Junior Security Analyst

Junior Security Analyst | Infrastructure & Cybersecurity

The Junior Security Analyst supports day-to-day cybersecurity operations while developing practical skills under the guidance of the Security Engineer Lead. The role is designed for an early-career candidate with a foundation built through college cybersecurity coursework, a cybersecurity bootcamp, internships, co-op experience, security labs, academic projects, or similar hands-on learning. This position does not require several years of professional cybersecurity experience. The strongest candidate understands core security concepts, enjoys investigating technical issues, communicates clearly, and is motivated to grow through mentoring and hands-on work across security monitoring, incident response, identity, vulnerability management, endpoint security, and cloud security.

Key Responsibilities

Security Monitoring & Investigation

• Monitor security alerts and perform initial analysis and triage of potentially suspicious activity.
• Investigate suspicious emails, phishing attempts, compromised accounts, malware, and other potential security events.
• Document findings, actions taken, and escalation details clearly and accurately, and learn to distinguish meaningful concerns from false positives.

Incident Response & Security Operations

• Assist the Security Engineer Lead with cybersecurity investigations and incident response activities, including gathering logs, maintaining timelines, and supporting follow-up actions.
• Assist with vulnerability identification, tracking, remediation, and validation.
• Work with infrastructure, service delivery, application, and external security partners to address endpoint, network, cloud, identity, and application security issues.

Microsoft Security & Identity

• Support day-to-day security operations across Microsoft 365, Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Entra ID, and related security technologies.
• Assist with identity and access reviews, multifactor authentication, account security, security monitoring, and alerting improvements.
• Build practical knowledge of how identity, endpoint, email, cloud, and collaboration security controls work together.

Security Awareness & Continuous Improvement

• Review employee-reported suspicious activity and potential security incidents, escalating concerns when appropriate.
• Assist with phishing simulations, cybersecurity awareness activities, documentation, and security improvement projects.
• Develop technical skills through training, mentoring, hands-on assignments, and continued study of emerging threats and security technologies.

How This Role Works Across the Organization

The Security Engineer Lead provides technical direction, mentoring, and escalation support. The Junior Security Analyst performs initial monitoring, investigation, documentation, and follow-up while partnering with infrastructure, service delivery, application teams, business users, vendors, and security providers. The role is expected to ask questions, escalate appropriately, and grow into broader ownership as skills and experience develop.

Required Qualifications

Bachelor's or associate degree in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Information Technology, Computer Science, or a related field; completion of a reputable cybersecurity bootcamp; or comparable technical training supported by hands-on work.

Practical exposure through a cybersecurity or information technology internship, co-op, apprenticeship, college lab, academic project, home lab, cybersecurity competition, capture-the-flag exercise, or similar experience.

Foundational knowledge of cybersecurity principles, common attack techniques, networking concepts, Windows, Microsoft 365, identity and access management, endpoint security, vulnerability management, or log analysis.

Strong curiosity, attention to detail, written communication, documentation, judgment, and willingness to learn from feedback.

Ability to protect confidential information, follow established processes, and escalate issues when additional expertise or authority is required.

Preferred Qualifications

Exposure to Microsoft Defender, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft 365, or comparable security and identity technologies.

Basic scripting experience with PowerShell, Python, or a similar language.

An entry-level certification such as CompTIA Security+, ISC2 Certified in Cybersecurity, Microsoft Security, Compliance, and Identity Fundamentals (SC-900), or Microsoft Security Operations Analyst (SC-200).

What Success Looks Like

Security alerts and employee-reported concerns are reviewed promptly, documented clearly, and escalated appropriately.

Investigations include accurate notes, relevant evidence, clear timelines, and defined follow-up actions.

The analyst steadily builds proficiency across security monitoring, incident response, identity, vulnerability management, endpoint security, and Microsoft security technologies.

The analyst earns trust through curiosity, reliability, sound judgment, confidentiality, and consistent follow-through.

Routine security work becomes increasingly independent while complex or high-risk issues continue to receive timely escalation.

Ideal Candidate

This is not a role for someone expected to arrive with several years of professional cybersecurity experience. The strongest candidate has intentionally prepared for a security career through college coursework, a degree program, a cybersecurity bootcamp, internships, labs, projects, competitions, or certifications. They enjoy investigating problems, are comfortable saying when they need help, and can turn technical observations into clear documentation and responsible action. They want meaningful hands-on experience and are ready to grow under the guidance of the Security Engineer Lead.