There are a variety of Mitigation and Response opportunities across the Department, including supporting several specialized programs at the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO).

As an employee in the Development Track, you will continually and proactively participate in learning activities to enhance and apply your developing expertise in the technical capability of Mitigation and Response,and depending on your role, you willperform a range of routine tasks, including:

• Applying knowledge of defensive measures to detect, respond, and protect information, information systems, and networks from threats.
• Proactively analyzing network traffic for patterns using analytic tools and data science methodologies.
• Handling incidents in accordance with NIST stages of incident handling guidelines
• Appling knowledge of malicious software programs and code that interfere with normal computer functions or send data to unauthorized parties to identify threat actors' TTPs (via root cause analysis).
• Using information known about incidents and their effects on networks, systems, and applications to identify and prioritize short- and long-term recovery and repair actions.
• Creates recovery action plans for repairs, including mitigation strategies for interim system vulnerabilities/deficiencies.
• Executing recovery action plans and adapts plans to handle new developments.
• Actively engaging with and notifying designated incident managers, cyber incident responders, and cybersecurity service provider team members of suspected cyber incidents articulating the event's history, status, and potential impact for further action in accordance with the organization's cyber incident response plan.
• Supporting efforts to collect intrusion artifacts (e.g., source code, malware, trojans) using discovered data to enable mitigation of potential cyber defense incidents in accordance with recovery action plans.
• Providing routine technical and nontechnical support to cyber defense technicians to resolve cyber incidents.
• Documenting and publishing cyber defense techniques, trend analysis, guidance, reports, and after-action reviews on incident findings for appropriate constituencies.
• Monitoring external data sources (e.g., cyber defense vendor sites, Computer Emergency Response Teams, Security Focus) to maintain currency of cyber defense threat conditions and determine which security issues may have an impact on the enterprise.
• Proactively performing initial, forensically sound collection of images and inspecting to discern possible mitigation/remediation on enterprise systems.
• Using analytic tools and data science methodologies to receive and analyze network alerts for patterns from various sources within the enterprise and determining possible causes of such alerts.

Conditions of employment

• You must be a U.S. Citizen or national.
• You must be 18 years of age.
• Must be registered for the Selective Service (if you are a male).
• Must be able to obtain and maintain a security clearance. Security clearance levels may vary.
• Must be able to submit to a drug test and receive a negative result.
• Must be able to comply with ethics and standards of conduct requirements, including completing any applicable financial disclosure.
• May be required to serve a 3 year probationary period.
• While these positions are considered telework, some individuals must live within 2 hours driving distance to a DHS SCIF in either Chandler, AZ; Stennis, MS; Idaho Falls; Arlington, VA; Pensacola, FL; or Washington, D.C.
• Remote work may be available for some positions.

Qualifications

This position is in the Developmental Track at the Associate Cybersecurity Specialist career level. At this level, individuals generally:

• Have 2+ years of cybersecurity work experience

• Can serve as a cybersecurity professional with some experience who applies still-burgeoning technical expertise to perform routine work with significant supervision and clear guidance.

DHS Cybersecurity Service employees with a technical capability in Mitigation and Response will generally:

• Track and respond to prioritized urgent IT and cyber events and indicators of compromise (IOCs) to mitigate threats to networks, systems, and applications.
• Investigate and analyze response activities and employs various advanced response and recovery approaches as appropriate.
• Apply understanding of tactics, techniques, and procedures for investigative processes, including identifying adversaries' TTPs and applying corresponding defense or security controls.
• Conduct root cause analysis and response coordination, providing recommendations for mitigation.
• Execute recovery action plans and adapts plans to handle new developments.

DHS Cybersecurity Service employees start at career levels and salaries matching their experience and expertise. To learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service career tracks and levels, visit our application portal.

This position is focused on Mitigation and Response.

DHS Cybersecurity Service jobs are structured cybersecurity specializations - called technical capabilities. To learn more about technical capabilities, visit our application portal.

How you will be evaluated

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

You will be evaluated for this job based on how well you meet the qualifications above.

All DHS Cybersecurity Service applicants participate in a multi-phase assessment process, which varies by career track. For the Developmental Career Track, applicants participate in a two-phase assessment process:

• You must successfully complete each phase to advance to the next phase.
• The total time commitment for the two phases is approximately 3 hours (many applicants require less time!)
• Before each phase, DHS will e-mail you instructions and information to help you prepare.
• Monitor your e-mail to ensure you have plenty of time to complete assessments prior to any deadlines or request an extension, if necessary

• Unproctored - you choose the time and location
• Includes two assessments: (1) a work styles inventory that will take about 30 minutes to complete; (2) a work simulation that you will have up to 2 hours to complete.
• The two assessments take about 90 minutes (on average) to complete.
• Requires a computer with audio (speakers or headphones) and a reliable internet connection.
• No knowledge of DHS or cybersecurity is required for these assessments, which measure non-technical capabilities that are important for professional success in the DHS Cybersecurity Service. This includes how you communicate, analyze information, and collaborate with others:
• • The work styles inventory presents you with questions about your work-related interests and preferences.
  • The work simulation presents you with realistic, work-related scenarios and asks you to respond to them.

PHASE II: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT

• Proctored - must be scheduled in advance and completed at a designated assessment center.
• There is a different assessment for each DHS Cybersecurity Service technical capability (visit Jobs to learn more about the technical capabilities).
• Most individuals only have a primary technical capability and complete only one Technical Capability Assessment, but in limited circumstances, you may complete a second Technical Capability Assessment.
• You will have up to 2.5 hours to complete each Technical Capability Assessment; each takes about 90 minutes (on average) to complete.
• Assessments present realistic, work-related cybersecurity scenarios and questions to assess technical skills.
• Cybersecurity knowledge is assessed, but no knowledge of DHS is required.