Sr Threat Hunter Researcher

JR United Kingdom; Basingstoke; On-site; GBP 50,000 - 80,000; Full time

Job summary

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a senior Threat Hunter to join Unit 42's Managed Services group. This role focuses on proactively identifying cyber threats using advanced tools and methodologies, requiring strong communication skills and experience in cybersecurity research.

Benefits

Flexible benefits spending account

Mental health resources

Personalized learning opportunities

Qualifications

• Eligibility for UK Security Clearance (SC).
• Proven cybersecurity research experience focusing on APTs or cybercrime.
• Experience in incident response is beneficial.

Responsibilities

• Proactively search for malicious activity within networks.
• Develop new hunting techniques to stay ahead of threats.
• Communicate effectively with incident response and threat intelligence teams.

Skills

Investigating targeted threats

Communication skills

Attention to detail

Threat hunting methodologies

Ability to analyze malicious infrastructure

Simplifying complex ideas

Tools

IDA Pro

Wireshark

Python

SQL

Job description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks, everything starts and ends with our mission:
Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and believe that the unique ideas of every team member contribute to our collective success. Our values, crowdsourced by employees, are brought to life through each of us every day — from disruptive innovation and collaboration to execution, integrity, and inclusion.

As a member of our team, you will help shape the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and respect each employee as a unique individual. Our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to support your needs, including FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account, mental and financial health resources, and personalized learning opportunities.

Job Description

Your Career

Palo Alto Networks is seeking a senior Threat Hunter to join Unit 42's Managed Services group. Threat Hunters play a critical role in safeguarding organizations by proactively searching for threats across datasets, leading activities related to malware, threat actor groups, and campaigns. This role requires a deep understanding of cybersecurity, incident response, threat intelligence, and technical skills.

Primary responsibilities include proactively searching for malicious activity within networks, using advanced tools and methodologies to identify anomalies, and developing new hunting techniques to stay ahead of threats. Effective communication with teams like Incident Response, Threat Intelligence, and cybersecurity leadership is essential.

Your Impact

• Help organizations stay ahead of cyber threats
• Guide customers on protection and readiness
• Identify and analyze new threats to improve solutions
• Share knowledge and findings to influence industry
• Collaborate with R&D groups
• Contribute to a safer world

Qualifications

Your Experience

• Eligible for UK Security Clearance (SC)
• Understanding of threat landscape, attack tools, tactics, and networking fundamentals
• Experience investigating targeted threats in endpoints and networks
• Proven cybersecurity research experience, focusing on APTs or cybercrime
• Background in forensic analysis and incident response tools (e.g., IDA Pro, Wireshark)
• Knowledge of APT operations and attack vectors
• Familiarity with organizational cybersecurity measures
• Excellent communication skills in English
• Strong attention to detail
• Knowledge of threat hunting methodologies and development of techniques
• Experience in Incident Response is a plus
• Proficiency in Python and SQL is beneficial
• Familiarity with reverse engineering is advantageous
• Ability to simplify complex ideas
• Experience in technical writing and analysis reports
• Ability to analyze malicious campaign infrastructure
• Self-starter with adaptability

Qualifications

Please note that this role requires eligibility for UK Security Check (SC) Clearance, including recent UK residence and British citizenship. Without these, application cannot proceed.

Additional Information

The Team

Unit 42 is Palo Alto Networks’ global threat intelligence team, dedicated to sharing research on adversaries and attack campaigns. We uncover and document behaviors, sharing insights to improve cybersecurity industry-wide.

If you seek a career with top cybersecurity minds and challenging projects, this is your place. We value research, innovation, and sharing knowledge to make the digital world safer. Join our passionate, dynamic team and help us push boundaries in cybersecurity.

Our Commitment

We are problem solvers who challenge the status quo. We are committed to diversity and providing accommodations for individuals with disabilities. For assistance, contact us at [emailprotected]. Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer, celebrating diversity and ensuring confidentiality of all applicant information according to EEO guidelines.