Threat Research Intern

Who We Are:

Want to be part of a company that empowers you to innovate and implement your powerful ideas as you help shape the future of cybersecurity? Since 2012, CRITICALSTART has assisted in safeguarding numerous businesses from cyberattacks, preparing them for upcoming threats, and earning a plethora of awards along the way.

We thrive on innovation, devoid of bureaucracy. CRITICALSTART pioneered the first MOBILESOC app for on-the-go threat detection and response, devised a method to automatically resolve the majority of security alerts, and introduced services that reduce alert investigation time by 99.3% (our analysts truly appreciate us for that).

Everything we do revolves around our three core principles:

Do what’s best for our customers.

Do what’s best for our employees.

Don’t do things that suck.

That's basically it.

If you'd prefer to hear from our Critical Crew, watch to learn about their perspectives. Look at our Glassdoor reviews for another internal viewpoint (Pssst...want to grab our attention when you submit your resume? Include something about our Glassdoor reviews that resonated with you).

Who You Are:

This internship provides an opportunity to delve into the realm of cyber threat research. As a member of our TR team, you'll assist with research, data collection, and initial threat analysis. Through hands-on experience, you'll develop skills to evaluate and report on cyber threats, enhancing our understanding of the constantly evolving threat landscape.

What You Will Be Doing?:

Review third-party research for detection and identify potential follow-up research opportunities.

Triage and investigate alerts escalated from the security operations center (SOC) and incident response team (IRT).

Conduct research on topical or trending cybersecurity subjects to stay updated on the latest threats and vulnerabilities.

Triage malware samples and perform basic analysis tasks to identify malicious behavior and potential impact.

Aggregate, pivot, and enrich atomic indicators of compromise (IOCs) to enhance threat intelligence data.

Research and understand attacker Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures (TTPs) and tooling to improve threat detection and response capabilities.

Generate detailed reports and conduct presentations based on investigative and research efforts to share findings and insights with relevant stakeholders.

What You Will Bring?:

Required Qualifications:

Enrollment in an information technology, cybersecurity, or computer science-focused major.

Comfortable with intermediate to advanced computer and networking concepts.

Basic familiarity with cybersecurity concepts.

Strong analytical skills and ability to recognize patterns.

Effective communication skills, both verbally and in writing.

Desired Qualifications:

Interest in or familiarity with intelligence analysis and malware analysis is a plus.

What It's Like Working Here:

Imagine a dynamic, enjoyable, and rewarding work environment. We are professionals, and the work we do holds immense significance, like saving our customers from potential disasters. However, we believe in not taking ourselves too seriously.

Prefer a casual dress code every day? No problem, as we find comfort enhances our thinking.

Our workplace in Plano, TX offers open offices, collaborative meeting spaces, phone rooms, and wellness rooms. In the breakroom, friendly competition arises with games like ping-pong, bubble hockey machine, foosball, or the gaming machine. What harm does a little healthy competition among friends do?

Critical Start welcomes people from all backgrounds and walks of life. One of our core values is to “Do what’s best for our employees,” and that starts with the hiring process by finding the best candidates and providing an environment that upholds equal employment opportunities for all employees and applicants, strictly prohibiting any form of discrimination or harassment based on race, color, religion, age, sex, national origin, disability status, genetics, protected veteran status, sexual orientation, gender identity or expression, or any other characteristic protected by federal, state, or local laws.

This policy encompasses all aspects of employment, including recruitment, hiring, placement, promotion, termination, layoff, recall, transfer, leaves of absence, compensation, and training.

Mental and Physical Requirements

It's important to note that specific physical and mental requirements may vary depending on the nature of the office job, organization, and individual responsibilities.

Physical:

Stationary position for extended periods of time.

Constantly operate a computer.

Occasionally you may be required to move equipment or other items up to 20 lbs.

The ability to communicate information and ideas so others will understand. Must be able to exchange accurate information in these situations.

Mental:

Must be able to apply established protocols in a timely manner.

Make timely decisions in the context of workflow.

Ability to complete tasks and perform in situations requiring speed deadlines, or productivity quota.

Ability to work effectively and efficiently in high stress situations.

Ability to simultaneously address multiple complex problems.

Permanent