There are a variety of Vulnerability Assessment 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 Vulnerability Assessment to perform a range of routine tasks, including:

• Supporting the implementation of tactics, techniques and procedures (TTP) of cyber exploitation and attack to identify, quantify, prioritize, and report vulnerabilities across DHS, Federal, and/or national critical architectures, networks, applications, and systems.
• Conducting technical or nontechnical risk and threat assessments to assist DHS and federal leaders with decision-making related to cybersecurity planning (e.g., security measures, countermeasures, and vulnerability assessment methodologies).
• Actively engaging with and supporting internal and/or external cybersecurity professionals and experts in cybersecurity risk assessment/management, automated information sharing, threat analysis, vulnerability management, and network defense/network protection to assess risk, identify vulnerabilities and implement controls as necessary.
• Researching and learning new vulnerabilities, threats, TTPs in a variety of forums, working with others to assess risk and implement controls as necessary.
• Developing tests of systems and/or locally developed tools and techniques for gaining and maintaining access to target systems, while evaluating compliance with specifications and requirements in accordance with policy, benchmarks, and industry best practices.
• Working with systems engineering and development teams to recommend and deliver remediation strategies and plans for discovered vulnerabilities throughout the systems development lifecycle (SDLC).
• Conducting routine risk assessments and providing risk assessment reports/status to propose solutions that document methodologies, findings, impacts, recommending mitigation and remediating strategies/solutions.
• Supporting the design, replication, analyses, and validation strategies for simulated attacks on networks and systems to ensure DHS abilities to uncover and mitigate vulnerabilities.

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 many of these positions are considered telework eligible, some individuals must live within 2 hours driving distance to a DHS SCIF in either Chandler, AZ; Stennis, MS; Idaho Falls, ID; 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 3+ 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 Vulnerability Assessment will generally:

• Conduct assessments of threats and vulnerabilities on networks/systems software and hardware and develop and recommend appropriate mitigation countermeasures.
• Develop and conduct tests of systems to evaluate compliance with specifications and requirements in accordance with policy benchmarks and industry best practices, by validating technical, functional, and performance characteristics of systems or their elements.
• Coordinate and align with program offices and various stakeholders.

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.