Information Systems Security Officer in Herndon, VA

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Information Systems Security Officer 

US Citizenship Required –  Public Trust or Secret Clearance Tier III

Location: Herndon, VA
Duration: 1 year
Summary• Advises key technical personnel of system regarding design, engineering and compliance requirements
• Advises key stakeholders of security posture and risks associated with the system
• Reviews configurations changes for the system and the impact of changes
• Creates, manages and facilitates NIST based security documentation and controls
• Identifies, manages and facilitates remediation of security weaknesses

Job Responsibilities/ Duties:
• Develop, consult, implement controls and documentation for the security of the system. This includes: outlining system operating environment, overall mission, physical diagrams, hardware and software inventories, configuration management, type of data processed, user organizations, security classifications, operating modes, interconnections to other systems/networks, security personnel, and other associated responsibilities.
• Oversee, develop, improve and maintain the overall security posture of the system; that includes: Information System Security Plans, Risk Ratings, Contingency Plans, Security Assessments, and Contingency Plan Tests and other associated documentation.
• Participate in the development or revision of security controls of the system and local operating procedures that are based upon regulatory, policy and industry requirements.
• Act as a consultant to system owners for the security of the system and system documentation. For example, security incident reports, equipment/software inventories, operating instructions, technical vulnerability reports, and contingency plans
• Provide expertise in classified and unclassified ratings to customers.
• Work closely with technical teams for successful Certification & Accreditation of the system that leads to ATO
• Attend ISSO training courses and sessions as required
• Perform interpretations of monthly vulnerability scan results of assigned systems

Required Training:
Senior Level IT Security Certifications (CCDP, CCNP Security, CISSP, CISM, etc.)
Education/Equivalent Training Required: Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent experience will be evaluated
Unique/Additional /Experience (Position Specifics):
Expert knowledge of FISMA and NIST Special Publications
Experience implementing, assessing and managing security controls for federal IT systems
Expert knowledge of IT security best practices
Expert knowledge of current IT security threats
Broad knowledge of IT technologies and operations
Ability to develop good working relationships with customers, colleagues and other stakeholders.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills
Ability to handle and prioritize multiple simultaneous systems, projects and other assignments.
Experience leading information security teams
Knowledge of HIPAA, FedRAMP, PCI, ISO and other standards
Location(s): District of Columbia (Metro Area),
Department: IT Security
Keywords: Certification and Accreditation, C&A, A&A, SA&A, FISMA, compliance, information assurance, ISSO, AISO, ISO, IASO and ISSM
Comments: US Citizen, US Government Suitability Determination and DoE Q Security Clearance is a Plus

Thanks & Regards,
Kartik Jain
Technical Recruiter

Immediate hire for SECURITY ANALYST in Columbia, SC, 29210

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Position Title
SECURITY ANALYST  (INFORMATION SECURITY COMPLIANCE)
Position Id
6521-1
Agency
Department of Administration
Duration
4 Months
Work Location
Admin – 4430 Broad River Rd., Columbia, SC, 29210
SCOPE OF THE PROJECT:
THE DIVISION OF INFORMATION SECURITY IS TASKED WITH ENSURING COMPLIANCE WITH STATE GUIDELINES. THIS POSITION WILL BE PERFORMING THOSE SERVICES INCLUDING:
• SUPPORTING AGENCIES DURING THEIR DEVELOPMENT OF THE INFORMATION SECURITY PROGRAM WITH DIRECT TACTICAL IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE.
• DEVELOPING AND TRACKING AGENCY INFORMATION SECURITY IMPLEMENTATION PLANS
• INTERVIEWING ADMINISTRATORS, MANAGERS, AND THIRD PARTIES TO AID IN DEVELOPMENT OF PROGRAM ARTIFACTS
• ENSURING HIGH-LEVEL ASSESSMENTS OF AGENCIES INFOSEC WORK TO ENSURE PROGRESS IS MADE
• PROVIDING HIGH-LEVEL ANALYSIS OF PROCESS AND PROCEDURES WORK TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH STATE STANDARDSDAILY DUTIES / RESPONSIBILITIES:
THIS IMPLEMENTATION ASSISTANCE WOULD INCLUDE, BUT IS NOT LIMITED TO:
• INTERVIEWING BUSINESS AND TECHNICAL OWNERS TO DETERMINE POLICIES AND PROCEDURES USED FOR EACH AGENCY PROCESS
• DEVELOPING AND TRACKING INFOSEC IMPLEMENTATION PLAN PROGRESS
• DOCUMENTING INFORMATION GATHERED DURING BOTH INTERVIEWS AND DOCUMENT REVIEWS TO ASSIST WITH DEVELOPING FORMAL PROCESS AND PROCEDURES
• ASSESSING AGENCY DOCUMENTATION TO ENSURE ADEQUATE APPROACHES ARE USED TO COMPLY WITH CONTROLS
• FACILITATING AGENCY STATUS REPORTING
• COLLABORATING WITH AGENCIES TO PROVIDE RECOMMENDATIONS FOR COMPLIANCEREQUIRED SKILLS (RANK IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE):
• HAVE COMPLETED AN INFORMATION SECURITY PLAN OR SYSTEM SECURITY PLAN WORKBOOK
• PRIOR EXPERIENCE WORKING WITH FISMA STANDARDS
• MUST HAVE A STRONG WORKING KNOWLEDGE OF NIST 800-53
• PRIOR EXPERIENCE POA&M OR CAP
• STRONG COMMUNICATION EXPERIENCE

PREFERRED SKILLS (RANK IN ORDER OF IMPORTANCE):
• SIMULTANEOUSLY MANAGE MULTIPLE INFOSEC WORK EFFORTS
• STRONG SCHEDULE MANAGEMENT AND RESOURCE PLANNING SKILLS
• ABILITY TO WORK AT A HIGH-VOLUME AND FAST PACE
• STRONG COLLABORATOR AND STRONG ABILITY TO MEET DEADLINES
• MANAGE REGULATORY COMPLIANCE PROJECTS
• ABILITY TO IDENTIFY, MAP, AND RE-EINGINEER BUSINESS PROCESSES

REQUIRED EDUCATION/CERTIFICATIONS:
10+ YEARS OF EXPERIENCE IN INFORMATION SECURITY AND COMPLIANCE EXPERIENCE

REQUIRED CERTIFICATIONS: CISA OR CISSP OR CISM OR GSLC OR EQUIVALENT.

Thanks & Regards
Adam Smith
Associate Recruiter
Fax:     609-228-4044

cism certification

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CISM certification
CISM certification

I have known a few people with the the Certified Information Security Manager – CISM certification.  I don’t think it holds as much weight that the CISSP, but then again I am biased.  The industries that I have worked in (federal) give CISSP a pretty high level of trust for general security management type work.  But I have heard that the financial world (banks, investment firms) give more weight to CISA and CISM.

The CISA (certified Information system auditor) and CISM are closely related and kind of cut from the same cloth.  They are both from ISACA.  Since both the CISM certification and CISA are on the DoD’s approved list of certifications, its a pretty valuable certification.

I noticed that those with security manager aspirations go for the CISM.  Its a well respected certification and is often put on the same level as the CISSP for high level security positions.

information technology risk management certifications

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The most respected information technology risk management certifications accepted for risk management / IA / computer security positions are the ISC2 CISSP, CISA, CISM, CAP and CISSP-ISSEP.

I will give a quick, down and dirty look at these certification from the perspective of someone in the industry.  This is my personal opinion based on my experience.  I have the CISSP and CAP.   I know many doing IT/security/Risk Management work with one or more  of the listed certifications and have direct experience hiring and teaching for organization looking for risk management professionals.

ISC_2-logo-certification
ISC_2-logo-certification

What is the TOP risk management certification?

The choice of “best” or “top” risk management certification depends on the industry.

Financial industries are very much into the CISA.  The ISACA CISA and CISM are certs that came from the financial industry.  I was surprised to learn that a friend of mine who worked for Ernst & Young as a corporate tax/finance auditor was working on taking the CISA.  When I asked him why, he said that other accountants/financial auditors take that test.  Banks and other financial organizations look highly upon the CISA and CISM.

US Federal organizations heavily favor the CISSP for risk management work.  Within the government, its the gold standard for risk management and Information Security jobs.  So much so that they think that someone with a CISSP can do ANY security job.  It’s very broad in content so its a misconception that a CISSP can perform any security or risk management job.  Its best if the CISSP is accompanied by actual experience with a given subject matter and/or a specific certification that might give indication of knowledge on a subject matter that is not so general.  All of that said, the CISSP is a GREAT certification if you want to get paid well.

The ISC2 CAP, is a great certification for risk management.  It is the most relevant for risk management.  The CAP focuses on the NIST risk management framework.  It breaks the entire process down.  CISSP is really all over the place covering way too many security points.  By contrast, the CISA is all about auditing systems.  The CISM is all about Information Management. The CAP is a solid certification that goes 6 feet deep into pure risk management.  If you are serious about learning risk management for IT, then the ISC2 CAP is for you.

The ISSEP is a step up from the CISSP and the CAP.  Its like a SUPER CAP.  Its an actual concentration of the CISSP.  I noticed that high level risk management positions in the US federal space sometimes ask for it.  It is definitely and Alpha Predator of risk management certifications.  You cannot go higher than this for RMF outside of getting a Masters or PHD in Information Assurance/Information Security or the like.

The problem that I see with the ISSEP (CISSP concentration) is that its a LOT of work for very little extra marketability.  I mean, with an ISSEP you are a 1% in the RMF space but only .01% of the jobs in RMF/C&A category actually require an ISSEP.  What I mean to say is that not many people are looking for the ISSEP.  Its a hard certification because you must first achieve the CISSP.  The ISSEP material is hard, boring and very comprehensive.

Over all the CAP, CISSP and CISA/CISM are the best certifications for a professional in doing Risk Management Framework for IT.