Spring & Summer 2027 Cybersecurity Engineer Co-op

Peraton•San Diego, CA

2d•Hybrid

About The Position

Peraton is seeking Spring and Summer 2027 Cybersecurity Engineer Co-ops to support its County of San Diego contract from January 2027 through August 2027. Co-ops will support cybersecurity, IT operations, and systems security efforts that help protect the technology and services used by County departments. They will work alongside Peraton professionals, gain hands-on experience with cybersecurity tools, enterprise IT environments, and security practices, and contribute to projects supporting the County's technology infrastructure and services. The program offers exposure to real-world cybersecurity challenges and public-sector IT security practices while supporting technology relied on by County services, including public health, social services, public safety, and libraries. A project assignment is to investigate a technology or business process, such as implementing agentic AI in an enterprise environment, determine high-level controls needed for secure implementation, and recommend industry tools and administrative controls, including necessary policies and procedures. The co-op runs 40 hours per week and uses a hybrid work arrangement based in San Diego, California.

Requirements

U.S. citizenship.
High school diploma and some advanced-level training.
Current enrollment in an undergraduate or graduate program, with progress toward a degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems, Information Technology, or a related field.
Foundational knowledge of cybersecurity principles, technologies, and processes through coursework or projects.
Coursework, lab, project, or prior internship experience involving cybersecurity tools, networking, operating systems, or system administration.
Ability to learn new technologies, adapt to changing priorities, and work independently and collaboratively.

Nice To Haves

GPA of 3.0 or higher.
Exposure to cybersecurity tools such as Wireshark, Metasploit, Kali Linux, or similar technologies.
Familiarity with network security, vulnerability assessment, security monitoring, or incident response concepts.
Experience with Linux, Windows, networking technologies, or system administration.
Exposure to cloud computing environments and associated security concepts.
Familiarity with Agile development processes, Jira, ServiceNow, or other IT service management tools.
Hands-on experience through cybersecurity labs, academic projects, personal projects, hackathons, or prior internships.

Responsibilities

Support cybersecurity, IT operations, and systems security efforts for the County of San Diego contract.
Contribute to projects that support the County's technology infrastructure and services.
Investigate a technology or business process and determine high-level controls needed for secure implementation.
Recommend industry tools and administrative controls, including necessary policies and procedures.