Client: Government of Nova Scotia – Cyber Security & Digital Solutions (CSDS)

Project: Land Modernization Initiative (LMI)

Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Remote with optional onsite work)

Contract Duration: July 20, 2026 – May 31, 2027

Engagement Type: Competitive-Sourced

Work Arrangement: Remote (with occasional collaboration with CSDS stakeholders)

Project Overview
The Government of Nova Scotia is seeking experienced cybersecurity professionals to support the Land Modernization Initiative (LMI), a major transformation program modernizing the Province’s Land Registry services.

The selected consultants will work closely with the CSDS/LMI Technical Manager, Cyber Security and Risk Management (CSRM) team, and business stakeholders to conduct:

Penetration Testing (PT)

Security risk analysis

Vulnerability assessments

Security recommendations and remediation guidance

The initial engagement focuses on the MVS 1.0 release, with potential future work supporting releases 1.1, 1.2, and 1.3.

Requirements
Key Responsibilities
Scope

Identify and document security threats, vulnerabilities, and risks across the Nova Scotia Land Registry ecosystem.

Assess people, processes, technologies, communications, and information assets.

Evaluate likelihood and business impact of identified risks.

Recommend mitigation strategies and security controls.

Perform assessments using the NIST SP 800-53 Revision 5 High Baseline framework.

Review security certifications and reports including:

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 42001

SOC 2 Type II

PCI DSS

Activities

Conduct workshops and stakeholder interviews.

Review system architecture, integrations, and data flows.

Analyze operational effectiveness of security controls.

Assess compliance across applicable NIST control families.

Document threat actors, attack vectors, vulnerabilities, and risk treatments.

Produce executive and technical reports.

Present findings to senior leadership and project stakeholders.

Penetration Testing (PT)
Scope

Web Applications

APIs

Cloud Environments

Networks

Mobile Applications

Testing Methodologies

White Box Testing

Grey Box Testing





Black Box Testing

Activities

Execute penetration testing using industry best practices.

Identify, validate, and document vulnerabilities.

Analyze prior security testing results.

Conduct remediation verification and retesting.

Produce executive and technical reports.

Immediately escalation Critical vulnerabilities using CVSS standards.

Participate in ongoing security assessments and risk management activities.

Threat Risk Assessment Deliverables

Draft TRA Report

Final TRA Report

Completed TRA Checklist

Executive Presentation

Penetration Testing Deliverables

Executive Presentation

Remediation Validation / Retest Results

Mandatory Qualifications (Required)
Candidates who do not meet the following requirements should not be submitted.

Mandatory Experience

Minimum 3 years of experience conducting Threat Risk Assessments (TRAs) on digital systems.

At least one proposed resource must have completed two (2) or more TRAs on digital systems within the last three (3) years .

Experience conducting TRAs within Canadian public sector environments.

Experience working with:

NIST SP 800-53

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 42001

SOC 2 Type II

PCI DSS

Experience assessing:

Cloud environments (AWS, Azure)

Network infrastructure

Enterprise applications

Ability to work with business, security, and technical teams.

Mandatory Documentation

Criminal Record Check completed within the last six (6) months.

Penetration Testing Requirements
Mandatory Experience

Minimum 3 years of experience conducting penetration testing.

At least one proposed resource must have completed two (2) or more penetration tests within the last twelve (12) months .

Experience conducting penetration testing in Canadian public sector organizations.





Strong experience testing:

Web applications

APIs

Cloud environments

Networks

Mandatory Certifications
At least one proposed resource must hold one of the following:

OSCP (Offensive Security Certified Professional)

CREST CRT (Registered Penetration Tester)

At least one proposed resource should hold one of the following:

CEH Master

GPEN

Mandatory Documentation

Criminal Record Check completed within the last six (6) months.

Preferred Qualifications
The following are considered solid assets:

Security Certifications

CISSP

CISM

CRISC

OSCP

CREST CRT

CEH Master

GPEN

Government Experience

Previous experience performing Threat Risk Assessments for Canadian government organizations.

Previous experience conducting Penetration Testing for Canadian government organizations.

Direct experience supporting the Government of Nova Scotia.

Familiarity with Government of Nova Scotia cybersecurity standards, risk frameworks, and governance processes.

Technical Skills
Candidates should demonstrate expertise in:

Penetration Testing Methodologies

ISO/IEC 27001

ISO/IEC 42001

SOC 2 Type II

PCI DSS

Vulnerability Assessment

Security Architecture Review

Risk Analysis and Treatment Planning

Security Control Assessment

Cloud Security (AWS / Azure)

Application Security

Network Security

Security Reporting and Executive Presentations

CVSS Scoring Framework

Evaluation Highlights
Candidates and vendors will be evaluated based on:

TRA experience and expertise

Penetration testing experience

NIST and security framework knowledge

Tier 1 and Tier 2 security certifications

Public sector cybersecurity experience

Government of Nova Scotia experience

Client references

This prospect is ideal for senior cybersecurity consultants with proven expertise in both Threat Risk Assessments and Penetration Testing within government and highly regulated environments. The successful team will play a critical role in securing one of Nova Scotia's most significant digital modernization initiatives.

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📌 Threat Risk Assessment (TRA) Specialist / Penetration Testing (PT) Specialist – Senior
🏢 SereneAid
📍 Nova Scotia