Sr. Security Analyst

Job Title: Sr. Security Analyst
Job Location: Columbia, SC
Position Type: W2 Contract
Duration: 36 months

Primary Skills:
IT system security, system administration, incident response procedures and practices, SOC monitoring, threat hunting, vulnerability assessments (scanning, analysis, manual validation), network security (firewalls, IDS/IPS), Network Security Monitoring, SIEM, risk management, threat and vulnerability management, Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio), TCP/IP protocol analysis (Tcpdump, Wireshark), operating systems (Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, MVS, VMWare), cloud computing, secure networking technologies, defense-in-depth principles

Preferred Skills:
Prior health information technology experience, centralized log management, security regulatory requirements and standards (NIST 800 series, ARC-AMPE), information security compliance assessments and audits, federal/state/city/local government work or consulting experience, Bachelor's degree in information technology or computer science, CompTIA, ISC(2), SANS GIAC, CCNA Security certifications

Position Overview

The Security Analyst is a hands-on role that will play an integral role in the active defense of the systems and networks at the agency. The Security Analyst will support the establishment, implementation and/or enhancement of Information Systems' Security and Compliance efforts based on Federal, State and Agency Policy/Standards. The Security Analyst must have foundational technical knowledge of IT systems' security, network security and administrative tasks, be a strong oral and written communicator, and be eager to interact with technical staff, business unit representatives, stakeholders and vendors.

The client is tasked with performing ongoing enterprise cybersecurity threat monitoring and incident response capabilities. A strong candidate for this position should possess experience or knowledge in: Cyber Threat Response and Incident Handling, Cyber Security Operations, Penetration Testing, and Network Security.

Daily Duties / Responsibilities

The Security Analyst is primarily responsible for assessing and evaluating the organization's information and cyber security solutions and processes, as well as providing technical advisory to influence the design and implementation of security information technology systems and networks. The Security Analyst will guide junior analysts (Security Analyst I and II) to identify and address risks and lead the response to information security issues. Candidates should be self-starters, creative problem solvers and have an eagerness to implement tactics, techniques and procedures which make the most effective use of agency staff, resources, products and technologies quickly.
General Duties and Responsibilities

• Assist in the day-to-day duties of SOC monitoring activities, tools and processes
• Provide hands-on support of OCS security tools
• Conduct threat hunts (specialized searches) for evidence of compromise
• Monitor security technologies for alerts
• Investigate incidents, gathering evidence, and analyzing data
• Analyze anomalous activity and potential threats to agency connected resources
• Collaborate with OCS Staff and other agency staff, leadership, business partners and other parties/stakeholders to support security and compliance risk mitigation efforts
• Other duties as assigned

Technical Knowledge

• Understanding of information technology and security concepts
• Experience or knowledge of operating systems (e.g., Android, iOS, Linux, Windows, MVS, VMWare), cloud computing, networks, hardware and software platforms, and protocols as they relate to information security
• Experience or knowledge in performing vulnerability assessments, including scanning, analysis of results, and manual validation
• Experience with secure networking technologies such as network firewalls and IDS/IPS technologies, Network Security Monitoring expertise, and Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems
• Experience in information security incident response and risk management
• Experience managing and responding to information security risks, threats and incidents
• Threat and vulnerability management; awareness of current threats to confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data and controls to mitigate threats
• Strong working knowledge of applicable internal and/or external regulatory policies, standards, procedures and controls (e.g., CMS ARC-AMPE, NIST, COBIT, FedRAMP)
• Experience or knowledge with development and integration of RMF tasks and artifacts into the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC) is ideal
• Experience or knowledge in security as related to multi-tenant, cloud services and vendor interface management would be considered desirable
• Working knowledge of TCP/IP and the functioning of its component protocols; ability to read and analyze using various toolsets such as tcpdump, Wireshark, etc.
• Understanding basic defense-in-depth principles such as secure system configuration, network segmentation and malicious code protection is a plus
• Information Systems' Security Experience
• Experience working in a SOC environment is preferred
• Experience in operating and contributing to a security operations center responding to alerts and anomalies, creating and interpreting dashboards and triaging cross-functional teams is preferred
• Hands-on experience in the secure implementation, operation and ongoing maintenance of computer systems, software, hardware and networks is preferred

• 6+ years of experience in IT System Security or System Administration
• Experience with incident response procedures and practices
• Must have intermediate skills in Microsoft Office products (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Visio) to include working with templates and style guidelines for branding consistency

Preferred Skills

• Prior Health Information Technology experience
• Centralized Log Management experience
• Familiarity with security regulatory requirements and standards (such as NIST 800 series, ARC-AMPE)
• Experience performing or supporting information security compliance assessments and audits
• Work and/or consulting experience in federal, state, city or local government

Additional Skills

• Must be willing to learn and take on new tasks
• Willingness to work independently and as a member of a team
• Willingness to collaborate and coordinate with multiple teams and vendors
• Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks effectively in order to effectively report on the status of assigned work
• Ability to multitask and prioritize tasks effectively in order to meet deadlines in a results-oriented environment
• Strong understanding of enterprise operations & secure best practices
• Strong written and verbal communication skills
• Ability to accept changes and constructive criticism and remain flexible in dealing with leadership and teams of varying technical and business knowledge

Required Education

• High school diploma with six years of relevant work experience
• Required / Preferred Certifications
• Preferred: Bachelor's degree in information technology, computer science, related technical field with a minimum of 3 years relevant work experience
• Preferred: Information Security certifications such as CompTIA, ISC(2), SANS GIAC, CCNA Security.