Critical Infrastructure Protection Intern

The Mitre Corporation•New Bedford, MA

7d•$46,500 - $69,500•Onsite

About The Position

MITRE’s Critical Infrastructure Protection Department is seeking an intern to support the security and resilience of cyber-physical systems against evolving non-kinetic threats. The intern will work with experienced engineers and analysts and gain hands-on experience with industrial control systems, hardware-in-the-loop ranges, and adversary emulation platforms such as Caldera for OT. The role contributes to projects that examine how critical infrastructure systems operate, what functions they support, how they may fail, and how their resilience can be improved. Work may span analysis of infrastructure systems, functions, dependencies, and failure modes; exploration of OT/ICS technologies, protocols, detection, monitoring, and security controls; and threat-informed analysis of adversary capabilities, operational risk, and policy-informed courses of action. Projects may involve research, documentation, technical analysis, experimentation, modeling, and prototype support for federal and industry partners. The internship provides practical experience at the intersection of engineering, cybersecurity, intelligence, and resilience. The position requires working on-site five days per week.

Requirements

Must be a full-time student pursuing an accredited degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, Cybersecurity, Information Systems, or a related technical discipline.
Must remain enrolled in the semester following the internship.
Must have sustained excellence in academic performance.
Must have foundational knowledge of cybersecurity and/or operational technology methodologies, frameworks, tools, and/or programming languages.
Must work on-site five days per week.

Nice To Haves

Applied experience in cybersecurity, OT, or systems engineering through internships, research, labs, or technical projects.
Familiarity with cybersecurity and/or OT tools, frameworks, and languages such as Python, C/C++, Linux/Ubuntu, or Wireshark.
Exposure to industrial protocols such as Modbus TCP, DNP3, or OPC UA, and/or OT environments involving PLCs, RTUs, or SCADA.
Experience with modeling and simulation through coursework, labs, or projects.
Ability to work independently and make progress with guidance from senior staff.
Demonstrated interest in public service through work, academics, volunteering, or related activities.

Responsibilities

Apply cybersecurity, operational technology, and systems engineering skills to ICS/SCADA and OT system and device security.
Support critical infrastructure resilience, safety, and mission impact analysis.
Support OT engineering, testing, and incident response.
Support OT adversary emulation, including use of platforms such as Caldera for OT.
Support hardware-in-the-loop range activities, integration, and hardware/software troubleshooting for OT environments.
Inform government policies related to cybersecurity, incident response, and critical infrastructure protection.
Develop and mature novel technical ideas under the guidance of senior staff.
Conduct technical analyses that inform sponsor decisions and operational planning.
Design, build, and evaluate proof-of-concept capabilities using emerging technologies and OT concepts.
Support experimentation, testing, and documentation related to critical infrastructure and cyber-physical systems.
Collaborate with sponsors and mission partners to strengthen critical infrastructure security and resilience.