Cyber Host Forensic Analyst IV

The DHS’s Hunt and Incident Response Team (HIRT) secures the nation’s infrastructure. HIRT provides DHS’s front-line response for cyber incidents and proactive hunting for malicious cyber activity. Nightwing provides support for on and offsite incident response to Government agencies and critical infrastructure owners who experience cyber-attacks.  Nightwing provides HIRT advanced technical assistance, proactive hunting, rapid onsite incident response, and immediate investigation, using host and network-based cybersecurity analysis capabilities.  Personnel perform investigations to characterize the level of severity of breaches and develop mitigation/remediation plans.  Nightwing is seeking Incident Response Experts to support this critical customer mission.  

This position will require physical presence in the National Capital Region (NCR) for at least 1 week for training and orientation.  Subsequent work will be primarily supported outside the NCR.

Responsibilities:

- Serves as hunt and incident response subject matter expert (SME), possessing in-depth knowledge on subjects relating to the conduct, activities, or operation of NCCIC HIRT in a surge capacity

- Distills analytic findings into executive summaries and in-depth technical reports

- Provide expert support, analysis, and research with only broad direction into exceptionally complex problems and processes relating to the subject matter as it relates to hunt and incident response activities

- Serves as technical expert on high-level incident response teams providing technical direction, interpretation, and alternatives

- Exercises considerable latitude in determining technical objectives of an assignment or task at hand

- Independently develops technical solutions to complex problems that require the regular use of ingenuity and creativity

- Guides the completion of hunt and incident response activities

Required Skills:

- U.S. Citizenship

- Must have an active TS/SCI clearance

- Must be able to obtain DHS Suitability

- 8+ years of directly relevant experience in the area of expertise

- Knowledge of different operational threat environments (e.g., first generation [script kiddies], second generation [non nation-state sponsored], and third generation [nation-state sponsored])
- Knowledge of system and application security threats and vulnerabilities (e.g., buffer overflow, mobile code, cross-site scripting, PL/SQL and injections, race conditions, covert channel, replay, return- oriented attacks, and malicious code)

- Must be able to travel domestically on short notice

- Ability to think independently

- Demonstrates superior written and oral communication skills

- Must be able to work collaboratively across physical locations

- Skilled in identifying different classes of attacks and attack stages
- Understanding of system and application security threats and vulnerabilities
- Understanding of proactive analysis of systems and networks, to include creating trust levels of critical resources

- Proficiency with common operating systems (e,g, Linux/Unix, Windows)

Desired Skills:

- Experience leading and mentoring technical teams

- Knowledge of Computer Network Defense policies, procedures and regulations

- Knowledge of different operational threat environments (e.g., first generation [script kiddies], second generation [non nation-state sponsored], and third generation [nation-state sponsored])
- Knowledge of system and application security threats and vulnerabilities (e.g., buffer overflow, mobile code, cross-site scripting, PL/SQL and injections, race conditions, covert channel, replay, return- oriented attacks, and malicious code)

- WireShark
- Splunk
- Snort

Required Education:

BS Computer Science, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering, or related degree; or HS Diploma & 10+ years of technical experience in the area of expertise.

Desired Certifications: One or more

- DoD 8140.01 IAT Level II, IASAE II, CSSP Analyst

- DoD 8140.01 GCIA, GCIH, CSSP Analyst/CSSP Incident Responder

- DoD 8140.01 CEH, CSSP Analyst

- SANS GIAC GNFA preferred

- SANS GRID, GICSP, or GCIP a plus