Cybersecurity Analyst Intern

Leidos Inc; Illinois; On-site; USD 48,000 - 87,000; Full time

Job summary

Leidos is seeking motivated cybersecurity students for its Summer 2027 Internship Program at Scott AFB, IL. As a Cybersecurity Analyst Intern, you’ll work alongside seasoned SOC analysts in the defense sector, gaining hands-on experience with real-world security operations and incident response.

You will triage alerts, analyze traffic, review threat intel, and contribute to documentation and leadership briefings. This on-site internship requires U.S. citizenship and readiness for DoD environment.

Qualifications

• Must be a U.S. citizen eligible for DoD clearance.
• Pursuing a degree in Cybersecurity, CS, CE, or IT with strong academic record.
• Solid understanding of TCP/IP, OSI, and network defense concepts.
• Familiarity with Cyber Kill Chain and MITRE ATT&CK frameworks.

Responsibilities

• Triage and analyze security alerts from SIEM/IDS/IPS and NetFlow.
• Assist with network traffic analysis and IOC review.
• Shadow incident response activities during containment and recovery.
• Review threat intel feeds to improve detection capabilities.
• Create concise incident reports and technical documentation.

Skills

TCP/IP basics

OSI model knowledge

Cyber Kill Chain

MITRE ATT&CK framework

Analytical mindset

Teamwork

Education

Pursuing degree in Cybersecurity / CS / CE / IT

Tools

Splunk

Elastic Stack

Python

Job description

Description

Leidos, a leading defense, intelligence, and technology company, is seeking motivated and aspiring cybersecurity students for ourSummer 2027 Internship Program (Starts May 2027). As aCybersecurity Analyst Intern, you will join ourDigital Sectoron the Global Solutions Management - Operations II (GSM-O II) contract atScott AFB, IL. This is a unique opportunity to gain hands-on experience in a real-world security environment, contributing to the operations, sustainment, and active defense of the Defense Information System Network (DISN) in support of the Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA).

Your Opportunity

Are you ready to move beyond the classroom and hunt for real-world threats? As a member of our Scott AFB cybersecurity team, you will be embedded directly with seasoned Security Operations Center (SOC) analysts who protect and defend critical DoD infrastructure. You will gain exposure to enterprise-grade security tools, threat intelligence analysis, and incident response strategies, gaining hands-on cyber operations experience that truly matters.

What You’ll Do (Potential Projects & Learning Opportunities)

• Learn to triage and analyze security alerts from various sources (SIEM, IDS/IPS, NetFlow) to identify potential malicious activity on customer networks.
• Assist senior analysts in performing network traffic analysis and correlating actionable security events using raw packet data and custom sensor outputs.
• Shadow incident response efforts, learning how the team coordinates resources during containment, eradication, and recovery activities.
• Gain exposure to cyber threat intelligence by reviewing open-source feeds and learning how to identify Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) to improve detection capabilities.
• Practice conducting preliminary analysis of potential security incidents, such as investigating suspicious network connections and reviewing system logs for anomalous activity.
• Help create clear, concise technical documentation and incident reports for leadership and mission partners.

What You’ll Bring (Required)

• Citizenship & Clearance:Must be a U.S. citizen andeligible to obtain a DoD Secret security clearance.
• Education:Currently pursuing a degree in a relevant field such as Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, or Information Technology.
• Technical Foundation:A solid understanding of TCP/IP protocols, common networking ports (e.g., 80, 443, 21, 22), the OSI model, and principles of defense-in-depth.
• Cyber Frameworks:Academic knowledge of the Cyber Kill Chain methodology and/or the MITRE ATT&CK framework, and basic malware analysis concepts (static/dynamic analysis).
• Analytical Mindset:A proactive, eager-to-learn attitude with the ability to analyze security alerts and identify potential false positives.
• Teamwork:A collaborative attitude with strong written and verbal communication skills.
• Location:This internship is basedon-site at Scott AFB, IL.All work must be performed on site - no teleworking opportunities. We encourage applications from students attending colleges and universities in theSt. Louis, MO metro area, and candidates must have their own reliable transportation to the facility.

What We Want (Desired)

• Certifications:Obtaining aCompTIA Security+ or CySA+certification (or any certification that aligns with DoD 8570 IAT Level II) before the start date isstrongly encouraged.
• Hands-On Experience:Prior experience from home labs (e.g., VirusTotal, basic sandboxing), Capture the Flag (CTF) competitions, or class projects involving network defense.
• Familiarity with:
  • Enterprise SIEM platforms like Splunk or Elastic.
  • Unix/Linux command line environments and Windows system administration.
  • Basic scripting and programming (e.g., Python, Bash).
  • Computer Network Defense (CND) domains: Protect, Detect, Respond, and Sustain.

If you’re looking for comfort, keep scrolling. At Leidos, we outthink, outbuild, and outpace the status quo - because the mission demands it. We’re not hiring followers. We’re recruiting the ones who disrupt, provoke, and refuse to fail. Step 10 is ancient history. We’re already at step 30 - and moving faster than anyone else dares.

Original Posting:August 26, 2026

Pay Range:Pay Range $48,100.00 - $86,950.00

The Leidos pay range for this job level is a general guideline onlyand not a guarantee of compensation or salary. Additional factors considered in extending an offer include (but are not limited to) responsibilities of the job, education, experience, knowledge, skills, and abilities, as well as internal equity, alignment with market data, applicable bargaining agreement (if any), or other law.

About Leidos

Leidos is an industry and technology leader serving government and commercial customers with smarter, more efficient digital and mission innovations. Headquartered in Reston, Virginia, with 47,000 global employees, Leidos reported annual revenues of approximately $16.7 billion for the fiscal year ended January 3, 2025. For more information, visit www.Leidos.com.

Pay and Benefits

Pay and benefits are fundamental to any career decision. That’s why we craft compensation packages that reflect the importance of the work we do for our customers. Employment benefits include competitive compensation, Health and Wellness programs, Income Protection, Paid Leave and Retirement. More details are available at www.leidos.com/careers/pay-benefits.

Securing Your Data

Beware of fake employment opportunities using Leidos’ name. Leidos will never ask you to provide payment-related information during any part of the employment application process (i.e., ask you for money), nor will Leidos ever advance money as part of the hiring process (i.e., send you a check or money order before doing any work). Further, Leidos will only communicate with you through emails that are generated by the Leidos.com automated system - never from free commercial services (e.g., Gmail, Yahoo, Hotmail) or via WhatsApp, Telegram, etc. If you received an email purporting to be from Leidos that asks for payment-related information or any other personal information (e.g., about you or your previous employer), and you are concerned about its legitimacy, please make us aware immediately by emailing us at [e-mail].

If you believe you are the victim of a scam, contact your local law enforcement and report the incident to the U.S. Federal Trade Commission.

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.