Cyber Threat Hunter

Koitecc Solutions; Washington (District of Columbia); Hybrid; USD 107,900 - 195,050; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and Wellness programs

Income protection

Paid leave

Retirement

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a Cyber Threat Hunter to support a DCO team in Washington, DC. This hybrid role is primarily on-site with up to 20% telework, supporting 24/7 coverage across shifts.

You will craft hypothesis-driven hunts, analyze telemetry, and translate findings into automated detections and countermeasures for federal networks. The role requires DoD 8570 IAT Level II/III and CSSP certifications, a CSSP Infrastructure credential, and TS/SCI clearance.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's degree or higher in a relevant field is required.
• IAT Level II/III and CSSP Analyst certifications or equivalent must be obtained within 180 days of start.
• CSSP Infrastructure certification or equivalent must be obtained within 180 days.
• TS/SCI clearance is required or must be pursued.
• Experience with DoD and cyber threat hunting is preferred.

Responsibilities

• Hypothesis-driven hunting across hybrid-cloud environments.
• Query and correlate telemetry to identify low-and-slow attacks.
• Transform hunt discoveries into high-fidelity SIEM/EDR detections.
• Design automation scripts to scale countermeasures in real time.
• Leverage MITRE ATT&CK to hunt for APT activity and indicators.
• Analyze telemetry to spot early warnings of compromise.
• Author detailed hunt reports with operational improvements.
• Maintain awareness of threat landscape and vulnerability exploitation.

Skills

Threat hunting

Network security

Analytical thinking

Cyber forensics

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS/IS

DoD 8570 IAT Level II/III

CSSP Analyst certification

CSSP Infrastructure certification

TS/SCI clearance

Tools

Splunk SPL

KQL

Elastic DSL

Python

PowerShell

Job description

Position Overview

The Leidos Digital Modernization sector is looking for a Cyber Threat Hunter to support a Defensive Cyber Operations (DCO) team in Washington, DC. The position is expected to become available in Summer 2026. Our team provides 24/7 operational support to protect federal networked systems and services from cyber threats impacting national security. This hybrid position is primarily on-site, with potential for up to 20% telework. While the role primarily works during core hours (0600 - 1600), it will support a team of analysts working 24/7 rotating shifts (days, swings, nights). Occasional shift work or weekend work may be required to fill unexpected gaps in coverage.

Primary Responsibilities

• Hypothesis-Driven Hunting: Develop and execute structured hunt campaigns by forming theories on adversary persistence and lateral movement based on the latest TTPs.
• Advanced Telemetry Analysis: Query and correlate massive datasets across cloud resources, identity systems, and network infrastructure to identify "low and slow" attacks that evade automated detection.
• Detection Engineering Pipeline: Partner with detection teams to transform manual hunt discoveries into high‑fidelity, automated detection rules (SIEM/EDR).
• Automated Countermeasure Deployment: Design and maintain automation scripts to scale threat mitigation and isolate compromised assets at machine speed.
• APT Targeting & Engagement: Utilize the MITRE ATT&CK framework to proactively search for Advanced Persistent Threat (APT) activity, assuming a "breach mentality" to uncover hidden adversaries.
• Indications & Warnings (I&W) Integration: Analyze internal and external telemetry to identify early triggers and "smoke" that signal an imminent or ongoing compromise.
• Tactical Reporting & Metrics: Author detailed technical hunt reports summarizing findings, operational gaps, and measurable improvements to the organization's security posture.
• Situational Awareness: Maintain a deep understanding of the current threat landscape, focusing on how new vulnerabilities or malware variants could be exploited within the customer enterprise.

Basic Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree with 8+ years of experience or Master’s Degree with 6+ years of relevant experience; additional years of experience may be substituted in lieu of degrees.
• DoD 8570 IAT Level II/III: Must hold an IAT Level II or higher certification (or obtain within 180 days). (e.g., CompTIA Security+, CySA+, GSEC, SSCP, CASP+ CE, CCNP Security, CISA, GCED, GCIH)
• DoD 8570 CSSP Analyst: Must hold a CSSP Analyst certification (or obtain within 180 days). (e.g., CompTIA CySA+, Cloud+, GIAC Global Information Assurance Certification (GCIA))
• DoD 8570 CSSP Infrastructure Support: Must hold a CSSP Infrastructure Support certification (or obtain within 180 days). (e.g., CompTIA CySA+, Cloud+, EC-Council CEH, CND, CHFI, GIAC GICSP, ISC2 SSCP)
• Technical Proficiency: Expert knowledge of networking protocols (TCP/IP, DNS, HTTP/S) and common security elements like IDS/IPS and next‑gen firewalls.
• Data Analysis: Direct experience analyzing complex packet captures and endpoint logs to reconstruct attack timelines.

Additional Requirements

Security Clearance: Current DoD TS/SCI security clearance and ability to pass additional customer suitability screenings prior to start and maintain throughout employment.

Preferred Skills

• Hunt Methodology: Demonstrated experience planning and executing hunt missions in complex, hybrid‑cloud environments.
• Query Languages: Expert proficiency in SPL (Splunk), KQL (Kusto), or DSL (Elastic) for large‑scale data mining.
• Scripting for Security: Advanced use of Python, PowerShell, or Bash to automate repetitive hunt tasks and data enrichment.
• Forensic Insight: Previous experience in Digital Forensics or Incident Response (DFIR) to assist in root‑cause analysis.
• Cloud Infrastructure: Familiarity with hunting within AWS, Azure, O365, and containerized workloads.
• AI‑Enhanced Defense: Experience using AI‑driven analytics to sift through noise and identify anomalous behavioral patterns.

Pay and Benefits

Pay Range: $107,900.00 - $195,050.00. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave, and Retirement. More details can be obtained from the careers website.

Commitment to Non-Discrimination

All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to sex, race, ethnicity, age, national origin, citizenship, religion, physical or mental disability, medical condition, genetic information, pregnancy, family structure, marital status, ancestry, domestic partner status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, veteran or military status, or any other basis prohibited by law. Leidos will also consider for employment qualified applicants with criminal histories consistent with relevant laws.