SOC Analyst

PUNCH Cyber Analytics Group•Reston, VA

18h•Remote

About The Position

PUNCH Cyber Analytics Group is hiring a Cyber Security Analyst to support a Federal civilian agency’s Security Operations Center (SOC). This remote position offers the opportunity to learn from an experienced team of security professionals and contribute to detecting, analyzing, and mitigating potential intrusions and other security incidents through traditional and unconventional approaches. The role requires a willingness to work in a SOC environment, strong problem-solving skills, flexibility in scheduling, and the ability to clear the agency’s clearance process. The schedule is four 10-hour shifts per week, with three days off. Weekend and holiday work is required. Proposed shifts are first shift (6:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.), second shift (2:00 p.m.–midnight), or third shift (10:00 p.m.–8:00 a.m.), with schedules running either Sunday–Wednesday or Wednesday–Saturday and limited flexibility.

Requirements

1–3 years of work experience in network security.
Hands-on computer and networking experience, formal or informal, including a good understanding of TCP/IP, routing, and major Internet protocols.
Strong desire and ability to learn and experiment with new technologies.
Ability to work independently and in a team environment.
Must be a U.S. citizen.
Willingness to work in a SOC environment and demonstrate strong problem-solving skills.
Ability to work a flexible schedule, including required weekend and holiday work.
Ability to clear a Federal civilian agency’s clearance process.

Nice To Haves

Bachelor’s degree in a technical field, Computer Science, Mathematics, or Statistics.
Incident response (IR) experience.
Experience with Splunk ES (SIEM platform).
Experience with cybersecurity tool logs, such as network and web application firewalls, vulnerability management, and proxy servers.
Experience analyzing EDR logs (MS Defender).
Experience analyzing Windows event and Sysmon logs.
Experience analyzing VPN logs (GlobalProtect).
Experience with ticketing solutions such as ServiceNow.
Experience with Jira/Confluence.
Strong verbal and written communication skills.
Current cybersecurity certifications such as Security+, CySA+, or CEH.

Responsibilities

Support a Federal civilian agency’s Security Operations Center.
Learn and contribute to detecting, analyzing, and mitigating potential intrusions and other security incidents.