Cyber Defense Analyst – Junior

About the role

The Junior Cyber Defense Analyst will support the SBA Enterprise Cybersecurity Services (ECS) program within the Security Operations Center (SOC). Working under senior cybersecurity staff, the analyst will monitor security tools, analyze alerts, and assist with incident response to protect SBA information systems.

Key responsibilities

• Monitor and analyze security alerts from SIEM, EDR, IDS/IPS, firewalls, and endpoint tools.
• Assist in triage, escalation, documentation, and response to cybersecurity incidents.
• Support malware analysis, phishing investigations, and basic threat hunting.
• Participate in vulnerability management coordination and remediation tracking.
• Provide cloud security monitoring for Microsoft 365, Azure, AWS, and hybrid environments.
• Maintain operational reporting, ticketing, and case management documentation.
• Collaborate with government personnel, engineers, and senior cybersecurity staff.

Required profile

• Bachelor’s degree in Cybersecurity, IT, Computer Science, Information Assurance, or related field (or equivalent experience).
• Minimum of 3 years of experience in cybersecurity operations, SOC analysis, cyber defense, or incident response.
• Familiarity with federal security policies, NIST SP 800-61 guidance, and CISA advisories.

Required skills

• SIEM platforms
• Endpoint Detection and Response (EDR) tools
• IDS/IPS systems
• Firewalls and endpoint security solutions
• Microsoft 365 security monitoring
• Azure cloud security
• AWS cloud security
• Ticketing and case management systems
• Malware analysis techniques
• Phishing investigation methods
• Threat analysis and basic threat hunting
• Vulnerability management processes