Principal Consultant, DFIR

Palo Alto Networks•Burbank, CA

5d•Remote

About The Position

The Principal Consultant, Reactive Services is a senior individual contributor role within Unit 42 responsible for delivering expert-level incident response and digital forensics services to clients across a wide range of industries and environments. In this role, you will act as a technical leader on active investigations, partnering with Consulting Directors and engagement teams to respond to complex cybersecurity incidents. You will lead technical workstreams, conduct advanced forensic analysis, and provide actionable guidance to help organizations investigate, contain, and recover from security breaches. This position is ideal for a seasoned DFIR practitioner who thrives in fast-paced incident response environments and is passionate about solving complex technical problems while working directly with clients during critical security events.

Requirements

Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or a related field or equivalent practical experience.
6–8 years of hands-on experience in digital forensics and incident response (DFIR), security operations, or related cybersecurity disciplines.
Demonstrated experience investigating enterprise-scale cybersecurity incidents including ransomware, intrusion activity, or advanced persistent threats.
Strong understanding of forensic methodologies, including evidence handling, acquisition techniques, and chain-of-custody procedures.
Hands-on experience with industry-standard DFIR tools, such as: EnCase FTK SleuthKit Volatility or equivalent forensic frameworks
Operational experience investigating systems across major operating systems, including: Microsoft Windows Linux macOS
Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with the ability to investigate complex technical environments under pressure.
Experience working directly with clients or internal stakeholders during security incidents.

Nice To Haves

Experience responding to large-scale enterprise security incidents across cloud and hybrid environments.
Knowledge of attacker techniques aligned with MITRE ATT&CK.
Experience performing malware triage or reverse engineering.
Background working in consulting, incident response firms, or managed detection and response environments.
Industry certifications such as: GCFA GCFE GCIH CISSP or similar.
Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to translate technical findings into actionable recommendations.
Willingness to travel up to 20% as required to support client engagements.

Responsibilities

Lead and execute digital forensics and incident response investigations across enterprise environments.
Serve as a technical lead on incident response engagements, guiding investigative strategy and forensic analysis.
Conduct advanced host, network, and cloud investigations to identify root cause, attacker behavior, and scope of compromise.
Perform forensic acquisition and analysis of systems, memory, logs, and endpoint telemetry.
Utilize industry-standard DFIR tooling and methodologies to analyze malicious activity and support incident containment.
Collaborate with Consulting Directors and cross-functional teams to deliver high-quality client outcomes during security incidents.
Provide clear technical findings and remediation guidance to clients and internal stakeholders.
Maintain up-to-date knowledge of emerging threats, attacker techniques, and the evolving threat landscape.
Support development of incident response playbooks, tools, and methodologies to improve investigation efficiency.
Contribute to knowledge sharing and mentorship within the Unit 42 DFIR team.