Junior Network Security Analyst

Talent Groups; Columbia (SC); On-site; USD 85,000 - 120,000; Full time

Job summary

Talent Groups in Columbia, SC seeks a hands-on Network Security Analyst to support the Office of Cybersecurity on an ongoing project with aggressive timelines and experienced professionals. You will contribute with minimal supervision and collaborate across teams to harden infrastructure.

The role emphasizes data network design, routing and switching, firewalls, SIEMs like QRadar/Splunk, and cloud/on-premise environments, with a focus on proactive threat mitigation and incident response.

Qualifications

• BS degree in Computer Science, information systems, Cybersecurity, or related field or equivalent experience.
• Network security centric certification such as PCNSE or CCNA.
• Familiarity with CISSP or Security+ preferred.
• Hands-on IT security or system administration experience.
• Ability to analyze logs, alerts, and network telemetry.

Responsibilities

• Assist in maturing network security and compliance solutions.
• Investigate and respond to daily network alerts.
• Perform network security assessments for firewall and infrastructure changes.
• Analyze network traffic reports for conformance to standards.
• Collaborate with agency teams to implement security controls.
• Support cloud and on-premise network changes and enhancements.

Skills

Network design

IT security

Log analysis

Microsoft Office

Hands-on networking

Education

BS in CS/IS/Cybersecurity

PCNSE or CCNA

CISSP (preferred)

Tools

QRadar

Splunk

Nessus

Qualys

Job description

Company / Department Culture

This is an ongoing project with aggressive timelines. A majority of the team is made up of experienced professionals, and we are seeking individuals who are highly productive, flexible, and comfortable working in an environment where priorities can shift. Team members are expected to contribute with minimal supervision.

Duration

12 months to start

Job Description

This is an ongoing project with aggressive timelines. A majority of the team is made up of experienced professionals, and we are seeking individuals who are highly productive, flexible, and comfortable working in an environment where priorities can shift. Team members are expected to contribute with minimal supervision.

Candidates who enjoy complex, change-driven projects and collaborating with motivated colleagues will find this position appealing.

Scope of the Project

The Office of Cybersecurity ensures the confidentiality, integrity and availability of the client's systems and services. Strong candidate must have hands-on experience with:

• Data network design best practices
• Routing and switching protocols
• Network security best practices
• On-premise and/or cloud networking environments

This role requires someone who can contribute independently on technical tasks and support more senior analysts on complex initiatives.

Daily Duties / Responsibilities

This is a hands-on technical role reporting to the Office of Cybersecurity SOC lead. The analyst will support the client leadership, business units, partners, and vendors in day-to-day cybersecurity operations.

Security Program Experience

Strongly desired experience includes:

• CMS ARC‑AMPE, HIPAA, NIST or other FISMA RMF frameworks
• Performing repeatable security processes supporting compliant enterprise architectures
• Supporting security considerations for multi‑tenant cloud environments and vendor integrations

Technical Experience

Candidates should have hands-on experience with:

• Secure network design principles
• Windows, macOS, and Linux operating systems
• Switching and Routing
• Enterprise Firewalls
• Network auditing
• IDS/IPS platforms
• Network security monitoring
• SIEM platforms such as QRadar, Splunk (Preferred)
• Vulnerability scanning tools (Nessus, Qualys, etc.)
• Cloud Infrastructure Security (Preferred)

Essential Responsibilities

• Assist in maturing network security and compliance solutions
• Investigate and respond to daily network alerts
• Perform network security assessments for proposed firewall and infrastructure changes
• Conduct technical analysis for network security planning and engineering
• Review and assessment of connectivity, website block and firewall rule requests to ensure they do not present an elevated risk to the agency
• Analyze on-premise and cloud networks for potential threats
• Develop, review, and analyze network traffic reports that violate the agency's approved standards governing Ports, Protocols and Services.
• Monitor emerging threat vectors and recommend countermeasures
• Collaborate with other areas of the agency to implement security controls
• Support cloud and on-premise network changes and enhancement projects
• Ensure compliance with ARC‑AMPE, HIPAA and SCDIS-200
• Assist with KPI creation and trend report monitoring
• Participate in firewall configuration reviews and ruleset recertification
• Provide guidance on best practices to technical teams
• Perform additional SOC duties as assigned

Required Skills (rank In Order Of Importance)

• Approximately 3-5 years of hands‑on experience in network design, implementation, or support
• Hand‑on experience in IT security or system administration
• Working knowledge of secure network design, security architecture, compliance tools, data protection, and access models
• Ability to analyze logs, alerts, and network telemetry.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office tools

Preferred Skills (rank In Order Of Importance)

• Experience working in regulatory environments
• Experience supporting health IT or state government.
• Familiarity with FISMA, NIST, CMS ARC‑AMPE, and HIPAA security and privacy standards
• Cloud network security controls (Azure or AWS).

Required Education/Certifications

• BS degree in Computer Science, information systems, Cybersecurity, or related field; or equivalent experience
• A network security centric certification such as PCNSE or CCNA

Preferred Education/Certifications

• CISSP or Security+