Senior Cyber Defender

IBM; Maryland; On-site; USD 120,000 - 160,000; Full time

Job summary

IBM Consulting is seeking a Senior Cyber Defender to safeguard clients’ digital infrastructure by identifying and mitigating cyber threats. You will lead a cyber defense team, use SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and XDR to monitor incidents, and report findings with actionable remediation plans.

Ideal candidates have a Master's degree and demonstrated expertise in threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and incident response.

Qualifications

• Experience with cybersecurity incident response and threat hunting across enterprise environments.
• Strong understanding of industry frameworks (e.g., MITRE ATT&CK) and modern defense tools.
• Ability to translate security incidents into concrete remediation actions.

Responsibilities

• Conduct events investigation using SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and XDR platforms to identify threats.
• Manage incident reports with actionable recommendations to improve client security posture.
• Analyze network and endpoint events from Windows, MAC, and Linux systems to inform responses.
• Engage in vulnerability management to identify and remediate weaknesses.
• Provide cyber threat intelligence to strengthen incident response strategies and client security.

Skills

Threat analysis

Incident response

Vulnerability management

Cyber threat intelligence

Security incident reporting

Education

Master's Degree

Tools

SIEM

SOAR

EDR

XDR

Job description

Introduction

A career in IBM Consulting is built on long-term client relationships and close collaboration worldwide. You’ll work with leading companies across industries, helping them shape their hybrid cloud and AI journeys. With support from our strategic partners, robust IBM technology, and Red Hat, you’ll have the tools to drive meaningful change and accelerate client impact. At IBM Consulting, curiosity fuels success. You’ll be encouraged to challenge the norm, explore new ideas, and create innovative solutions that deliver real results. Our culture of growth and empathy focuses on your long-term career development while valuing your unique skills and experiences.

Your Role And Responsibilities

As a Senior Cyber Defender, you play a vital role in safeguarding an organization’s digital infrastructure by identifying, analyzing, and mitigating cyber threats. This position involves leveraging industry frameworks and a range of cybersecurity tools to monitor, prioritize, investigate, and respond to security incidents. You will supervise the cyber defense team to include SOC and other elements, analyzing data collected from various cybersecurity defense tools, acting to mitigate risks, supporting threat hinting incident response and remediation.

Your Primary Responsibilities Will Include

• Conduct Events Investigation: Investigate security incidents using various cybersecurity tools, including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and XDR platforms, to identify and analyze potential threats. Apply industry frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain to understand and counter adversary tactics effectively.
• Manage Incident Reports: Develop and manage incident reports, providing actionable recommendations and responses to strengthen clients' security posture. Collaborate with clients to implement measures that prevent future incidents.
• Analyze Network and Endpoint Events: Interpret security tools and logs from Windows, MAC, and Linux systems to identify potential security threats. Develop a deep understanding of network and endpoint events to inform incident response strategies.
• Engage in Vulnerability Management: Participate in vulnerability management activities to identify and address potential security vulnerabilities. Stay up-to-date with emerging threats and evolving technologies to anticipate potential threats.
• Provide Cyber Threat Intelligence: Gather and analyze cyber threat intelligence to inform incident response strategies and improve clients' overall security posture.

Preferred Education

Master's Degree

Required Technical And Professional Expertise

• Experience with Cybersecurity Tools: Proficiency in using various cybersecurity tools, including SIEM, SOAR, EDR, and XDR platforms, to monitor, prioritize, investigate, and respond to security incidents.
• Industry Frameworks Application: Experience with industry frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK and the Cyber Kill Chain to understand and counter adversary tactics effectively.
• Network and Endpoint Analysis: Ability to interpret security tools and logs from Windows, MAC, and Linux systems to identify potential security threats.
• Vulnerability Management: Experience with vulnerability management activities to identify and address potential security vulnerabilities.
• Cyber Threat Intelligence: Knowledge of gathering and analyzing cyber threat intelligence to inform incident response strategies and improve clients' overall security posture.

Requires Top Secret Clearance with SCI access

Preferred Technical And Professional Experience

• Deep Understanding of Emerging Threats: Experience with staying up-to-date with emerging threats and evolving technologies to anticipate potential threats and improve clients' overall security posture.
• Advanced Cybersecurity Tool Expertise: Exposure to a wide range of cybersecurity tools and technologies, enabling the development of innovative solutions to complex security challenges.
• Continuous Learning and Adaptation: Experience with continuous learning and adaptation in the field of cybersecurity, allowing for effective response to new threats and technologies.