Cybersecurity Intern - Summer 2027

PayPal • San Jose, CA

1d • $27 - $55 • Hybrid

About The Position

PayPal’s Cyber & Information Security (PCIS) team is hiring self-driven, detail-oriented cybersecurity interns to work with security and risk teams. Interns will work with security and risk teams, business partners, and stakeholders on security and risk technology and services, helping PayPal foster a culture in which teams take responsibility for securing their code and environments. The team provides visibility, tools, guidance, training, and support to help build secure products and systems, and prevents, identifies, and responds to critical vulnerabilities.

The role may focus on technology security work, risk management, or both. Technology responsibilities include supporting platform security products in the software development lifecycle, reviewing code for secure coding guideline compliance, analyzing and remediating vulnerabilities, improving security processes, collaborating across product and engineering teams, and incorporating current security knowledge into threat models. Risk responsibilities include applying enterprise governance, risk, and compliance policies and standards; identifying, assessing, mitigating, monitoring, testing, and reporting risks and controls; maintaining risk and control documentation; supporting control testing and audit remediation; and improving technology risk management tools and processes.

This is a Summer 2027 internship. Applicants must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship, be pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in a related technical field, and return to school in Fall 2027. The role has a location-dependent hourly pay range: $32–$55 in San Jose, California; $28–$49 in Austin, Texas and Chicago, Illinois; and $27–$46 in Scottsdale, Arizona. PayPal’s balanced hybrid model is described as three days in the office and two days at the employee’s choice of office or home for the majority of employees.

Requirements

• Currently pursuing a bachelor’s or master’s degree in computer science, software engineering, or a related technical field at an accredited college or university.
• Must return to school in Fall 2027.
• Must be legally authorized to work in the United States without sponsorship.
• Passion for cybersecurity and learning through asking questions and experimenting with different approaches.
• Willingness to collaborate and communicate effectively in a professional setting.
• Ability to take initiative and seek opportunities to expand knowledge and skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced environment in a self-driven manner, taking ownership and proposing improvements and solutions.
• Attention to detail and strong analytical thinking, communication, and time-management skills.
• Basic understanding of secure coding practices and common security vulnerabilities, such as the OWASP Top 10.
• Experience with at least one programming language, such as Java, Python, JavaScript, or Ruby.
• Basic understanding of version control systems such as Git.
• Experience working with large data sets to identify patterns and derive key takeaways.

Nice To Haves

• Interest in learning about application security and tools such as SAST, DAST, and SCA.
• Interest in learning risk management methodologies, frameworks, and principles, such as SOX, COBIT, NIST, CSA, ITIL, PCI, and GDPR.

Responsibilities

• Implement and test next-generation platform security products as part of the software development lifecycle.
• Review code against secure coding guidelines and verify that it conforms to design.
• Analyze vulnerabilities and drive their remediation.
• Identify, drive, and implement security process improvements.
• Collaborate with engineers, developers, security architects, product managers, program managers, and other teams to deliver products.
• Stay current on security trends, technologies, vulnerabilities, and attacks, and incorporate this knowledge into threat models.
• Determine the impact of vulnerabilities in PayPal’s environment and communicate it to company stakeholders.
• Apply enterprise governance, risk, and compliance policies, standards, and frameworks, and advocate PayPal’s “Risk as a Lifestyle” philosophy.
• Identify, assess, mitigate, monitor, test, and report risks and controls in accordance with the Enterprise Risk Management standard.
• Work with stakeholders and external auditors to maintain documentation for enterprise risk and control scoping, testing, and remediation.
• Work with the central technology controls testing team and stakeholders to validate key controls and support timely corrective action.
• Assess audit findings and gaps, including control weaknesses, and assist in developing risk-based management action plans.
• Support tools and solutions for technology risk management and identify opportunities to improve efficiency.
• Design repeatable, sustainable processes that operationalize the risk management function.

Benefits

• Generous paid time off.
• Healthcare coverage for employees and their families.
• Resources to support financial security and mental health.
• Comprehensive, choice-based programs supporting physical, emotional, and financial wellbeing.

What This Job Offers

• Career Level: Intern