Cyber Network Forensic Analyst III

Nightwing; Town of Texas (WI); On-site; USD 120,000 - 170,000; Full time

Job summary

Nightwing is seeking a Network Forensics Analyst to support a U.S. Government customer with on-site incident response and rapid investigation. You will participate in characterizing breach severity, developing mitigation plans, and restoring services within a trusted team.

Ideal candidates have 8+ years in network investigations, deep CND knowledge, and experience with TCP/IP, SIEM tools, and MITRE ATT&CK. Arlington, VA on-site role with DoD-aligned expectations and security clearances.

Qualifications

• U.S. citizenship and active TS/SCI clearance required.
• 8+ years of directly relevant experience in network investigations.
• In-depth knowledge of CND policies, procedures and regulations.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP and common network protocols.
• Experience with Wi-Fi networking and network topologies (DMZ/WAN).
• Familiarity with Splunk or other SIEM platforms and ATT&CK.

Responsibilities

• Assists the Government lead in coordinating incident response investigations.
• Interfaces with the customer on site and supports secure operations.
• Determines actions in response to identified anomalous network activity.
• Assesses topology and configurations to identify critical security concerns and best practices.
• Writes and publishes CND guidance and incident findings reports.
• Collects intrusion artifacts (PCAP, domains, URIs, certificates) for mitigation.
• Analyzes malicious activity to identify exploitation methods and effects.
• Collects device integrity data and checks for tampering or compromise.
• Supports real-time CND incident handling and remediation activities.

Skills

Citizenship required

Active TS/SCI clearance

DHS Suitability eligibility

8+ years network investigations

CND policies & regulations

TCP/IP knowledge

Common protocols knowledge (HTTP/S,DNS

WiFi networking knowledge

Network topologies (DMZ/WAN)

Splunk experience

ATT&CK knowledge

Defense-in-depth principles

Network traffic analysis

Education

BS Computer Science / Cyber Security / related

HS Diploma + 10+ years experience

Tools

Splunk

Wireshark

PCAP analysis

Job description

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers’ most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.

Nightwing provides technically advanced full-spectrum cyber, data operations, systems integration and intelligence mission support services to meet our customers’ most demanding challenges. Our capabilities include cyber space operations, cyber defense and resiliency, vulnerability research, ubiquitous technical surveillance, data intelligence, lifecycle mission enablement, and software modernization. Nightwing brings disruptive technologies, agility, and competitive offerings to customers in the intelligence community, defense, civil, and commercial markets.

Nightwing is supporting a U.S. Government customer to provide support for onsite incident response to civilian Government agencies and critical asset owners who experience cyber-attacks, providing immediate investigation and resolution. Contract personnel perform investigations to characterize of the severity of breaches, develop mitigation plans, and assist with the restoration of services. Nightwing is seeking a Network Forensics Analyst to support this critical customer mission.

Responsibilities:

• Assists the Government lead in coordinating teams in preliminary incident response investigations
• Assists the Government lead with interfacing with the customer while on site
• Determines appropriate courses of actions in response to identified and analyses anomalous network activity
• Assesses network topology and device configurations identifying critical security concerns and providing security best practice recommendations
• Assists with the writing and publishing of Computer Network Defense guidance and reports on incident findings to appropriate constituencies
• Collects network intrusion artifacts (e.g., PCAP, domains, URI’s, certificates, etc.) and uses discovered data to enable mitigation of potential Computer Network Defense incidents
• Analyzes identified malicious network activity to determine weaknesses exploited, exploitation methods, effects on system and information
• Collects network device integrity data and analyze for signs of tampering or compromise
• Assists with real-time CND incident handling (i.e., forensic collections, intrusion correlation and tracking, threat analysis, and advising on system remediation) tasks to support onsite engagements

Required Skills:

• U.S. Citizenship
• Must have an active TS/SCI clearance
• Must be able to obtain DHS Suitability
• 8+ years of directly relevant experience in network investigations
• In depth knowledge of CND policies, procedures and regulations
• In depth knowledge of TCP/IP protocols
• In depth knowledge of standard protocols – ICMP, HTTP/S, DNS, SSH, SMTP, SMB, NFS, etc.
• In depth knowledge and experience of Wifi networking
• In depth knowledge and experience of network topologies - DMZ’s, WAN’s, etc.
• Substantial knowledge of Splunk (or other SIEM’s)
• Understanding of MITRE Adversary Tactics, Techniques and Common Knowledge (ATT&CK)
• Knowledge of Computer Network Defense policies, procedures, and regulations
• Knowledge of defense-in-depth principles and general attack stages with respect to network security architecture
• Ability to characterize and analyze network traffic to identify anomalous activity and potential threats to network resources
• Ability to identify and analyze anomalies in network traffic using metadata
• Experience with reconstructing a malicious attack or activity based on network traffic
• Experience examining network topologies to understand data flows through the network
• Must be able to work collaboratively across physical locations

Desired Skills:

• Substantial knowledge of network device integrity concepts and methodologies
• Proficiency with network analysis software (e.g. Wireshark)
• Proficiency with carving and extracting information from PCAP data
• Proficiency with non-traditional network traffic (e.g. Command and Control)
• Proficiency with preserving evidence integrity according to standard operating procedures or national standards
• Proficiency with designing cyber security systems and environments in a Linux and/or Windows environment
• Proficiency with virtualized environments

Required Education:

BS Computer Science, Cyber Security, Computer Engineering, or related degree; or HS Diploma & 10+ years of network investigations experience.

Desired Certifications:

• DoD 8140.01 IAT Level II, IASAE II, CSSP Analyst
• DoD 8140.01 GCIA, GCIH, CSSP Analyst/CSSP Incident Responder
• DoD 8140.01 CEH, CSSP Analyst
• SANS GIAC GNFA preferred

Arlington, VA

At Nightwing, we value collaboration and teamwork. You’ll have the opportunity to work alongside talented individuals who are passionate about what they do. Together, we’ll leverage our collective expertise to drive innovation, solve complex problems, and deliver exceptional results for our clients.

Thank you for considering joining us as we embark on this new journey and shape the future of cybersecurity and intelligence together as part of the Nightwing team.

Nightwing is An Equal Opportunity/Affirmative Action Employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability or veteran status, age or any other federally protected class.