Principal Researcher (Unit 42)

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. 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.

Who We Are

This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters.

Job Description

Your Career

As a member of the Unit 42, National Security Team (NATSEC) team, you will be working closely with a globally distributed team of researchers and threat intelligence analysts. You will be embedded into a customer environment where you will track cyber criminals, ransomware groups, and advanced persistent threats in support of sensitive customer intelligence requirements.

Your Impact

• Provide timely and actionable intelligence to support customer intelligence requirements
• Leverage global datasets (netflow, malware, passive DNS, etc) to track malicious cyber actors, their infrastructure and campaigns 
• Collaborate with a global team of threat intelligence analysts to analyze and develop coverage for emerging threats
• Develop tactical hunting and strategic threat assessments in support of customer needs
• Communicate with product engineering teams to improve detection efficacy in our ecosystem of products

Qualifications

Your Experience

• BS/MS in Computer Science, Computer Engineering or equivalent military experience, or 8+ years of experience as a cleared cyber threat intelligence analyst
• Working knowledge of BigQuery 
• Proficiency in Python, C, and/or C++
• Familiar common malware families and research techniques
• Familiar with common tactics, techniques, and procedures used by cyber threat actors to conduct network reconnaissance and intrusions, including knowledge of the MITRE ATT&CK Matrix for enterprise and individual techniques
• Strong knowledge of cyber security threat actors, particularly their tactics, techniques, procedures, tooling, and noteworthy attacks
• Experience leveraging netflow, passive DNS, IP registration, malware telemetry, and other data sets to form comprehensive threat assessments 
• Experience working with information security teams such as fusion centers, security operations centers, vulnerability threat management, security incident management, threat hunting, and data analytics
• Excellent time management, often working under tight deadlines with multiple assignments
• Outstanding verbal and written communication skills
• Comfortable with creating and delivering presentations in a range of environments, from industry conferences to customer briefings

Additional Information

The Team

Unit 42 brings together our world-renowned threat researchers with an elite team of security consultants to create an intelligence-driven, response ready organization. The Unit 42 Threat Intelligence team provides threat research that enables security teams to understand adversary intent and attribution, while enhancing protections offered by our products and services to stop advanced attacks. As threats escalate, Unit 42 is available to advise customers on the latest risks, assess their readiness, and help them recover when the worst occurs.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at  [email protected].

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.