Media Malware Analyst, Journeyman

Leidos; United States; On-site; USD 87,100 - 157,450; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health and wellness programs

Income protection

Paid leave

Retirement benefits

Job summary

Leidos is seeking a cybersecurity analyst to provide timely support to USCYBERCOM in identifying and analyzing emerging threats. The role requires a Top-Secret clearance and a degree in a relevant field, with five or more years of experience in malware analysis and reverse engineering.

The successful candidate will conduct forensic analysis, draft reports, and enhance situational awareness regarding cyber threats. Benefits include competitive pay of $87,100 to $157,450.

Qualifications

• Active Top‑Secret clearance with SCI eligibility and polygraph required.
• Five or more years of demonstrated proficiency in malware analysis, incident handling, and reverse engineering.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills to relay complex technical data.

Responsibilities

• Provide timely support to USCYBERCOM in identifying threats.
• Conduct forensic analysis on compromised systems.
• Create detailed technical analysis reports for leadership.

Skills

Malware analysis (static/dynamic)

Incident handling

Reverse engineering

Communication skills

Critical thinking

Education

BA/BS degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field

Masters' degree (favorable)

Tools

IDA Pro

Ghidra

Wireshark

Volatility

Sandboxes

Microsoft Power BI

Job description

Description

At Leidos, we deliver innovative solutions through the efforts of our diverse and talented people who are dedicated to our customers' success. We empower our teams, contribute to our communities, and operate sustainably. Everything we do is built on a commitment to do the right thing for our customers, our people, and our community. The Leidos National Security Sector (NSS) combines technology-enabled services and mission software capabilities in cyber, logistics, security operations, and decision analytics to support our defense and intel customers' mission to defend against evolving threats around the world.

Looking for an opportunity to make an impact?

What you'll be doing

• Provide timely, accurate, relevant support to USCYBERCOM in identifying and assessing emerging threats and vulnerabilities in cyberspace.
• Conduct forensic analysis of vulnerable or compromised systems and media, identify and analyze adversary TTPs and intrusion artifacts.
• Perform static and dynamic malware analysis, including reverse engineering, extracting malicious files from digital media, and detailed file analysis as appropriate.
• Create technical analysis reports with actionable intelligence findings, deliver timely, accurate threat briefs and analysis updates that meet explicit and implied requirements, and present to leadership in appropriate formats.
• Identify unique indicators for signature and heuristic development.
• Draft and support implementation of security incident response policies.
• Analyze operational reporting to correlate attack trends and share tradecraft, supporting development and improvement of enterprise malware analysis tools.
• Conduct log/system analysis (routers, Windows, UNIX) for threat detection and update DoD situational awareness mechanisms (e.g., USCYBERCOM portals).
• Research open-source intel to inform threat assessments and signature creation.
• Develop and maintain validated MD5 hash lists for signature repositories.
• Analyze and evaluate all-source finished intelligence, single-source intelligence, and technical data from various sources to identify cyber threat patterns and anomalies.
• Conduct and publish in-depth risk assessments to evaluate and categorize the risk posture of detected cyber threats while supporting development and refinement of risk assessment methodologies and tools used for threat categorization.
• Collaborate with operational, technical, and intelligence elements across USCYBERCOM to enhance situational awareness and threat response capabilities.
• Maintain a current understanding of advanced persistent threats (APTs), threat actor tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and cyber threat trends affecting national security.
• Maintain situational awareness of, and execute on demand, CO crisis plans.
• Provide situational awareness to a range of projects, Crisis Action Teams, and current operations activities supporting Operational Planning Teams (OPTs).
• Execute resource allocation decisions aligned with organization objectives.
• Apply knowledge of cyber threats and attack methods and techniques emanating from state and non-state adversaries and tiered vulnerabilities within Blue Space as focus of threats.
• Review, approve, prioritize, and submit operational requirements for research, development, and/or acquisition of cyber capabilities.
• Interpret and apply laws, regulations, policies, and guidance relevant to daily activities.
• Communicate complex information, concepts, or ideas in a confident and well-organized manner through verbal, written, and visual means.

What does Leidos need from me

• Active Top‑Secret clearance with SCI eligibility and polygraph required.
• BA/BS degree or higher within Computer Science, Cybersecurity, Software Engineering, Digital Forensics, or related field, or ability to complete degree within one year of hire. Formal education may be substituted with extended experience and technical certifications.
• Five or more years of demonstrated proficiency in malware analysis (static/dynamic), incident handling, and reverse engineering.
• Working experience with tools such as IDA Pro, Ghidra, Wireshark, Volatility, and sandbox environments.
• Intimate familiarity with network protocols, OS internals (Windows/Linux/UNIX), and cyber threat analysis.
• Broad knowledge of Blue‑Space cyber capabilities and understanding of available cyber infrastructure or platforms to conduct defensive (DCO) and offensive cyberspace operations (OCO).
• Knowledge of computer networking fundamentals and concepts, terminology, and operations of a wide range of communications media (computer and telephone networks, satellite, fiber, wireless).
• Ability to support timely, accurate, relevant analytical production, including documents, summaries, issue papers, talking points, and briefings.
• Demonstrated proficiency working in a fast‑paced collaborative environment, proactively multi-tasking and meeting short deadlines.
• Strong interpersonal, critical thinking, and communication skills, including the ability to clearly convey complex and technical data to nontechnical consumers.

Favorable if you have

• Masters' degree or higher within Cybersecurity, Information Security, or related fields.
• Experience developing detection signatures and writing technical reports for leadership.
• Deep understanding of USCYBERCOM organizational structure and mission.
• Prior experience supporting joint operations across multiple warfighting domains.
• Demonstrated experience incorporating artificial intelligence and machine learning into operations at any level to increase efficiency and effectiveness of operational outcomes.
• Experience with space‑enabled CO.
• Formal training within the field of cyber warfare and joint operations.
• Familiarity with data science and its applicability to CO.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Power BI data visualization software.
• Desired certifications (not all inclusive): GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM); Certified Reverse Engineering Analyst (CREA); Certified Malware Analyst (CMA); Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR); GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA); GIAC Cyber Threat Intelligence (GCTI).

Pay Range

$87,100.00 - $157,450.00

Benefits

Employment benefits include competitive compensation, health and wellness programs, income protection, paid leave, and retirement.

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.