Network Security Researcher

Carnegie Mellon University; Pittsburgh (Allegheny County); Hybrid; USD 120,000 - 190,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Tuition benefits

Paid time off

Life and AD&D insurance

Free transit pass (Pittsburgh Regional

Family Concierge childcare assistance

Fitness center access

Job summary

Carnegie Mellon University seeks a Network Security Researcher to analyze network threats and develop detection methods across partner environments. You will help define requirements for NetSA tool suite and contribute to client-focused training and publications.

You will work with NetFlow, application metadata, and host-based telemetry sources, collaborating across teams to advance security insights and research impact.

Qualifications

• Bachelor's/MS/PhD in CS or related with years of experience.
• Ability to travel nationally to sponsor sites and conferences.
• Must obtain and maintain Department of War security clearance.

Responsibilities

• You will research network threats and develop detection methods.
• Collaborate with partners to tailor detections for environments.
• Develop requirements for NetSA Security tool suite and contribute to publications.
• Provide customer-specific training and demonstrations.

Skills

Python/Go/Ruby/Java/Scala

Network fundamentals

Threat intelligence translation

Analytical/problem solving

Education

Bachelor's degree in CS or related

MS in CS or related

PhD in CS or related

Tools

YAF

Zeek

Suricata

PCAP analysis

Job description

What We Do

Our team, within the Cyber Risk and Resilience Directorate researches, designs, and develops software tools for the collection, storage, and analysis of network data to provide security insights. We provide both the core network tools to facilitate this capability, and prototypes of new methods to present the data most effectively. We work with data at a scale generally not experienced by most organizations, handling record counts in the tens of billions per day.

Developing security insights at this scale requires creativity, efficiency, and contemporary knowledge of modern computing platforms. In some cases, the computing has outpaced the methods, and it is incumbent upon us to generate novel views of both the entire data collection, and of focused datasets tailored to specific analyst needs.

Our network situational awareness security tools are published here: https://tools.netsa.cert.org/

Position Summary

As a network security researcher on the Network Situational Awareness team, you will research network threats to develop methods of detection and tailor these for partner environments. Transition of this research will take the form of developing detection capabilities, providing new requirements and feature requests for our NetSA Security tool suite, writing publications, and providing customer‑specific training. The primary network data source for the team is netflow combined with application layer metadata, with an expanding focus on host‑based (e.g., EDR) and cloud telemetry.

You will be responsible for gaining insights from data to facilitate detections, working with partners to help them better understand their data and researching new data sources to expand the expertise of the team.

Requirements

• Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science or a relevant technical discipline with eight (8) years of relevant work experience; or a MS in Computer Science or a relevant technical discipline with five (5) years of relevant work experience; or a PhD in Computer Science or other relevant technical discipline with two (2) years of relevant work experience.
• Movement between buildings within the SEI and CMU community required.
• Willingness to travel to various locations to support the SEI’s overall mission. This may include national travel to sponsor sites, conferences, and offsite meetings on occasion.
• You will be subject to a background check and will need to obtain and maintain a Department of War security clearance.

Knowledge, Skills and Abilities

• Ability to translate threat intelligence to avenues for research, prototyping, and curation of detection capabilities.
• Strong knowledge of network fundamentals, common application layer protocols, and network‑based telemetry.
• Strong proficiency in at least one scripting or programming language such as Python, Go, Ruby, C, Java, or Scala.
• Strong problem‑solving and analytical skills, detailed research, and ability to document and communicate ideas and findings to diverse audiences.

Desired Experience

• Hands‑on experience in a security research, threat hunting, detection engineering, or Cyber threat Intelligence (CTI) analyst role.
• Experience analyzing large datasets, especially network telemetry such as netflow, application metadata, or PCAP from network sensors such as YAF, Zeek, Suricata, etc.
• Experience applying cybersecurity data science methods and practices.
• Experience using open‑source and/or commercial Internet intelligence telemetry and datasets.
• Strong grasp of the threat landscape and experience researching and investigating threats.
• Experience presenting technical topics.

Benefits

Joining the CMU team opens the door to an array of exceptional benefits. Employees enjoy a wide array of benefits including comprehensive medical, prescription, dental, and vision insurance, as well as a generous retirement savings program with employer contributions. Unlock your potential with tuition benefits, take well‑deserved breaks with ample paid time off and observed holidays, and rest easy with life and accidental death and disability insurance.

Additional perks include a free Pittsburgh Regional Transit bus pass, access to our Family Concierge Team to help navigate childcare needs, fitness center access, and much more.

For a comprehensive overview of the benefits available, explore our Benefits page.

Equal Opportunity Statement

Carnegie Mellon University is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Disability/Veteran.

Location

Arlington, VA, Pittsburgh, PA

Job Function

Software/Applications Development/Engineering

Position Type

Staff – Regular

Full Time/Part Time

Full time

Pay Basis

Salary