Cyber Defense Analyst (TS/SCI Clearance Required)

Job Title: Cyber Defense Analyst

Clearance Required: TS/SCI
Location: Washington, DC (Onsite)
Experience Level: Mid-Senior (6 years)
Education: Bachelor s Degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or related field (or equivalent experience)

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly skilled Cyber Defense Analyst with an active TS/SCI clearance to join our cyber operations team in Washington, DC. This role is critical to identifying, analyzing, and mitigating cybersecurity threats across enterprise networks. You will coordinate incident response efforts, perform in-depth forensic and log analysis, and support threat intelligence integration to ensure rapid remediation of vulnerabilities.

Key Responsibilities:

• Coordinate and execute enterprise-wide cyber incident response functions
• Provide technical expertise to cyber defense teams to resolve incidents efficiently
• Perform detailed log analysis from multiple sources (e.g., host logs, IDS, firewall logs, network traffic)
• Conduct cyber defense triage, assessing scope, urgency, and impact of incidents
• Identify vulnerabilities and provide remediation recommendations
• Perform trend analysis and reporting on cyber threats and incidents
• Conduct forensically sound evidence collection and support investigation efforts
• Perform real-time incident handling including threat analysis, forensic work, and mitigation
• Receive, analyze, and correlate network alerts and intelligence from diverse sources
• Track and document incidents from detection through final resolution
• Apply defense-in-depth principles and best practices across systems
• Collect and analyze malware, exploits, and intrusion artifacts to support ongoing defense strategies
• Coordinate with intelligence analysts to integrate threat assessments into response plans
• Monitor external threat intelligence feeds and vendor alerts to maintain current situational awareness

Qualifications:

• 6 years of experience in cybersecurity, incident response, or cyber defense operations
• Proven experience analyzing log data and conducting forensic investigations
• Deep understanding of network security, intrusion detection systems (IDS/IPS), SIEMs, and endpoint protection
• Strong working knowledge of cyber threat landscapes and attack methodologies
• Experience working in a classified environment and handling sensitive data
• Excellent analytical, problem-solving, and communication skills
• Ability to work onsite in Washington, DC
• Active TS/SCI Clearance required

Preferred Skills (Nice to Have):

• Industry certifications such as GCIA, GCIH, CEH, CISSP, or Security
• Experience supporting federal or defense-related cybersecurity initiatives
• Familiarity with tools such as Splunk, Wireshark, EnCase, or CrowdStrike