Information Security Architect

Job Description

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is seeking an experienced Information Security Architect to join our Information Security team. The successful candidate will assist in various facets including development of strategies, solutions, standards and reference architectures, participation in threat modeling and risk assessment activities, and providing guidance to the business on security best practices.

Evaluate the financial costs of recommended technologies

Evaluate the financial costs of recommended technologies quantifying purchasing and licensing options, estimating labor costs for a given service or technology, and estimating the total cost of operation (TCO), the ROI, or the payback period for services or technologies replacing existing capabilities.

Develops and maintains a security architecture process

Develops and maintains a security architecture process that enables the enterprise to develop and implement security solutions and capabilities that are clearly aligned with business, technology, and threat drivers.

Develops security strategy plans and roadmaps

Develops security strategy plans and roadmaps based on sound enterprise architecture practices.

Develops and maintains security architecture artifacts

• Develops and maintains security architecture artifacts (e.g., models, templates, standards, and procedures) that can be used to leverage security capabilities in projects and operations.

Determines baseline security configuration standards

• Determines baseline security configuration standards for operating systems (e.g., OS hardening), network segmentation and identity and access management (IAM).

Drafts security procedures and standards

• Drafts security procedures and standards to be reviewed and approved by executive management and/or formally authorized by the chief information security officer (CISO).

Establishes a taxonomy of indicators of compromise (IOCs)

• Establishes a taxonomy of indicators of compromise (IOCs) and share this detail with other security colleagues, including the security operations center (SOC), information security managers and analysts, as well as counterparts within the network operations center (NOC).

Tracks developments and changes

• Tracks developments and changes in the digital business and threat environments to ensure that they're adequately addressed in security strategy plans and architecture artifacts.

Validates IT infrastructure and other reference architectures

• Validates IT infrastructure and other reference architectures for security best practices and recommend changes to enhance security and reduce risks, where applicable.

Validates security configurations and access

• Validates security configurations and access to security infrastructure tools, including firewalls, IPSs, WAFs and anti-malware/endpoint protection systems.

Conducts or facilitates threat modeling

• Conducts or facilitates threat modeling of services and applications that tie to the risk and data associated with the service or application.

Ensures a complete, accurate and valid inventory

• Ensures a complete, accurate and valid inventory of all systems, infrastructure and applications that should be logged by the security information and event management (SIEM) or log management tool.

Coordinates with DevOps teams

• Coordinates with DevOps teams to advocate secure coding practices, and to escalate concerns related to poor coding practices to the CISO.

Coordinates with the privacy officer

• Coordinates with the privacy officer or office to document data flows of sensitive information in the organization (e.g., PII or ePHI) and recommend controls to ensure that this data is adequately secured (e.g., encryption and tokenization).

Supports the testing and validation of internal security controls

• Supports the testing and validation of internal security controls, as directed by the CISO or the internal audit team.

Evaluates security technologies, tools, and services

• Evaluates security technologies, tools, and services, and makes recommendations to the broader security team for their use, based on security, financial and operational metrics.

Coordinates with operational and facility management teams

• Coordinates with operational and facility management teams to assess the security of operational technology (OT) and Internet of Things (IoT) systems.

Participates in application and infrastructure projects

• Participates in application and infrastructure projects to provide security-planning advice.

Liaises with important security and risk management constituencies

• Liaises with important security and risk management constituencies and works collaboratively with both individuals and leaders across the organization.

Translates complex security-related matters

• Translates complex security-related matters into business terms that are readily understood by colleagues.

Presents analyses in person and in written formats

• Presents analyses in person and in written formats to all personnel levels within the organization.

Draft project plans for security service and technology deployments

• Draft project plans for security service and technology deployments and coordinate with stakeholders across the organization.

Responds to changing circumstances

• Responds to changing circumstances altering standard procedures, when necessary.

Develops approaches and solutions

• Develops approaches and solutions that are clearly linked to the organizational strategies and goals for optimal performance.

Synthesizes facts, theories, trends, inferences, and key issues

• Synthesizes facts, theories, trends, inferences, and key issues and/or themes in complex and variable situations.

Minimum Qualifications

• Bachelor's or master's degree in computer science, information systems, cybersecurity, or a related field or equivalent skills and experience.
• 12+ years’ Information Technology experience.
• 10+ years’ Information Security experience.
• 7+ years’ Cybersecurity experience.
• 4+ years’ Cloud experience.
• Can interface with, and gain the respect of, stakeholders at all levels and roles in the company.
• Has good judgment, a sense of urgency and has demonstrated commitment to high standards of ethics, regulatory compliance, customer service and business integrity.
• Strong problem-solving and trouble-shooting skills.
• Experience in using architecture methodologies such as SABSA, Zachman and/or TOGAF.
• Direct, hands-on experience or strong working knowledge of managing security infrastructure — e.g., firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPSs), web application firewalls (WAFs), endpoint protection, SIEM and log management technology.
• Experience reviewing application code for security vulnerabilities.
• Experience securing CI/CD pipelines.
• Direct, hands-on experience or a strong working knowledge of vulnerability management tools.
• Documented experience and a strong working knowledge of the methodologies to conduct threat-modeling exercises on new applications and services.
• Experience designing the deployment of applications and infrastructure into public cloud services.
• Full-stack knowledge of IT infrastructure: Applications, Databases, Operating systems — Windows, Unix and Linux, Hypervisors, IP networks — WAN and LAN, Storage networks — Fibre Channel, iSCSI, and NAS, Backup networks and media and Containers/Kubernetes.
• Direct experience designing IAM technologies and services: Active Directory, Lightweight Directory Access Protocol (LDAP), Amazon Web Service (AWS) IAM.
• Strong working knowledge of IT service management (e.g., ITIL-related disciplines): Change management, Configuration management, Asset management, Incident management, Problem management.
• Documented experience with the following regulations, standards, and frameworks: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard (PCI-DSS), HIPAA-HITECH, Validated Systems (e.g., GAMP), Sarbanes-Oxley, General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), Privacy Practices, ISO 27001/2, NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF), ITAR.
• The ideal candidate will maintain three or more of the following or equivalent certifications: CISSP, CISA, ISSAP, CRISC, GSTRT, GISP, GSLC, GPCS, GDSA, GCSA.

Equal Opportunity Employer

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Kansas City is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, among other things, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, status as a protected veteran, or disability.