Analyst, Cyber Defense (Security Operations)

About the position

As a Cyber Defense Analyst within the Security Operations Center (SOC), your role primarily involves using defensive measures and information gathered from various sources to identify, analyze, and report cybersecurity events, protecting McDonald's information assets. You will support the Incident Response process by assisting in crisis situations and responding to immediate and potential cybersecurity threats. This role focuses on security operations, event monitoring, and incident response, demonstrating your strong security skills. The role works directly within Global Cyber Security (GCS), the organization responsible for our Cybersecurity Operations & Incident Response program and critical services, ensuring our leadership makes informed risk-based decisions. You will collaborate with the Incident Response and Cyber Operations teams, contributing to long-term projects that enhance security. This position offers the opportunity to engage in essential work that safeguards our organization's cybersecurity. We are moving fast and are adding to our best-in-class team, and joining McDonald's means thinking big every day and preparing for a career that will impact the world. We are customer-obsessed and committed to being leaders in our industry.

Responsibilities

• Continuously monitor and analyze system activity using security operations tools to identify malicious activity.
• Characterize and analyze network traffic and logs to identify potential threats to McDonald’s assets.
• Analyze network alerts from various sources within the enterprise to determine their root cause.
• Provide timely detection, identification, and analysis of possible attacks and intrusions, differentiating them from benign activities.
• Collaborate with the Incident Response (L3) team, market stakeholders, and SOC to validate security events and provide tuning input.
• Perform event correlation to gain situational awareness and assess the effectiveness of observed attacks.
• Monitor external data sources to stay informed about cyber defense threat conditions.
• Offer cybersecurity recommendations to leadership based on significant threats and vulnerabilities.
• Collaborate with stakeholders to resolve computer security incidents and ensure vulnerability compliance.

Requirements

• Formal education or certifications in Cyber Security, Security Event/Incident Response.
• 1 – 3 years of experience working in a security operations or incident response role.
• Foundational understanding of cybersecurity practices, cloud technologies, detection and response frameworks, and incident handling procedures.
• Familiarity with established incident response playbooks and practices.
• Attention to detail and willingness to work collaboratively across global cross-functional teams.
• Basic knowledge of computer networking concepts, protocols, and network security methodologies.
• Entry-level ability to analyze cyber threats and vulnerabilities.
• Awareness of authentication, authorization, and access control methods.
• Basic skills in utilizing intrusion detection methodologies and techniques for detecting host and network-based intrusions.
• Recognition of common system and application security threats and vulnerabilities.
• Understanding of network attacks and their relationship to threats and vulnerabilities.
• Familiarity with common adversarial tactics, techniques, and procedures.
• Basic knowledge of Windows, MacOS, and/or Linux operating systems.

Nice-to-haves

• Professional certification such as GSEC, SSCP, Security+, CEH.
• Experience working from Incident Response Playbooks.
• Experience working with case management tools, SOAR, email security solutions, SIEM, and EDR technologies.
• Experience developing automation through scripting languages such as Python.

Benefits

• Health and welfare benefits.
• 401(k) plan.
• Adoption assistance program.
• Educational assistance program.
• Flexible ways of working.
• Time off policies (including sick leave, parental leave, and vacation/PTO).
• Bonus eligibility based on individual and company performance.