Network Based System Analyst

Node; United States; On-site; USD 90,000 - 150,000; Full time

Job summary

Node is seeking a Network-Based System Analyst in Arlington, VA, requiring an active TS/SCI clearance and strong experience in network investigations and cyber defense. The role focuses on on-site and on-call DFIR activities, network traffic analysis, and incident response collaboration with government leads.

Responsibilities include coordinating incident response, interfacing with customers, and applying security best practices across topology, protocols, and device configurations.

Qualifications

• U.S. Citizenship and an active TS/SCI clearance are required.
• Minimum 5 years of directly relevant experience in network investigations.
• Deep knowledge of CND policies, procedures, and regulations.
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, common protocols (HTTP/S, DNS, SSH, etc.), and Wi‑Fi networking.
• Experience with analyzing network traffic and reconstructing a malicious incident.

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 analyzed anomalous network activity.
• Assesses network topology and device configurations identifying critical security concerns and providing security best practice recommendations.
• Collects network intrusion artifacts (e.g., PCAP, domains, URI’s, certificates) and uses discovered data to mitigate potential incidents.
• Analyzes identified malicious network activity to determine weaknesses exploited, exploitation methods, effects on system and information.
• Collects network device integrity data and analyzes for signs of tampering or compromise.
• Assists with real-time CND incident handling tasks to support onsite engagements.

Skills

US Citizenship

Active TS/SCI clearance

5+ years network investigations

CND policies & regulations

TCP/IP & network protocols

SIEM (Splunk)

MITRE ATT&CK knowledge

Network traffic analysis & forensics

Job description

Network-Based System Analyst

Location: Arlington, VA

Must have an active Top Secret Security Clearance

Node provides remote and onsite advanced technical assistance, proactive hunting, rapid onsite incident response, and immediate investigation and resolution using host-based, network-based and cloud-based cybersecurity analysis capabilities. Team personnel provide front line response for digital forensics/incident response (DFIR) and proactively hunting for malicious cyber activity.

The CDNA uses information collected from a variety of sources to monitor network activity and analyze it for evidence of suspicious behavior. Monitoring and analysis are performed to identify and report events that occur, or might occur, within the network, in order to protect information, information systems, and networks from threats.

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
• 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

Requirements

Required Skills

• U.S. Citizenship
• Must have an active TS/SCI clearance
• Must be able to obtain DHS Suitability
• 5+ 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