Cyber Defense & Incident Responder

NTT DATA Services•Harrisonburg, VA

2d•$101,376 - $152,064

About The Position

The Cyber Defense & Incident Responder monitors, analyzes, and responds to assigned cybersecurity incidents using established procedures. The role covers incident triage, investigation, containment, and recovery to minimize impact and restore normal operations. Analysts use security tools, event logs, correlation data, and threat intelligence to determine an incident’s nature and scope, document findings, and recommend remediation steps. The position also supports SOC process and playbook improvements, incident reporting, response readiness, and knowledge-sharing. It is based in Merrifield, Virginia.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in information technology, cybersecurity, data science, information systems, or computer science; alternatively, one and one-half years of additional experience may substitute for one year of a typical degree program.
At least 6 years of experience in Information Technology (IT) and/or Information Security (IS).
DoD 8140 certification for the respective area, or ability to obtain certification within six months of onboarding.
Ability to obtain an interim Secret Security Clearance and eligibility for a Top-Secret clearance if requested.

Responsibilities

Monitor enterprise security systems and analyze alerts for potential cybersecurity incidents.
Review SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR, and related tool alerts for anomalous activity and indicators of compromise or attack; validate alerts and prioritize them by severity and potential impact.
Triage and analyze security events to determine scope, severity, and urgency.
Examine log data, network telemetry, and endpoint information for possible malicious activity, and correlate event details with internal and external threat intelligence.
Execute incident response actions according to established procedures, including containing affected systems, removing malicious artifacts, and assisting with system recovery.
Escalate complex or critical incidents to Senior SOC Analysts or SOC Leads.
Document and communicate incident findings; prepare incident tickets, timelines, and investigative notes, contribute to after-action reviews and post-incident reporting, and upload supporting evidence and artifacts.
Communicate clear, accurate, and concise information and use sound analytical skills to reach conclusions during investigations.
Recommend refinements to standard operating procedures and escalation procedures, and identify opportunities to improve analysis workflows and detection capabilities.
Participate in training, exercises, and knowledge-sharing; support red, blue, or purple team exercises when directed and share lessons learned with SOC team members.
Track evolving threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures and incorporate relevant threat intelligence into incident analysis and response.