Cyber Threat Geopolitical Analyst

Reports to (role)

Cyber Risk Analyst Team Leader

What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and, at the same time, promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Digital transformation is profoundly impacting armed conflict and humanitarian action. The ICRC Delegation for Cyberspace and Global Cyber Hub was set up to help the ICRC navigate challenges, risks and opportunities for the organization’s identity and perception as a neutral, impartial and independent humanitarian actor and its capacity to deliver on its mandate in the digital age. With its R&D identity and expertise, the Delegation connects to internal initiatives and efforts to adapt to an increasingly digital world, to anchor that work squarely in and at the service of field operations and affected people, and to support a principled digital transformation. This includes proximity, do-no-harm and confidentiality in its use of digital technology, and strengthening ICRC capacity to integrate the cyber/digital dimension in its operations and its response to people’s needs. This is essential for the ICRC to gain and preserve the trust of affected people as well as interlocutors, to continue to access affected areas, to ensure that affected people access essential humanitarian services, and to ensure the acceptance and safety of its own staff.

Purpose

The Cyber Risk Analysis Team monitors all operational situations, developing processes that enable the organisation to identify, analyse, and understand the evolution of actors and threats (technical and strategic) in cyberspace. The team collaboratively develops and implements a distinctly humanitarian approach to cyber threat analysis. The knowledge developed by the team will be used to inform and support operational context analysis, field and cyber security, digital resilience and business continuity, operational dialogue, protection work, detection and analysis of harmful information, and other institutional and/or operational needs.

The Cyber Risk Analyst (Geopolitical) is responsible for one or more specific areas of cyber threat analysis work, as needed to ensure organisational awareness of cyber risk on a global scale. S/he provides support for the entire Cyber Risk Analysis portfolio, working as part of a small newly constituted expert team. The team forms part of the Delegation’s Operations department.

Accountabilities & Functional responsibilities

• Is in charge of one or more strategic priorities of the Cyber Risk Analysis Team, ensuring their applicability and leading their implementation.
• Identifies and monitors a variety of sources as required by the Cyber Risk Analysis Team Leader, including open source platforms, relevant for the ICRC, related to state and non-state-sponsored cyber activity in armed conflict and other situations of violence.
• Collects and analyses cyber threat risks within a geopolitical and humanitarian context, interpreting complex data on threat actors, global cyber risks, and related issues to offer insights into their potential implications for ICRC activities.
• Manages information and relevant development through accurate reporting, contributing to building and maintaining a knowledge repository, and exchanges between HQ and delegations, while collaborating closely with technical analysts to produce analytical products, including global and context-specific threat landscape reports and actor or incident-specific analyses.
• Produces ad-hoc cyber risk alerts and reports when necessary for escalation.
• Supports and advises on the implementation of risk assessments, situation-and-problem analysis, monitoring frameworks and toolkits, and provides other guidance in line with relevant standards.
• Provides advice to delegation, regional and HQ management, strengthening capacity and visibility within the organisation (either in a specific area or as a whole).
• Supports in the development of guidelines and procedures for cyber risk analysis as relevant.
• When required, supports thematic reviews and centralized evaluations for internal learning and strategic and operational decision-making.
• Stays on top of geopolitical developments within the cyber threat landscape that are of relevance for the ICRC and the broader humanitarian sector.

People management responsibilities

No

Scope & Impact

Geographical remit: Global

Two positions recruited

Both positions are based in Luxembourg

Relationships

• Internally: is a member of the Delegation Operations team. Interacts with all levels of the delegation, as well as with relevant staff at Headquarters and in the field, in coordination with the Head of Operations and Cyber Risk Analysis Team Leader.

• Externally: In coordination with Team Leader, interacts with authorities and organisations in the same field of expertise (e.g. UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, academia, cyber security agencies, CERTs, private sector).

Certifications / Education required

• Advanced university degree in relevant subject (e.g. international relations, political science, international humanitarian action, …)
• Very good command of written and spoken English. Knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish, at least passive, would be an asset.
• Very strong analytical and writing skills.
• High level of technical proficiency.

Professional Experience required

• 10-12 years professional experience, including six to eight years background in risk assessments, situation-and-problem analysis, operational information management, or a closely related area.
• Experience in cyber threat intelligence analysis, open source information analysis, early warning, geo-analysis, or similar, and familiarity with the (open source) tools and frameworks associated with those tasks.
• Proven understanding of qualitative analysis, statistical analysis.
• Experience in analysing, interpreting and presenting information for decision-making purposes.
• Experience with security management and/or the delivery of humanitarian protection, prevention and/or assistance programmes, an asset.

Desired profile and skills

• Technical and cyber security knowledge, including security research, familiarity with programming languages (preferably scripting languages), etc
• Experience with the ICRC or other International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement components, UN agencies or humanitarian NGOs, a strong asset.

Our Values

At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.

Additional information

• Location : Luxembourg

• Activity rate : 100%

• Length of assignment : Open ended

• Estimated start date : ASAP

• Application deadline : 24/03/2024

• Resident Position