BS in Computer Science, Cyber Security, or related field; or HS Diploma/GED with 22+ years of experience
10+ years of relevant experience in cybersecurity
3+ years in evaluating and implementing cyber response capabilities
Hands-on experience with edge devices from Cisco, Ivanti, Palo Alto, Ciena, or Juniper
Responsibilities
Serve as a subject matter expert in incident response and threat actor TTPs
Evaluate and integrate new network forensic and monitoring capabilities
Coordinate preliminary incident response investigations with government leads
Communicate findings and recommendations to customers during onsite engagements
Analyze network traffic to identify anomalies and potential threats
Reconstruct malicious activities based on network data
Assess network topologies to inform incident response activities
Benefits
Opportunity to work on critical government missions
Engagement with advanced cybersecurity technologies
Collaboration with a skilled team of experts
Potential for professional growth and development
Contribution to national security efforts
Full Job Description
Our Partner provides support for on-and-off-site incident response to government agencies and critical infrastructure owners who experience cyber-attacks. They deliver 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 severity of breaches and develop mitigation/remediation plans. They are seeking a Subject Matter Expert with deep expertise in one or more edge device technologies (Cisco, Ivanti, Palo Alto, Ciena, Juniper) to support this critical customer mission.
Responsibilities
Serve as a hunt and incident response subject matter expert (SME), applying in-depth knowledge of threat actor tools, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), with a focus on network centric and edge device compromises
Serve as an incident response expert in support of a technology insertion team, evaluating and integrating new network forensic and monitoring capabilities
Assist the Government lead in coordinating teams for preliminary incident response investigations, including onsite and remote engagements
Assist the Government lead by interfacing with the customer while onsite, clearly communicating status, findings, and recommendations
Characterize and analyze network traffic (including PCAP, flow, and device logs) to identify anomalous activity and potential threats to network resources
Identify and analyze anomalies in network traffic using metadata (e.g., flow records, DNS logs, proxy logs) to detect and scope malicious activity
Reconstruct malicious attacks or activities based on network traffic, including timelines, attacker paths, and data exfiltration patterns
Examine network topologies to understand data flows, trust boundaries, and potential choke points; uses this understanding to inform hunt and response activities
Assess network topology and device configurations, identifying critical security concerns and providing security best practice recommendations, especially for Cisco, Ivanti, Palo Alto, Ciena, and Juniper platforms
Determine appropriate courses of action in response to identified and analyzed anomalous network activity, including containment, eradication, and hardening actions
Apply knowledge of defense-in-depth principles and general attack stages to evaluate and improve network security architecture and edge-device configurations
Apply knowledge of network device integrity concepts and methodologies to validate device state, detect unauthorized modification, and recommend remediation
Lead analysis of device logs, configurations, and telemetry from routers, switches, firewalls, VPNs, and remote access appliances to identify, scope, and reconstruct intrusions
Provide expert support, analysis, and research with only broad direction into exceptionally complex problems and processes relating to hunt and incident response activities
Serve as a technical expert on high-level incident response teams, providing technical direction, interpretation, and alternatives for network-centric incidents
Exercise considerable latitude in determining technical objectives and independently develop technical solutions to complex problems requiring ingenuity and creativity
Analyze incident data and victim environments to recommend targeted mitigations, including network segmentation, policy updates, and device hardening
Advise technical personnel on countermeasure implementation and customization (e.g., firewall rules, IPS signatures, access control lists)
Support internal stakeholders on containment and eradication missions, on-site and remotely
Ensure evidence integrity is preserved according to standard operating procedures or national standards when collecting network data, device artifacts, and logs
Assist with the writing and publishing of Computer Network Defense (CND) guidance and detailed reports on incident findings to appropriate constituencies
Distill analytic findings into executive summaries and in-depth technical reports suitable for both leadership and highly technical audiences
Document analysis, TTPs, and device specific incident handling procedures in a standardized knowledge base for sharing and publication
Assist in maintaining branch process and procedure documentation and guides the completion of hunt and incident response activities
Requirements
US Citizenship
TS/SCI Clearance
Ability to obtain DHS Suitability
BS in Computer Science, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering, or related degree; OR HS Diploma/GED and 22+ years of technical experience in the area of expertise
10+ years of directly relevant experience
3+ years of experience related to the evaluation and implementation of new cyber response or network forensic capabilities
Hands-on experience with incident response or network operations involving enterprise edge devices from at least two of the following vendors: Cisco, Ivanti, Palo Alto, Ciena, Juniper
Strong understanding of network architecture and security, including routing, switching, VPNs, firewalls, segmentation, and defense in depth
Knowledge of Computer Network Defense (CND) policies, procedures, and regulations relevant to U.S. government or similar environments
Ability to:
Characterize and analyze network traffic to identify anomalous activity and potential threats
Identify and analyze anomalies in network traffic using metadata (flow, DNS, proxy, etc.)
Reconstruct malicious activity based on network traffic and device logs
Understanding of general attack stages (reconnaissance, initial access, lateral movement, exfiltration, etc.) and how they manifest across the network
Understanding of system and application security threats and vulnerabilities and how they are observed in network traffic
Understanding of proactive analysis of systems and networks, including establishing trust levels of critical resources and detecting anomalous behavior
Proficiency with common operating systems (e.g., Linux/Unix, Windows)
Ability to think independently, make sound decisions under pressure, and work with limited guidance
Superior written and oral communication skills, including the ability to clearly explain technical issues to both technical and non-technical stakeholders
Ability to work collaboratively across physical locations and within distributed teams
Skilled in identifying different classes of attacks and attack stages and translating findings into actionable recommendations
Rapid Network & Tapping Setup: Ability to quickly configure network TAPs, packet brokers, SPAN ports, and unmanaged/managed switches without disrupting live production or air-gapped traffic
Desired Skills
Experience leading and mentoring technical teams in incident response, network operations, or security engineering
Network and system administration experience in large or complex enterprise or service-provider environments
Strong understanding of adversarial TTPs (including MITRE ATT&CK) and different operational threat environments (e.g., script kiddies, non nation state adversaries, nation state actors)
Knowledge of defense-in-depth and zero trust principles and their application to network and edge-device architectures
Knowledge of system and application security threats and vulnerabilities (e.g., buffer overflow, mobile code, cross-site scripting, injections, race conditions, covert channels, replay, ROP, malicious code)
Knowledge of network device integrity verification and monitoring approaches
Hands-on skill in host/network intrusion detection and event correlation across multiple telemetry sources (firewalls, IDS/IPS, endpoint, SIEM)
Experience with malicious activity analysis, including network beaconing, C2, and data exfiltration detection
Experience with Identity and Access Management (IAM) tools and their integration into network/edge security architectures
Ability to review and analyze Enterprise Architecture (EA) from a security perspective and recommend architecture-level improvements
Ability to collaborate with stakeholders at multiple levels within an organization (technical staff, management, senior leadership)
Field Diagnostics & Cyber Forensics: Skills in running preloaded analysis stacks, protocol parsers (e.g., Modbus, DNP3, OPC UA), vulnerability scanning, and local packet capture at line rate
Compact Pack & Weight Management: Packing, securing, and transporting ruggedized cases (such as Pelican or Nanuk) that fit standard weight and carry-on/air-transport limits
Desired Certifications (one or more)
IASAE II, CSSP Analyst, GCIA, GCIH, CSSP Incident Responder,CEH
SANS GIAC GCIA or GNFA (preferred for network forensics)
