Security Research Engineer

Cisco

3d•Onsite

About The Position

The Advanced Security Initiatives Group (ASIG) serves as Cisco’s elite security research unit, dedicated to identifying vulnerabilities and hardening our global products against real-world threats. By adopting an attacker mentality, the team ensures that Cisco’s critical infrastructure remains resilient for global ISPs, Fortune 500 companies, and world governments. This dynamic, high-energy group is composed of skilled researchers with diverse technical backgrounds who thrive in a casual, supportive, and collaborative environment. What makes this team truly exciting is the unique opportunities to research security topics independently or collaboratively to explore and develop tools and ideas as part of our "Free Friday" innovation and incubation process. Your Impact Evaluate global products and services to identify security vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and potential improvements to ensure the integrity of Cisco’s infrastructure. Adopt an attacker mentality using specialized tools and techniques to emulate real-world adversaries and proactively secure our systems. Partner with industry-leading engineering teams to assess complex architectures and contribute to creative security solutions that protect our customers. Research emerging security topics independently or collaboratively to develop new tools and ideas that drive the evolution of our security posture. Achieve success by delivering highly secured solutions that meet the rigorous demands of our most critical global clients.

Requirements

Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field (with security research or project-based experience) or a Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of professional security experience.
2+ years of experience in secure coding/development, code analysis for vulnerabilities, or software testing.
Experience with operating system concepts, including memory management or binary analysis.
2 years of demonstrated experience in building, maintaining, and supporting technical tooling.
Experience with AI/ML frameworks and research tooling.
Must be a U.S. Person (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee).
This position may also perform work that the U.S. government has specified can only be performed by a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil.

Nice To Haves

Experience in at least two of the following: Unix system hardening, applied cryptography, network protocol analysis, or DevOps security.
Possession of industry-recognized certifications such as OSCP.
Strong ability to work collaboratively within a diverse, high-energy research team.
Consistent record of innovative problem-solving and independent research.
Excellent communication skills for multi-functional engagement with engineering teams.
Adaptability to work with emerging technologies and evolving security landscapes.

Responsibilities

Evaluate global products and services to identify security vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and potential improvements to ensure the integrity of Cisco’s infrastructure.
Adopt an attacker mentality using specialized tools and techniques to emulate real-world adversaries and proactively secure our systems.
Partner with industry-leading engineering teams to assess complex architectures and contribute to creative security solutions that protect our customers.
Research emerging security topics independently or collaboratively to develop new tools and ideas that drive the evolution of our security posture.
Achieve success by delivering highly secured solutions that meet the rigorous demands of our most critical global clients.

Benefits

medical, dental and vision insurance
a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution
paid parental leave
short and long-term disability coverage
basic life insurance
10 paid holidays per full calendar year, plus 1 floating holiday for non-exempt employees
1 paid day off for employee’s birthday, paid year-end holiday shutdown, and 4 paid days off for personal wellness determined by Cisco
16 days of paid vacation time per full calendar year, accrued at rate of 4.92 hours per pay period for full-time employees (non-exempt)
flexible vacation time off program (exempt)
80 hours of sick time off provided on hire date and each January 1st thereafter, and up to 80 hours of unused sick time carried forward from one calendar year to the next
Optional 10 paid days per full calendar year to volunteer