Senior Security Researcher - ITDR (Cortex XDR)

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place.

Who We Are

In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us!

We believe collaboration thrives in person. That’s why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.

Job Summary

We are looking for a Senior Security Researcher to join our Identity Threat Detection and Response team. In this role, you will research the evolving threat landscape and develop advanced detections to protect SAAS, Cloud, on-premises, and hybrid identities. You will focus on identifying and mitigating identity-related threats across networks, endpoints, and cloud environments, using statistical classification methods to build effective detection models and protecting customers at scale. Additionally, you will collaborate with cross-functional teams, validate detection concepts on real-world data, and continuously enhance detection capabilities to stay ahead of emerging threats.

Key Responsibilities

• Research innovative methods for detecting targeted attackers operating in endpoints, networks, cloud and SAAS environments.

• Simulate real-world attacks in lab environments and conduct a deep analysis of the behavior.

• Develop and refine statistics-based classification algorithms and techniques to create and improve detection models.

• Research specific scenarios to enhance our model's capabilities.

• Collaborate within a diverse research group, improving our research processes and leading us to be a better team creating a better product.

• Stay informed on the latest APTs, attacker methodologies, and TTPs to ensure our models stay ahead of emerging threats.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• At least 5 years’ experience with Active Directory security and identity related attacks.

• In-depth knowledge of the inner-workings of operating systems.

• In-depth Knowledge of network protocols, including but not limited to Kerberos, RPC, SMB, HTTP, SMTP, DNS, DHCP, etc.

• In-depth knowledge of enterprise infrastructure, including Active Directory, FW, VPN, Security products, etc.

• Ability to drive and own projects from start to finish.

• Independent and a team player, a critical thinker.

Preferred Qualifications

• 2+ years of experience with Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) or SAAS application.

• At least 2 years of experience coding in Python.

• Strong knowledge of SQL language.

• Experience with red-teaming / pentesting of Entra ID.

• Experience with machine learning, data analysis, cloud infrastructure, or security.

Our Commitment

We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at  accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com.

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.

Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.