Network Security Architect - Freelance H/F Freelance.com

What they need

Context

Assignment for a leading global insurance and asset management group. The mission focuses on network security architecture, specializing in firewall rule management and remediation. The work location is Paris 17, with a contract duration of 3 months renewable. The daily rate is €650. The assignment start date is ASAP, with a response deadline of 23/10/2026. Two free days at the start of the mission are included. English fluency and CV in English with full name are required.

Missions

• Support the remediation of firewall rules connecting Group entities to the Group Backbone and produce the evidence required to close the related audit issue.

• Ensure every in-scope rule has an owner, documented decision, remediation status, and supporting evidence by the end of the assignment.

• Remove, restrict, or cover P0/P1 rules with approved exceptions.

• Validate business need and security approval for retained P2/P3 rules.

• Collaborate closely with local CSOs, CIOs, application owners, security teams, and Group network teams.

• Assist entities in translating legitimate business requirements into precise, least-privilege firewall rules.

• Coordinate restriction or removal of unnecessary and high-risk access.

• Review and prioritize the existing firewall rule inventory.

• Support entities in defining legitimate access requirements: source populations and systems, target applications and destinations, required protocols and ports, duration, and accountable owner.

• Challenge overly broad or risky rules, including ANY services, large source or destination ranges, obsolete access, unused rules, and unjustified administrative or sensitive protocols.

• Prepare compliant firewall-opening, modification, and replacement requests with entities.

• Coordinate with network teams to restrict, disable, replace, or remove firewall rules, including change planning, testing, implementation evidence, and rollback arrangements.

• Prioritize P0/P1 remediation and ensure P2/P3 rules have documented business justification and security approval.

• Prepare time-bound exception requests when remediation cannot be completed, including residual risk, compensating controls, responsible owner, and committed remediation date.

• Maintain the remediation tracker, report progress, escalate blockers, and prepare the audit-closure evidence package.

Required Expertise

• Expertise in network architecture, segmentation, routing, traffic flows, TCP/IP, UDP, HTTP/S, DNS, SSH, RDP, SMB, identity, database, and administrative protocols.

• Proven experience in firewall rule lifecycle management, including rule creation, review, restriction, and decommissioning.

• Demonstrated expertise in network security architecture, privilege principles, risk assessment, and regulatory compliance.

• Demonstrated expertise in advising on and delivering security assurance programs, including audits, remediation planning and execution, change governance, testing and rollback strategies, and compliance evidence collection.

• Demonstrated expertise in translating business requirements into precise network access requirements and constructively challenging technical requests through risk-based analysis.

• Proven experience in stakeholder management, documentation, reporting, prioritization, and delivery governance within complex enterprise environments.

Language & Organizational Context

• Professional proficiency in English required.

• French language skills and experience with Group-specific tools and governance processes will be considered during the evaluation process.