Associate/Cybersecurity & Incident Response (Forensic Services practice)

Charles River Associates•Toronto, ON

42d•CA$100,000 - CA$115,000•Hybrid

About The Position

Charles River Associates (CRA) is a global consulting firm providing economic and financial analysis for litigation, strategy and operational issues, and government policy advice. CRA's Forensic Services practice assists companies in responding to allegations of fraud, waste, abuse, misconduct, and non-compliance through specialized accounting, forensic services, and cybercrime investigation. This role is for a curious, analytical, and motivated candidate with 2-4 years of experience, ideally with a major in Computer Science, Digital Forensics, Information Security, or Information Systems. The position requires knowledge of cybersecurity concepts, research experience, quantitative ability, strong communication skills, and initiative. Associates are expected to use data to solve client problems, collaborate effectively, manage time, prioritize tasks, and take ownership of their work.

Requirements

2-4 years of experience
Majored in Computer Science, Digital Forensics, Information Security, and/or Information Systems
Knowledge of cybersecurity concepts
Research experience
Quantitative ability
Exceptional written and oral communication skills
High level of initiative
Ability to use data to solve client problems
Ability to work collaboratively with a team
Ability to effectively manage time
Ability to prioritize tasks
Strong understanding of computer operating systems, software and hardware
Ability to conduct detailed forensic investigations and analysis of computers, networks, mobile devices and removable media
Experience with conducting digital forensic analysis using commercial and open source forensic tools. Including file system forensics, memory analysis and network analysis
Experience with conducting static/dynamic malware analysis in a lab environment and threat hunting in a live environment
Strong understanding of proper evidence handling procedures and chain of custody
Experience with drafting technical and investigative reports and communicating technical findings
Understanding incident handling procedures: preparation, identification, containment, eradication, and recovery-to protect enterprise environments
Understanding of common attack techniques used by an adversary on a victim network and leveraging those techniques to stop further adversary activity

Nice To Haves

Experience in collegiate computer security competitions
Experience with utilizing automation tools and scripts to expedite analysis
Digital forensics/incident response training and certifications, including SANS GIAC (GCFA, GCFE, GNFA, GIME), IACIS (CFCE or CIFR), Magnet MCFE, X-ways X-Pert or similar

Responsibilities

Executing security and privacy investigations for CRA clients, in preparation of, and in response to, data security matters, which may include ongoing breach detection, threat analysis, incident response and malware analysis.
Providing expert digital forensic support for counsel and clients in support of data security incidents, such as data breaches or fraud.
Assisting in the drafting of forensic reports, affidavits and testifying as an expert in the field of digital forensics and incident response.
Engaging in problem-solving and forensic analysis of digital information using standard evidence handling techniques and computer forensics tools.
Identify, research, and organize information to assess the appropriateness and sufficiency of available data to facilitate effective data access and analysis.
Developing familiarity with data that serves as input to this analysis, including threat intelligence, logging data, as well as contextual clues.
Recognizing relationships among multiple sources and types of information to facilitate effective data analysis.
Programming, model building, and database administration (Python, T-SQL, VBA, Excel, C#, among others).
Ensuring reliability of analysis and risk management through implementing quality control measures and documentation.
Forensically acquire data and images from identified hosts, and then locate evidence of compromise determine its impact from disk, file, memory, and log analysis.
Identify artifact and evidence locations to answer critical questions, including execution, file access, data theft, anti-forensics, and detailed system usage by an adversary.
Detect and hunt unknown live, dormant, and custom malware across multiple hosts in an enterprise environment.
Create Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) from analysis to strengthen incident response and threat intelligence efforts.
Track adversary activity second-by-second on a host via in-depth timeline analysis.
Understand the evidence needed to determine the type of malware used in an attack, including rootkits, backdoors, and Trojan horses, choosing appropriate defenses and response tactics for each.
Identify lateral movement and pivots within client enterprises, showing how an adversary transitions from system to system without detection.
Use physical memory analysis tools to determine an adversary's activities on a host and other hosts the adversary used as pivot points across the network.
Examine traffic using common network protocols to identify patterns of activity or specific actions that warrant further investigation.
Identify and track malware beaconing outbound to its command and control (C2) channel via memory forensics, registry analysis, and network connections.
Providing technical assessment/audit and guidance to clients on the adequacy of cyber security controls in accordance with cybersecurity frameworks that are included in one or more of the following - NIST CSF 2.0, HIPAA, ISO 27001 and 27002, SOC2, NERC-CIP.
Participating in practice-building activities including recruiting and training.