Security Research II - Microsoft Defender

Microsoft

1d

About The Position

As cyber threats continue to grow in sophistication, frequency, and impact, we are looking for a passionate and highly skilled security researcher to join our Israeli research team within Microsoft Defender. In this role, you will work at the forefront of automated attack disruption, developing capabilities that detect and respond to advanced threats in real time, regardless of the attack workflow or stage in the kill chain. You will examine diverse and complex signals across on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments, hunting for emerging adversary techniques, uncovering novel patterns of malicious behavior, and transforming research findings into practical, scalable protection. Your work will span from the earliest ideation stages to production-ready, customer-facing capabilities: researching and modeling attack techniques, identifying the necessary telemetry, designing robust detection logic, and ensuring that our automated disruption mechanisms can respond effectively in real-world conditions. This is an opportunity to have a direct impact on the security of organizations worldwide by building autonomous defense systems that stay ahead of evolving threats and protect customers at scale. You will collaborate closely with engineers, threat analysts, and product teams, bringing creativity and rigor to the challenge of stopping some of the most advanced attacks in the industry before they can cause harm. Our team values diversity and strives to hire individuals with varied experiences and perspectives. We understand that no candidate possesses every desired skill and experience, but together, we form a strong, effective team.

Requirements

• You have at least 4+ years of hands-on experience in cybersecurity research or threat analysis, preferably in cloud, endpoint, or identity-based threat scenarios.
• Familiarity with cloud environments (e.g., Azure, AWS) and an understanding of security challenges in hybrid or multi-cloud infrastructures.
• Solid understanding of modern attacker techniques, including the MITRE ATT&CK framework and kill-chain methodologies.
• Experience in threat hunting or security investigations across diverse signal sources (on-prem, hybrid, and cloud).
• Coding proficiency in at least one of the following: C, C++, Python, or Rust.

Nice To Haves

• B.S or higher degree in Computer Science, Engineering, or a related field (preferred).
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to operate in ambiguous and evolving threat environments.
• Good communication and collaboration skills, with experience working as part of a team.

Responsibilities

• Provide cybersecurity expertise as needed during security escalations and incidents to help protect Microsoft and our customers
• Proactively hunt across diverse signal sources — including on-premises, hybrid, and cloud environments
• Stay current with the latest cyberattack trends and design robust, sophisticated detection logic across the full attacker kill-chain.
• Build and implement innovative automated disruption capabilities that autonomously detect and mitigate attacks in real time.
• Collaborate with engineering and product teams to design security sensors, validate protection ideas, and measure effectiveness using data-driven approaches.
• Contribute to the broader security community by authoring technical blogs, sharing research findings, and presenting at leading security conferences.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Mid Level
• Number of Employees: 5,001-10,000 employees