Security Operations Engineering: Internship Opportunities

Microsoft•Redmond, WA

1d•$5,610 - $11,010

About The Position

SERPENT (Services Pentest) is looking for a learn-it-all Security Operations Intern to help secure Microsoft’s most critical online services through real-time detection, incident response, and data-driven security operations. Are you looking for a challenge that puts you at the center of the Microsoft Specialized Clouds strategy? Are you passionate about solving the security challenges of critical, large-scale online services? Do you want to learn how Microsoft defends some of the world’s most important cloud and device ecosystems? If you’re curious, analytical, and eager to learn how Security Operations works at Microsoft scale, this role is for you. Microsoft’s Specialized Clouds organization is responsible for securing some of Microsoft’s largest and most influential online services across the Adaptive Cloud and Windows + Devices (W+D) organization. As part of MCS, the SERPENT team partners deeply with Offensive Security, Engineering, and Incident Response teams to reduce risk and drive detection excellence across the company. At Microsoft, Interns work on real-world projects in collaboration with teams across the world, while having fun along the way. You’ll be empowered to build community, explore your passions and achieve your goals. This is your chance to bring your solutions and ideas to life while working on cutting-edge technology. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Requirements

Candidate must be enrolled in a full time bachelor's or masters program in area relevant for the role during the academic term immediately before their internship.
Candidate must have at least one additional quarter/semester of school remaining following the completion of the internship

Nice To Haves

Understanding of operating systems, identity systems, or networking fundamentals
Experience using analytical skills with curiosity to explore data and identify patterns
Ability to communicate clearly and collaborate with partners across engineering and security
Experience participating in SOC or incident response labs, competitions, or university programs
Exposure to SIEM tools or detection engineering concepts (e.g., KQL, Splunk, Elastic, Sentinel)
Coursework or hands-on practice in threat intelligence, malware analysis, or digital forensics
Experience using scripting skills in Python, PowerShell, Bash, or KQL for analysis or automation
Familiarity with cloud concepts (Azure preferred), logging pipelines, or telemetry systems
Experience with log analysis, anomaly detection, or building small automation workflows
Interest in Kill Chain, MITRE ATT&CK, detection engineering, or blue/red team collaboration
Exposure to data visualization tools (Power BI, Jupyter, notebooks) for operational insights
Participation in research, security clubs, hackathons, or technical competitions
Curiosity about emerging threats, attacker tradecraft, and real-world incident case studies

Responsibilities

Monitor security signals to identify anomalies, noise, and potential intrusions; drive improvements to detection quality
Analyze detection outputs, investigate suspicious activity, and create new detections using Indicators of Compromise (IOC) and attacker TTPs
Translate security policies and standards into practical, measurable controls across services
Identify gaps in security controls and recommend mitigation strategies to engineering partners
Collaborate across internal and external teams to deploy solutions that reduce risk and address threats
Analyze KPIs, bug trends, unhealthy pipelines, and other data sources to identify patterns and influence improvements
Evaluate data sets to identify anomalies, correlation patterns, and operational blind spots
Contribute to penetration testing processes across the kill chain to strengthen controls and enhance detection readiness
Support red team report analysis, issue tracking, and cross-team triage
Drive automation opportunities across detection, response, and operational workflows
Investigate potential control failures (e.g., network, identity, high-security systems) and recommend remediation strategies
Support security incident response by analyzing attempts to compromise systems and recommending next steps
Assist in limiting exposure by collaborating with partner teams on response actions
Identify emerging threats based on external trends and influence defense prioritization