2027 Cyber Scientist Internship

Riverside Overview

Riverside Research is an independent National Security Nonprofit dedicated to research and development in the national interest. We provide high-end technical services, research and development, and prototype solutions to some of the country's most challenging technical problems. All Riverside Research opportunities require U.S. Citizenship.

Position Overview

Riverside Research is seeking interns for 2027 (starting May or June 2027) to support R&D of cutting-edge security technologies to protect systems, networks, and data from advanced threats. Our goal is to get ahead and stay ahead of attackers in cost-effective ways. As a premier cyber research organization, we are committed to advancing the state of the art through sustained open-source releases of our tooling (see some examples here: We value our team culture of adaptability and experimentation in our research, delivery of capability to our customers, and technical excellence in all we do.

Our cyber research group includes four focus areas. Our Security Engineering team works to mature and transition cyber technology (secure parsers, model-based system security engineering, vulnerability triage) into the hands of the warfighter. Our Formal Methods team works to develop new techniques for formal verification and apply formal techniques to analyze the security of complex systems (cryptography, artificial intelligence, large software systems, hardware and embedded systems). Our System Security team develops new security technologies at the foundations of computing (operating systems, hypervisors, compilers, programming languages). Our Offensive Security team assesses the security of systems, developing novel ways to reuse, modify, and exploit technology (vulnerability research, reverse engineering, networking protocols). We'd love to hear which of these areas interest you most.

We anticipate starting interviews for our internship program late fall of 2026.

Responsibilities

• Work with technology leads (including principal investigators and management) to develop and prototype new ideas from start to finish
• Assist in preparing presentations and reports on the work we are doing for our customers
• Come up with new ways to improve the technology we are developing
• Share lessons learned with the broader group internally and externally
• Collaborate across focus areas to build cutting-edge technologies

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Enrolled in a degree seeking program (Bachelors, Masters, or Doctoral) in computer science, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or cybersecurity
• A deep technical understanding of cybersecurity problems and solutions, especially with a focus in one or more of our group's focus areas
• Proficiency in multiple programming languages (we do a lot of Python, C, and Rust) and proficiency in Linux development environments
• Ability to work collaboratively and communicate effectively
• Ability to obtain Top Secret security clearance

Desired Qualifications:

• Experience working in research environments with independent, self-guided projects
• Prior experience giving technical presentations
• Prior technical experience outside of traditional coursework

Global Comp

$25.00/hr- $35.00 This represents the typical compensation range for this position based on experience, location and other factors.

Closing Statement

Riverside Research Institute is a not-for-profit, technology-oriented defense company, where service to our customers and support of our staff is our overall mission. Riverside is an affirmative action-equal opportunity employer and complies with all applicable federal, state, and local laws regarding recruitment and hiring. Riverside offers comprehensive compensation and benefit packages to our employees. Riverside bases its employment decisions solely on technical experience, qualifications and other job-related criteria related to our organizational purpose as a not-for-profit company, and without regard to race, color, religion, age, sex marital status, sexual orientation, national origin, physical or mental disability, veteran's status or any other status legally protected by applicable federal, state, and local law.