Information Security Specialist

University of Toronto • Mississauga, ON

12d • Onsite

About The Position

I&ITS is a high-volume service delivery operation, processing over 15,000 incidents, changes, and requests annually, and is the primary technical support for the teaching, learning, and research mission at UTM. The Information Security Specialist position is part of the UTM I&ITS group supporting the Information Security programs. This role will be responsible for implementing, managing and optimizing information security platforms designed to protect data and systems, prevent unauthorized access, and respond effectively to potential threats. The incumbent will act as a subject matter expert in the implementation of security controls across a range of technologies, ensuring they address IT requirements in an ever-evolving threat landscape. They will work closely with IT teams and other departments to integrate security best practices into daily operations and projects, applying advanced knowledge of IT security tools and technologies to optimize security goals for I&ITS services to the UTM community.

Requirements

• University degree in Computer Science, Engineering or equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Minimum 7 years of Information security experience in a heterogeneous environment, with a broad range of platforms and technologies, including at least 2 years working with Information Security as a significant focus of activity.
• Minimum 3 years of progressive experience in creating, implementing and maintaining Information Security technologies and platforms.
• Excellent understanding of security tools and technologies such as firewall, IDS/IPS, SIEM, EDR, etc., used to protect on-prem or cloud infrastructure.
• Expert proficiency in security frameworks and foundational networking/OS security (Zero Trust concepts, TCP/IP, VPNs, Windows/Linux/Unix hardening).
• Experience with scripting (Python, Bash) to automate security tasks.
• Extensive experience leveraging network and security analysis tools for deep packet inspection, forensic analysis, and advanced troubleshooting.
• Experience in selecting, configuring, and deploying service misuse detection and prevention technologies (Anti-Spam, Anti-Virus, Anti-DDOS, etc.).
• Experience running penetration testing and vulnerability scanning (Metasploit, Nessus, etc.).
• Experience drafting information security standards and guidelines, assessing risk management, and determining controls.
• Experience performing security assessments of infrastructure (cloud and on-premise), applications and websites.
• Able to think strategically about change and new solutions.
• Excellent oral and written communication and presentation skills.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to prioritize and reprioritize work as required.
• Collaboration and teamwork.
• Thirst for knowledge, self-education and research.
• Strong planning and organization skills.
• Ability to work under pressure of high volume and expectations, while meeting multiple deadlines for multiple projects.
• Strong service orientation coupled with the ability to recognize and assess the operational significance of a problem, control/mitigate the risk and set priorities accordingly.
• Strong ability to assess risks and controls of computing systems and operations.
• Demonstrated broad knowledge of information technology, instructional technology, classroom technology, audiovisual technologies, digital signage, network technologies, databases and application development.
• Strong ability and willingness to work effectively as a team leader and team member; must be able to collaborate and cooperate with team members, project sponsors, and other stakeholders.
• Ability to lead team members of varying levels and skill sets, including Professional/Managerial as well as staff.
• Must be able to deal calmly and effectively with a variety of people.
• Demonstrated ability to exercise sound judgment, tact and diplomacy.
• Ability to effectively navigate a professional and political climate, including assessing the requirement to escalate and issue to more senior levels of management or resources or bodies outside the Faculty; ability to maintain a high level of confidentiality.
• Ability and willingness to learn new systems, technologies and project management methods and tools.

Nice To Haves

• CISSP and other security certifications are a strong asset.
• Previous experience in the implementation and management of security tools is a strong asset.
• IT Security certifications held or in progress are an asset.

Responsibilities

• Implementing, managing and optimizing information security platforms designed to protect data and systems, prevent unauthorized access, and respond effectively to potential threats.
• Acting as a subject matter expert in the implementation of security controls across a range of technologies and ensuring these controls address IT requirements in an ever-evolving threat landscape.
• Working closely with IT teams and other departments to ensure security best practices are integrated into daily operations and projects.
• Configuration, maintenance, and tuning of security tools – including SIEM, EDR, PAM, MDM, Firewall, vulnerability scanner, and intrusion prevention/detection systems – to ensure proactive threat detection and mitigation.
• Monitoring security alerts and dashboards, responding to suspicious activities, and optimizing system effectiveness for timely and accurate threat detection.
• Performing information security incident response in situations where systems or applications have been breached either internally or through external attacks.
• Gathering required forensic data in collaboration with relevant teams in instances of employee-related breaches and misconduct, and of potential IT-related criminal activity, partnering with relevant UTM departments, such as Campus.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior