ACAS Cybersecurity Analyst

Apavo Corporation • Oakton, VA

9d • Onsite

About The Position

Apavo is at the forefront of cybersecurity, providing services to military, defense, and critical infrastructure industries. Joining the Apavo team means becoming part of a company rooted in the principles of quality, and communication. We value positive, candid interactions and the belief that everyone has valuable contributions to make. Apavo stands out for its commitment to a work-life balance and fostering a growth mindset among all team members. If you are looking to make a meaningful impact in the cybersecurity world while growing professionally in a supportive environment, Apavo is the place for you.

Job Purpose: The ACAS Cybersecurity Analyst supports the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) mission by executing advanced vulnerability management, compliance, and Continuous Monitoring (ConMon) within complex, multi-enclave Risk Management Framework (RMF) environments. This role ensures that standard enterprise systems and unique Research & Development (R&D) systems remain secure and compliant under both Department of Defense (DoD) and Intelligence Community (IC) directives. The analyst serves as the Assured Compliance Assessment Solution (ACAS) Subject Matter Expert (SME), ensuring complete network visibility, verifying directive compliance, and mitigating vulnerabilities across DoDI 8510.01, ICD 503, and JSIG governed environments.

Requirements

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, or related field (or equivalent experience) with 5–7+ years of experience in DoD/IC cybersecurity, heavily focused on vulnerability management and RMF.
• Active Top Secret clearance with SCI eligibility. (Willingness to undergo a Counterintelligence (CI) or Full-Scope Polygraph for SAP readiness is highly preferred).
• DoD Directive: DoD 8570.01-M / 8140.03 compliant for IAT Level II (e.g., Security+ CE, CySA+) or Level III (e.g., CASP+, CISSP).
• ACAS Certification: Current DISA ACAS Operator and/or Administrator training certificate is required.
• Technical Proficiency: Deep, hands-on administrative experience with ACAS (Nessus / Tenable.sc) infrastructure, including offline updates, CMRS integration, air-gapped deployments, and credentialed scan troubleshooting.
• OS/Environment: Computing Environment (CE) certification (e.g., Linux+, Windows Server) or equivalent command-line experience is highly preferred for ACAS host management.
• Framework Knowledge: Strong understanding of DoD RMF (DoDI 8510.01), IC RMF (ICD 503), JSIG, CNSSI 1253, NIST SP 800-53 controls, STIG implementation, and IAVA/IAVM/CTO remediation processes.
• Tooling: Experience with SCC, STIG Viewer, eMASS, Xacta (heavily used in IC/SAP environments), and log aggregation tools (e.g., Splunk).
• Communication: Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to communicate technical cyber risks to non-technical program managers and research scientists.

Nice To Haves

• Willingness to undergo a Counterintelligence (CI) or Full-Scope Polygraph for SAP readiness is highly preferred.
• Computing Environment (CE) certification (e.g., Linux+, Windows Server) or equivalent command-line experience is highly preferred for ACAS host management.

Responsibilities

• Advanced ACAS Administration: Deploy, configure, and manage Tenable Security Center (Tenable.sc) and Nessus scanners across connected and air-gapped enclaves (NIPR, SIPR, JWICS, SAP).
• Vulnerability, R&D & Directive Scanning: Execute and analyze credentialed and non-credentialed vulnerability scans. Tailor scan zones, profiles, and asset lists to ensure 100% visibility while preventing disruptions to fragile, experimental DARPA research systems. Perform targeted scanning to determine and verify system compliance with DCDC Communications Tasking Orders (CTOs).
• Troubleshooting & Maintenance: Diagnose and resolve complex scanner connectivity issues, WMI/SSH credentialed scan failures, and perform manual/offline plugin and feed synchronizations for isolated, highly classified networks.
• Multi-Framework Compliance Validation: Validate findings against DISA STIGs, CIS benchmarks, and specific IC/SAP security baselines. Conduct compliance checks using tools such as SCC, STIG Viewer, and Evaluate-STIG.
• Risk & Remediation Tracking: Develop and maintain POA&M documentation. Monitor IAVA/IAVM notices and IC-specific vulnerability alerts. Collaborate with operations and engineering personnel to provide risk-based remediation strategies, tracking mitigation within systems of record (e.g., eMASS, Xacta).
• Continuous Monitoring & Upstream Reporting: Execute ConMon activities, integrating ACAS outputs with local SIEM tools (e.g., Splunk) to maintain ongoing authorization and coordinate with the external Cybersecurity Service Provider (CSSP). Support upstream enterprise cybersecurity posture reporting, ensuring accurate data synchronization with the Continuous Monitoring and Risk Scoring (CMRS) system.
• DoD & IC RMF Support: Support RMF lifecycle activities across multiple regulatory frameworks—including DoD RMF (DoDI 8510.01), Intelligence Community Directive 503 (ICD 503), and the Joint SAP Implementation Guide (JSIG). Maintain artifacts and map technical scan findings to NIST SP 800-53 and CNSSI 1253 controls.
• The ACAS Cybersecurity Analyst is expected to have additional duties as assigned in support of corporate cybersecurity services and DARPA mission requirements. Additional details are reviewed in accordance with company policies.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior