This role is a contract assignment at Palo Alto Networks. Contractors will not be employed by Palo Alto Networks but through our trusted staffing partners.

 

Palo Alto Networks is looking for a Research Engineer (Contractor) to work with the Xpanse National Security Division. This is a great opportunity for a talented individual who has the desire to associate with a fast-growing company at the nexus of national security and private industry.

• Location - USA - Remote
• Duration -  6 months 
• Magnit is not able to provide assistance to candidates requiring sponsorship or a visa for this position.    

Position Summary

Our work is varied, exciting, and meaningful. We rapidly prototype new capabilities to address specific customer needs. We improve our Internet intelligence through other, unique forms of data collection. We develop, maintain, and use our own tools to perform threat hunting. We stand up infrastructure and conduct our own vulnerability research of customer networks. We are consistently shown the impact of our work and are proud to be a part of our nation’s cyber defense.

Your Impact

• Protect our customers against malicious actors on the Internet
• Develop novel techniques and approaches for understanding the internet and characterizing data for insights relevant to cyber threat intelligence
• Collaborate with US government partners in investigating and reporting malicious cyber activity for analysts and senior leaders
• Aid in developing software to better leverage Palo Alto Networks datasets in the various missions of threat hunting, vulnerability discovery, and as-yet undetermined missions
• Grow our library of datasets and integrate new capabilities into our tools
• Build prototypes that generate insights for customers and help to operationalize them towards cyber threat hunting
• Discover the emergent properties of the Internet so we start to expect the unexpected
• Mentor junior staff, share best practices and technical expertise with a multidisciplinary team 

Your Experience

• Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or other technical discipline (or equivalent professional experience)
• GCTI, GPEN, OSCP, CEH certifications a plus
• Intermediate proficiency in manipulating large datasets and a high level of comfort with SQL and database operations (approximately 2-3 years of professional experience)
• Intermediate proficiency in Python, Go, and/or Rust (approximately 2-3 years of professional experience)
• High-level understanding of computer networks, protocols, and of how the Internet works
• Experience collecting, analyzing, and interpreting data from multiple sources, documenting the results, and providing meaningful analytic products
• Knowledge of the principal methods, procedures, and techniques of gathering information and producing, reporting, and sharing intelligence
• Broad knowledge of nation-state linked APT groups with emphasis on differences in Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures
• Knowledge of the Intelligence Community, US Government, and federal cyber centers
• Experience using tools such as nmap, nessus, dsniff, netcat, network sniffers, and fuzzers. At least 2 years experience in 1 tool minimum.
• Ability to concisely communicate complex subject matter to technical and non-technical audiences
• At minimum, you must be eligible for a security clearance, active Top Secret preferred

Our Team:

Xpanse’s global collections architecture yields the best and most detailed global view into the device layer of the public Internet data set ever created. The Xpanse National Security Division leverages datasets ranging in size from gigabytes to petabytes in unconventional ways to produce unparalleled cybersecurity insights. NSD also conducts its own unique collection and analysis in support of special projects.

Compensation

The compensation offered for this position will depend on qualifications, experience, and work location.  For candidates who receive an offer,this is the pay range that Magnit (the staffing agency) reasonably expects to pay for this position: $67/hour to $77/hour. Please note that the compensation information in this posting reflects the hourly wage only and does not include benefits.  Magnit offers Medical, Dental, Vision and 401K.

Information about Palo Alto Networks

At Palo Alto Networks®, everything starts and ends with our mission:
Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
We have the vision of a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. These aren’t easy goals to accomplish — but we’re not here for easy. We’re here for better. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.