Security Software Engineer Project Intern (Network Security) - 2026 Start (BS/MS)

ByteDance; San Jose (CA); On-site; USD 62,000 - 83,000; Full time

Benefits offered by this job

Health insurance

Life insurance

Wellbeing benefits

Housing allowance

Paid holidays

Job summary

ByteDance is seeking a Network Security intern to contribute to cutting-edge, enterprise-grade security projects. You will work on short-term initiatives with real-world impact, gaining hands-on experience in a fast-paced environment and learning from seasoned security professionals.

Successful candidates commit to at least 3 months and will explore CC mitigation, bot behavior analysis, and WAF optimization.

Qualifications

• Undergraduate or postgraduate pursuing a degree in CS/CE/IS or other STEM disciplines.
• Familiarity with security concepts, vulnerabilities and exploitation techniques.
• Experience with at least one language (Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, C/C++).
• Problem-solving mindset with ability to work in a fast-paced, collaborative environment.

Responsibilities

• Intelligent CC (Challenge Collapsar) Mitigation: research and develop automated threshold setting using real-time traffic analysis to improve precision against HTTP flood attacks and reduce manual config.
• Smart Bot Behavior Detection: implement behavioral analysis to distinguish legitimate users from malicious bots by analyzing request patterns and anomalies.
• Operational Efficiency & Accuracy: optimize the WAF's adaptive learning to minimize false positives and improve detection of evasive 'gray market' activities.

Skills

Security concepts

Programming languages

Problem-solving

Team collaboration

Education

CS/CE/IS or STEM degree

Job description

Responsibilities

About the Team

The Network Security team is on the mission to build innovative and enterprise-level network security products and solutions, to protect online businesses from being interrupted by cyber attacks. We're a group of people passionate about challenging the status quo to solve the real world's cybersecurity problems effectively and efficiently. We set audacious goals and strive to achieve them. We believe in teamwork and collaboration and we encourage open and succinct communication. If you share the same value and would like to make an impact on network security, please come join us!

As a project intern, you will have the opportunity to engage in impactful short-term projects that provide you with a glimpse of professional real-world experience. You will gain practical skills through on-the-job learning in a fast-paced work environment and develop a deeper understanding of your career interests.

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis - we encourage you to apply early.

Successful candidates must be able to commit to at least 3 months long internship period.

Responsibilities

• Intelligent CC (Challenge Collapsar) Mitigation: Research and develop automated mechanisms for dynamic threshold setting, using real-time traffic analysis to improve precision against HTTP flood attacks and reduce manual configuration.
• Smart Bot Behavior Detection: Implement advanced behavioral analysis to distinguish between legitimate users and malicious bots by analyzing request patterns and identifying anomalies.
• Operational Efficiency & Accuracy: Optimize the WAF's adaptive learning capabilities to minimize false positives and improve the identification of evasive "gray market" activities.

Qualifications

Minimum Qualifications:

• Undergraduate, or Postgraduate who is currently pursuing a degree/master in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Information Systems or other STEM disciplines.
• Familiarity with common security concepts, vulnerabilities, and exploitation techniques.
• Experience with at least one programming or scripting language (e.g., Python, Go, Java, JavaScript, C/C++).
• Problem-solving mindset, self-driven attitude, and ability to work collaboratively in a fast-paced environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Participation in CTF competitions, bug bounty programs, or similar hands-on security challenges.
• Published vulnerabilities (e.g., CVEs) or contributions to security research/tools.
• Familiarity with cloud and container security, network security, or mobile application security.

Job Information

【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Hourly) - Campus Intern

The hourly rate range for this position in the selected city is $45- $60.

Benefits

• Interns have day one access to health insurance, life insurance, wellbeing benefits and more.
• Interns also receive 10 paid holidays per year and paid sick time (56 hours if hired in first half of year, 40 if hired in second half of year).
• Interns who are not working 100% remote may also be eligible for housing allowance.
• The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.

For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates

• Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
• Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
• Exercising sound judgment.

About Us

Founded in 2012, ByteDance's mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. With a suite of more than a dozen products, including TikTok, Lemon8, CapCut and Pico as well as platforms specific to the China market, including Toutiao, Douyin, and Xigua, ByteDance has made it easier and more fun for people to connect with, consume, and create content.

Why Join ByteDance

Inspiring creativity is at the core of ByteDance's mission. Our innovative products are built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and enrich life - a mission we work towards every day.

As ByteDancers, we strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our Company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.

Diversity & Inclusion

ByteDance is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At ByteDance, our mission is to inspire creativity and enrich life. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.

Reasonable Accommodation

ByteDance is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/RA-request