Principal Researcher, Financial Services

As a Principal Researcher for Financial Services in Unit 42, you will leverage expert knowledge of industry-specific threats to provide meaningful intelligence. You will identify emerging trends, establish thought leadership through industry engagement, and become a go-to expert for internal and external stakeholders. This role requires you to be a self-starter who can collaborate effectively with researchers, partners, and the broader cybersecurity community. You will communicate your findings through presentations, articles, and social posts to advance the security of the financial services sector.

• Demonstrate expertise in collecting and analyzing threat intelligence data across all categories of cyberthreats relevant to the financial services industry.
• Document and communicate emerging threats, trends and their potential impact to the financial services industry in a timely manner.
• Translate your threat intelligence collection into multiple formats that can be shared effectively with internal and external partners.
• Map new threat intelligence findings into threat intelligence repositories.
• Investigate and communicate an adversary’s actions through use of common frameworks such as MITRE ATT&CK and the Diamond Model.
• Conduct deep analysis using Palo Alto Networks internal telemetry and open-source datasets.
• Conduct quick-turnaround threat analysis for high-visibility threat research and urgent requests.
• Serve as an internal SME for threats related to the financial services industry.
• Demonstrate thought leadership across Unit 42 and within the financial services industry.
• Foster strong collaboration with key stakeholders across different functional teams and among partner organizations.
• Grow and maintain industry connections.

• 7+ years of experience in threat intelligence focused on a variety of threats including ransomware, nation-state, cybercrime, supply-chain/3rd party risks, cloud, mobile, dark web, offensive security, and insider threats.
• Advanced understanding of the adversary’s attack lifecycle, TTPs and high-fidelity indicators of compromise.
• Experience with tools for data analysis, such as passive DNS, network infrastructure and host-based information.
• Proven communicator and collaborator with success in building trusted relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Strong verbal and written communication skills.
• Ability to lead tasks and projects independently and drive process improvement.
• Proven record as a problem solver in complex and often ambiguous situations.
• Drive to overcome the most challenging obstacles and look for ways to improve results.
• Ability to understand and assimilate different points of view, manage time and prioritize work based on project needs and deadlines.

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• Understanding of specific cybersecurity needs and concerns of the financial services industry.
• Established relationships within the financial services industry.
• Experience as a public speaker at industry conferences.
• History of publishing impactful cybersecurity research and/or trend publications, especially focused on the financial services industry.
• Experience with using social media to connect with cybersecurity and industry peers.
• Comfortable working effectively within a remote team.
• Ability to interpret and action internal and external reports including technical malware analysis.
• Knowledge of scripting languages to facilitate data collection and analysis.