Cyber Defense Analyst

About the role

The Cyber Defense Analyst will provide strategic guidance and technical analysis to detect and respond to adversarial cyber activity across the enterprise. This full‑time, day‑shift position works within a typical office environment and requires a Top‑Secret clearance.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor and maintain network security devices, responding to tiered alerts and escalating incidents.
• Conduct deep packet analysis using raw packet data, net flow, IDS/IPS, and custom sensors to detect and mitigate threats.
• Identify security risks, analyze root causes of violations, and develop preventive strategies.
• Produce comprehensive incident reports and post‑incident briefs for investigators and decision‑makers.
• Collaborate with DoD/Government leaders and cross‑functional teams to improve cyber‑defense and incident‑response strategies.
• Research emerging threats, vulnerabilities, and threat‑actor TTPs to strengthen the network’s security posture.

Required profile

• 8‑10 years of experience in network security or a Master’s degree with 6‑8 years of experience.
• Strong understanding of network protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP, SSL/TLS) and related risks.
• Experience with large‑scale data processing for threat analytics and anomaly detection.
• Ability to communicate technical findings to varied stakeholders and produce clear briefings.

Required skills

• Hands‑on experience with firewalls, IDS/IPS devices (Snort, Suricata or proprietary solutions).
• Proficiency with traffic analysis tools such as Wireshark and tcpdump.
• Familiarity with security platforms like Splunk and Elastic.
• Knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain.
• Experience analyzing packet captures, software exploits, and obfuscated code.