Junior Palo Alto Integration Technician

VIATEQ Corporation•Washington, DC

3d•$80,000 - $110,000

About The Position

VIATEQ Corporation is seeking an entry-level technical support professional to assist with enterprise network security operations and IT administrative and operational support for a federal government client. The role supports the administration, monitoring, and operational support of Palo Alto Networks security platforms across on-premises, cloud, and hybrid network environments. Work is primarily performed at the client site and approved remote or telework locations. The employee must obtain and maintain a government background investigation, PIV credentials, and required IT access authorizations before performing work. Working under the guidance of mid-level and senior engineers, the technician monitors platform health and security events, performs routine administrative tasks, assists with approved changes, prepares documentation, maintains operational records, and supports compliance and ATO activities. The role also involves escalating issues, contributing to runbooks and knowledge resources, and pursuing professional growth in Palo Alto Networks technologies, network security engineering, and federal IT compliance.

Requirements

Associate's or bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, cybersecurity, network engineering, or a related field from an accredited college or university; equivalent education, military technical training, or relevant hands-on experience may be considered.
0–2 years of experience in network security, IT operations, firewall administration, or a closely related technical discipline; internships, academic projects, military service, and entry-level professional experience are included.
Foundational knowledge of network security concepts, including firewalls, network segmentation, VPN technologies, intrusion detection and prevention, and threat prevention.
Foundational knowledge of enterprise networking, including TCP/IP, routing, switching, VLANs, and network addressing.
Ability to obtain and maintain a government background investigation, PIV credentials, and required IT access authorizations before performing work.
Foundational knowledge of Palo Alto Networks NGFW concepts, including security policy structure, zone-based security architecture, security profiles, log types, and basic PAN-OS management interface navigation.
Knowledge of IP addressing and subnetting, routing fundamentals, VPN concepts, and firewall zone architectures sufficient to support log analysis, change documentation, and basic troubleshooting.
Basic understanding of defense in depth, least-privilege access control, network segmentation, threat prevention, and common network-based attack vectors.
Foundational familiarity with NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, DISA STIGs, and applicable federal network security policies.
Strong attention to detail and accuracy when performing routine administrative tasks, documenting operational activities, and maintaining platform records.
Strong written and verbal communication skills, including the ability to document events and activities clearly in ITSM tickets, change records, and operational logs.
Ability to work effectively on a cross-functional technical team, follow procedures, escalate issues promptly, and seek guidance from senior personnel.
Basic proficiency with Microsoft Office and collaboration tools such as Microsoft Teams.
Commitment to professional growth and continuous learning in Palo Alto Networks technologies, network security, and federal compliance.
Ability to manage concurrent monitoring, administrative, and documentation tasks accurately in a fast-paced operational environment.

Nice To Haves

Hands-on exposure to Palo Alto Networks NGFW or Panorama through coursework, a personal lab, employer training, or professional experience.
Familiarity with federal cybersecurity frameworks, including NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, and applicable DISA STIGs.
Experience supporting network security or IT operations in a federal government IT environment.
Palo Alto Networks Certified Network Security Administrator (PCNSA) certification or active pursuit of the certification.
CompTIA Network+ certification or equivalent networking certification.
CompTIA Security+ certification or equivalent foundational cybersecurity certification.
Familiarity with the PAN-OS command-line interface for basic system status verification, log review, and diagnostic data collection.
Familiarity with the Panorama centralized management interface, including device management, policy review, and log querying.
Basic familiarity with GlobalProtect remote access, client installation, connectivity troubleshooting, and common user support scenarios.
Basic familiarity with the WildFire cloud-based malware analysis platform, including submission concepts, verdict types, and basic log review.
Familiarity with ITIL-based IT service management and enterprise ITSM platforms such as ServiceNow.
Basic familiarity with the MITRE ATT&CK framework and network-based adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures.
Basic familiarity with cloud networking concepts, including virtual networks, security groups, and cloud-based firewall deployments in AWS or Microsoft Azure.
Familiarity with enterprise change management, including change request documentation, CAB submissions, and implementation planning.
Participation in cybersecurity competitions, CTF events, home lab projects, academic cybersecurity programs, or equivalent hands-on learning activities.
Basic familiarity with network traffic analysis and tools such as Wireshark.
Familiarity with DISA STIG compliance checking concepts and tools for network security platform configurations.

Responsibilities

Monitor Palo Alto Networks NGFW, Panorama, Prisma Access, and Cortex XDR dashboards and management consoles; identify and escalate platform health issues, service disruptions, and anomalous conditions.
Monitor NGFW and Panorama system health indicators, including CPU, memory, session capacity, interface status, and high-availability synchronization.
Monitor log forwarding and data ingestion pipelines and escalate log gaps, forwarding failures, and data quality issues.
Generate and distribute routine platform health, operational status, threat prevention, and security event reports.
Monitor Panorama-managed device connectivity and policy synchronization, as well as Prisma Access service health and GlobalProtect connectivity.
Perform routine NGFW and Panorama administrative tasks, including policy backups, configuration exports, log archiving, and account management.
Assist with approved firewall rule changes, security profile updates, configuration modifications, software updates, security content updates, and application and threat signature updates under senior engineer supervision.
Support administrative user account provisioning, modification, and deprovisioning, and maintain related documentation.
Assist with platform certificate monitoring and renewal activities.
Maintain GlobalProtect remote access configurations and assist with gateway management, user enrollment, and agent deployment.
Monitor threat prevention, traffic, URL filtering, and WildFire logs; triage alerts and gather information for senior staff investigations.
Support routine log analysis and alert monitoring procedures, identify false-positive patterns, and contribute to runbook and standard operating procedure improvements.
Prepare Palo Alto Networks change request documentation for CAB submission, including implementation plans, impact descriptions, rollback procedures, and test steps.
Help schedule and coordinate approved platform changes, execute assigned changes under direct supervision, conduct post-implementation verification, and maintain change records.
Develop and maintain platform documentation, configuration records, log source inventories, administrative procedures, runbooks, standard operating procedures, and knowledge base contributions.
Maintain records of platform configurations, software versions, license status, and hardware inventory; ensure documentation is version-controlled and current.
Assist with compliance and ATO activities by collecting audit evidence, configuration compliance screenshots, and operational documentation.
Support DISA STIG compliance checks and document findings and remediation status.
Track platform vulnerability remediation activities and maintain accurate status records.
Handle CUI, sensitive system configuration data, and other protected information in accordance with applicable security requirements and restrictions.
Conduct administrative and operational activities in accordance with federal cybersecurity frameworks, client policies, and program requirements, including NIST SP 800-53, FISMA, and applicable DISA STIGs.
Pursue professional development in Palo Alto Networks technologies, network security engineering, and federal IT compliance; participate in team learning and work toward foundational Palo Alto Networks certification.