Senior Security Researcher

Security represents the most critical priorities for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft Security aspires to make the world a safer place for all. We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud that protects them with end to end, simplified solutions. The Microsoft Security organization accelerates Microsoft’s mission and bold ambitions to ensure that our company and industry is securing digital technology platforms, devices, and clouds in our customers’ heterogeneous environments, as well as ensuring the security of our own internal estate. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world.

Do you want to join the Microsoft GHOST team as a Security Researcher?

Do you have a passion for helping Microsoft’s clients defend themselves against targeted exploitation? Are you interested in being intimately involved in the latest, cutting-edge developments in the security industry and having a direct impact on the security of all Microsoft customers? Do you want to be on the front lines of helping our customers go toe-to-toe against advanced adversaries? Are you interested in a fast-paced job full of new opportunities? If so, you might be a candidate for the Global Hunting, Oversight, and Strategic Triage team (GHOST).

We are looking for an experienced Security Researcher with a strong analytical background to join our team to perform threat hunts, assist with investigations, develop threat intelligence, and to cultivate investigation best practices into Microsoft tooling and products. . Researchers will support a global team to identify and catalog new attacker TTPs, victims, and deliver customer notifications to protect worldwide enterprise customers and empower customers to protect themselves via constantly improving Microsoft products.

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

In alignment with our Microsoft values, we are committed to cultivating an inclusive work environment for all employees to positively impact our culture every day.

Responsibilities

This role is part of a collaborative team, assisting our customers with:

• Performing deep analysis of attacker activity in on-premises and cloud environments
• Identifying potential threats, allowing for proactive defence before an actual incident
• Notifying customers regarding imminent attacker activity
• Providing recommendations to improve customers’ cybersecurity posture going forward and performing threat intelligence knowledge transfer to prepare customers to defend against today’s threat landscape
• Building proof-of-concept and prototype threat hunting tools, automations, and new capabilities
• Driving product and tooling improvements by conveying learnings from threat hunting and incident response at scale to engineering partner teams
• Identifies, prioritizes, and targets complex security issues that cause negative impact to customers. Creates and drives adoption of relevant mitigations and provide proactive guidance
• Works with others to synthesize research findings into recommendations for mitigation of security issues. Shares across teams. Drives change within team based on research findings.

Qualifications

A BS in Computer Science or Engineering or comparable experience in a related discipline, along with demonstrated expertise in the following areas:

• Proven knowledge of security fundamentals across Microsoft platforms (Client, Server, Cloud)
• Strong understanding of malware and the modern threat landscape, especially identity-based attacks
• Detail oriented and reliable problem solver mentality
• Excellent oral and written communication skills including concisely communicating status; concisely, clearly, and comprehensively documenting findings
• Robust critical thinking skills and willingness to learn new concepts and technologies
• A desire to learn and grow, as well as a desire to help others do so
• Familiarity and understanding of SQL or Kusto Query Language (KQL) queries (or experience with large database/SIEM query languages such as Splunk/Humio/Kibana, etc.)
• Familiarity and understanding of Jupyter Notebooks, or building equivalent threat hunting automations with scripting languages
• Experience with some of the following is a distinct advantage:
• Consulting background
• Active Directory subject matter expertise
• Experience with sophisticated threat actor evidence including familiarity with typical Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), Indicators of Activity (IOAs) and Tools, Techniques and Procedures (TTPs)
• Use of forensic analysis tools such as X-Ways Forensics®, WinHex®, Encase®, FTK®, etc
• Microsoft Azure and/or Office365 platform knowledge and experience
• Experience with various forensic log artifacts found in SIEM logs, web server logs, AV logs, protection logs such as HIDS and NIDS logs
• Familiarity with Microsoft Defender 365 security stack (for Endpoints, Identity, Cloud, etc), especially with Advanced Hunting query writing
• Excellent understanding of Windows internals and where trace evidence can be found
• Knowledge of third-party cybersecurity solutions, especially EDR and SIEM solutions
• Linux and/or macOS forensic analysis and threat hunting skills
• Technical certifications based on domain (e.g., Azure, SharePoint)
• Project Management certifications (e.g., PMP, Scrum)
• Investigation/Cybersecurity/Digital Forensics/DFIR certifications (e.g. CISSP, SANS GIAC, etc)

The successful candidate must have or be able to obtain the Security Check (SC) or Developed Vetting (DV) clearance as issued by the United Kingdom Security Vetting Unit (UKSV). Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role.

If you are looking for a role that will allow you to use your knowledge and passion to strengthen the security posture of customers, you will have a bright future within our Microsoft’s Global Hunting Oversight and Strategic Triage team.

#GHOST #MSFTSecurity #CISOOrg

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.