Cybersecurity & Critical Infrastructure Leader

ZARCOS

30+ years securing critical infrastructure across Carris, Altice Portugal, MEO and Portugal Telecom. Lisboa, Portugal.

30+
Years Experience
2M+
Users Protected
4
Major Orgs
ISO
27001 / NIS2
Get in Touch View Career

About

Paulo
Zarcos Palma

Senior specialist with over 30 years of experience in Telecommunications, IT Infrastructure and Critical Systems environments. Currently serving as Head of Cybersecurity, Networks and Communications at Carris.

Leading cybersecurity governance, risk management and the protection of critical transport infrastructure. Throughout my career at Carris, Altice, MEO and Portugal Telecom, I have led large-scale infrastructure environments serving approximately 2 million users.

"In cybersecurity, availability, resilience and security must coexist — not compete. My work is about making that balance real in environments where failure is not an option."
— Paulo Zarcos Palma
Critical Infrastructure Security Network Security IPv6 ISO 27001 NIS2 Risk Management Governance
Paulo Zarcos Palma Head of Cybersecurity
📧 zarcos@msn.com 🔗 LinkedIn 🌐 CV

Career Timeline

Professional Experience

C
Carris
Jul 2022 — Present · Lisbon
Head of Cybersecurity, Networks and Communications
Jul 2022 — Present
  • Lead enterprise cybersecurity strategy and governance for a critical public transportation organization.
  • Define and enforce cybersecurity policies, standards and risk management frameworks.
  • Ensure protection of critical infrastructure against cyber threats, system disruptions and operational risks.
  • Oversee security architecture across networks, communications and IT systems.
  • Manage cybersecurity risks across operational technology and enterprise environments.
  • Lead vendor management and cybersecurity-related outsourcing contracts.
  • Drive resilience, availability and continuity of mission-critical services.
A
Altice Portugal
Dec 2016 — Jun 2022 · Lisbon
Software Engineer
Feb 2018 — Jun 2022
  • Led architecture and design of large-scale IT and telecommunications systems.
  • Integrated security principles into system architecture and development lifecycle.
  • Managed cross-functional teams and external suppliers in complex environments.
  • Defined operational KPIs for availability, performance and security.
  • Supported transformation programs across infrastructure and service platforms.
Tactical Projects Consultant
Dec 2016 — Jan 2018
  • Delivered automation and operational optimization solutions.
  • Reduced manual operational workload through process digitalization.
  • Supported strategic transformation initiatives across departments.
M
MEO
Oct 2010 — Nov 2016 · Lisbon
Customer Device Network Consultant
Oct 2010 — Nov 2016 · Lisbon – Picoas
  • Managed large-scale telecom infrastructure environments supporting millions of users.
  • Operated ACS/TR-069 platform managing ~2M customer devices.
  • Supported national IPTV, satellite and broadcasting systems.
  • Worked in mission-critical environments requiring high availability and resilience.
  • Led technical operations, deployment and infrastructure reliability programs.
PT
Portugal Telecom
Sep 1991 — Sep 2010 · Beja
Technical Telecommunications Specialist
Jan 2006 — Sep 2010
  • Managed broadcasting, satellite and telecommunications infrastructure.
  • Supported rollout of national digital terrestrial television systems.
Electrical Telecommunications Specialist
Jan 1997 — Dec 2005
  • Telecommunications engineering, network operations and infrastructure maintenance.
Telecommunications Specialist
Sep 1991 — Dec 1996
  • Field operations, installations, diagnostics and technical support.

Areas of Expertise

Core Competencies

🛡️

Cybersecurity Governance & Strategy

End-to-end cybersecurity governance across critical public infrastructure. Defining policy frameworks, enforcing standards, and aligning security posture with organizational objectives and regulatory requirements.

ISO 27001 NIS2 Risk Frameworks Policy Design
🔐

Critical Infrastructure Protection

Securing transport and telecom systems where operational continuity is non-negotiable. Deep experience with OT environments, availability-first architectures and cyber resilience programs.

OT Security Resilience
🌐

Network & Security Architecture

Design and implementation of secure, scalable network architectures including IPv6 deployments and segmentation strategies for large-scale telecom environments.

IPv6 Network Security
⚡

Incident Response & Continuity

Leading response in high-scale, mission-critical environments. Building continuity plans that keep critical services operational under adversarial conditions.

📊

Language Proficiency

PortugueseNative
EnglishProfessional
SpanishProfessional
🎓

Education

Computer Science Engineering — Instituto Politécnico de Beja. Additional studies at Işık Üniversitesi. 30+ years of continuous professional development in telecommunications, IT infrastructure and cybersecurity.

Computer Science Engineering Instituto Politécnico de Beja Işık Üniversitesi
🤝

Vendor & Contract Management

Extensive experience leading vendor selection, contract negotiation and performance governance for cybersecurity and technology outsourcing at scale.

Get in Touch

Let's Connect

Available for consulting engagements, advisory roles, speaking opportunities, and senior leadership positions in cybersecurity and critical infrastructure.

📧
zarcos@msn.com Direct email
🔗
linkedin.com/in/paulozarcos LinkedIn
🌐
CV Download CV