Threat Analyst

As a Threat Analyst at Our Future Health, you'll be responsible for improving the overall security posture by working with both internal teams and our managed service provider's SOC. Your primary duties will include implementing cyber threat intelligence approaches, responding to threat alerts, tracking threat actors, and conducting proactive threat hunts to enhance our cybersecurity framework. You'll also play a vital role in developing detection engineering initiatives and refining our threat hunting approach.

For the Threat Analyst role at Our Future Health, we prioritize talent over experience. Essential qualifications include experience in cyber threat intelligence or threat hunting, along with familiarity with Microsoft's security products. Strong analytical skills, a solid understanding of threat intelligence principles, and relevant certifications like CISM, CISSP, or Microsoft certifications are highly beneficial. Additionally, being able to communicate effectively with both technical and non-technical teams is crucial.

Our Future Health is seeking a Threat Analyst who is innovative and collaborative, with strong technical and communication skills. You should have a foundational understanding of security risk management, threat modeling, and modern cloud technologies. Proficiency in writing KQL for the Microsoft Sentinel SIEM/SOAR platform is a plus, as well as experience engaging in agile developments and collaborating closely with various teams across our organization.

As a Threat Analyst at Our Future Health, you'll enjoy a competitive salary between £45,000 and £60,000, along with an impressive pension scheme that includes employer contributions of up to 12%. You will also receive 30 days of holiday plus bank holidays, enhanced parental leave, and a professional development budget of £500 yearly. Other perks include a bicycle to work scheme, home tech savings, a generous employee referral bonus, and access to well-being support services.

The Threat Analyst role at Our Future Health is unique because it allows you to be at the forefront of a significant public health initiative. You will not only strengthen our cybersecurity posture but also contribute to a groundbreaking health research program that aims to improve the health of future generations. You'll have the freedom to innovate and implement your ideas, all while working within a collaborative and supportive team environment.

In responding to this question, focus on specific examples from past roles where you developed or managed threat intelligence initiatives. Discuss your understanding of threat actors, TTPs, and how you used threat data to support security operations. Providing quantified results, such as reduced incidents or improved response times, can demonstrate your effectiveness in this field.

When discussing your threat hunting strategies, highlight your approach to formulating and testing hypotheses based on emerging threats. Mention tools and methodologies you've employed in previous roles, such as utilizing SIEM tools, analyzing logs, or conducting automated hunts. Emphasizing teamwork and collaboration with other teams can also showcase your ability to work within an organization.

In answering this question, showcase your proactive approach to continuous learning. Discuss specific sources of information, such as threat intelligence feeds, cybersecurity blogs, forums, or participation in professional networks and communities. Mention any relevant certifications or training that you pursue to keep your skills current.

When discussing your experience with Microsoft Sentinel, outline your proficiency with the platform, including how you have utilized it for threat detection and incident response. You might want to highlight your ability to write effective KQL queries and how you have used Sentinel to enhance the security monitoring capabilities of your organization.

To effectively answer this question, walk the interviewer through your analytical process, starting from receiving the alert until you provide a resolution. Highlight your method for triaging alerts, assessing their relevance, and gathering pertinent data to evaluate the threat. Sharing an example of handling previous alerts successfully would give weight to your response.

Provide a specific scenario where you successfully worked with teams outside of your direct expertise, such as collaborating with IT, development, or compliance departments. Discuss the project or challenge at hand, how you contributed, the resulting changes or implementations, and the benefits for security overall. Highlighting clear communication and a shared goal will paint you in a positive light.

Give a detailed account of specific challenges faced during threat hunting work, such as evasion techniques employed by attackers. Discuss how you adapted your hunting techniques, possibly leveraging new tools or methodologies to address these challenges. This shows your adaptability and resourcefulness in tackling complex problems.

In your response, it’s crucial to emphasize your decision-making and prioritization skills. Discuss the factors you consider when assessing threats, such as urgency, potential impact, and the resources available to respond. Sharing a specific example of prioritization in a past role would further solidify your answer.

To effectively answer, summarize the key components of threat modeling, which include identifying assets, mapping out potential threat actors, assessing vulnerabilities, and applying risk management principles. Provide examples from your experience where you successfully conducted threat modeling, stressing how it informed your organization’s security strategy.

In your response, talk about qualitative and quantitative metrics you use to evaluate your team's performance. This could include the number of threats detected, the time taken to respond, or incidents remediated. Also, mention how you encourage team development through regular reviews, knowledge sharing, and continuous improvement initiatives.