Cybersecurity Analyst Lead (Incident Response)

Department Marketing Statement: The Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority (Metro) is developing an advanced cybersecurity program to protect the critical transit infrastructure serving our nation's capital. We are seeking a Cybersecurity Analyst Lead (Incident Response) to join our Cyber Fusion Center, reporting to the Center's Manager. This role involves continuous monitoring, investigation, and remediation of security events using various tools to detect and mitigate potential threats, ensuring the safety and resilience of our infrastructure. The Cybersecurity Analyst Lead (IR) will develop and follow processes for threat detection and response, optimize SIEM rules, alerts, and other security tools to enhance visibility and improve incident response. Additionally, they will provide leadership and mentorship to junior analysts to enhance the incident response team's skill set. The role also includes creating new playbooks to optimize automation workflows as needed and managing the proactive detection of threats by importing Indicators of Compromise (IOCs) into monitoring tools and capturing relevant data to support security operations. The position requires participation in on-call duties to ensure rapid response to security incidents at any time.As part of a collaborative fusion program, the Cybersecurity Analyst Lead will work closely with teams across incident response, threat intelligence, and conduct threat hunting activities to identify suspicious activities within the WMATA enterprise. They will apply a deep understanding of the incident response process to various tools like SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR systems, and cloud environments, and perform behavioral analysis to identify insider threats. Conducting root cause analysis to understand the origin and spread of incidents, providing valuable insights for improved security measures, is also a key responsibility. The ideal candidate will have extensive experience in incident response and cybersecurity, strong leadership and mentorship skills, proficiency with SIEM, IDS/IPS, EDR systems, and cloud environments, and the ability to develop and optimize security playbooks and automation workflows. Excellent analytical and problem-solving skills are essential for this role.General Hybrid Work Statement:This opportunity is a hybrid opportunity allowing for flexibility between virtual and in-person work subject to the Authority's telework policy.Minimum QualificationsEducation• A Bachelor's degree from an accredited college or universityExperience• Six (6) years of experience as a cybersecurity officer/engineer, information systems security officer, or specialized expertise in cyber policy, intelligence, analytics, budget, audit, metrics, or training such that it meets the specific role postedPreferredEducation• A Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity or a related technical fieldMedical GroupSatisfactorily complete the medical examination for this position, if required. The incumbent must be able to perform the essential functions of this position either with or without reasonable accommodations.SummaryThe Cybersecurity Analyst - Lead is responsible for identifying and remediating security threats. The analyst designs defensive measures and monitors information collected from a variety of sources to identify, analyze, and report events that occur or might occur within the network to protect information, information systems and networks from threats.Essential Functions• Supporting the director, oversees the data analytics strategy based on the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Cybersecurity Framework. This includes analyzing threat information from multiple sources, disciplines, and agencies across the Intelligence Community; Synthesizing and placing intelligence information in context; draws insights about the possible implications. Ensures threats and vulnerabilities are identified as early as possible and mitigated.• Oversees the development of cyber threat indicators, attacks and compromise monitoring and maintains awareness of the status of the highly dynamic operating environment. Coordinates the collection, processes, analysis, and dissemination of cyber threat and warning assessments. Ensures vulnerabilities are identified as early as possible and mitigated.• Oversees the intelligence of data collected from a variety of cyber defense tools (e.g., IDS alerts, firewalls, network traffic logs) to analyze events that occur within the WMATA's environments (on-premises and cloud) for the purposes of mitigating threats.• Oversees the development of performance and effectiveness assessment plans and measures. Conducts strategic and operational effectiveness assessments as required for cyber events. Determines whether systems performed as expected and provides input to the determination of operational effectiveness. Ensures that systems and networks are developed and deployed securely, leveraging best industry standards and a thorough understanding of both security and enterprise architecture.• Supporting the director, oversees the production of assimilation of data and information from analytics and intelligence to support the creation of dashboards which inform senior leaders regarding the security posture of the organization. Generates routine and ad hoc urgent reports and action plans to support enhanced security procedures and response measures to ongoing or imminent threats. Ensures that WMATA has a properly managed and reportable cyber threat intelligence awareness program.• Oversees the analysis of defensive and simulated offensive results, techniques used, and information collected from a variety of sources to identify, analyze, and report events that occur or might occur within the network to protect information, information systems, and networks from threats.• Oversees the response to routine and urgent cybersecurity situations within the pertinent domain to mitigate immediate and potential cyber threats. Uses mitigation, preparedness, and response and recovery approaches, to maximize safety, preservation of property, and information security. Investigates and analyzes all relevant incident response activities. Ensures real-time cyber defense incident handling tasks are executed (e.g., forensic collections, intrusion correlation and tracking, threat analysis, and direct system remediation) to support deployable Incident Response Teams (IRTs).• Oversees the incident response support functions through technical activities that gather evidence on criminal or foreign intelligence entities to mitigate possible or real-time threats, protect against insider threats, sabotage, international terrorist activities, and to support other intelligence activities. Investigates, analyzes, and responds to cyber incidents within the network environment or enclave. Ensures that the organization responds to attacks quickly and eliminate threats.• Oversees the consultation for the support program to establish relationships, between the incident response team and other groups, both internal (e.g., General Counsels Office) and external (e.g., law enforcement agencies, vendors, public relations professionals).• Oversees the process that applies tactics, techniques, and procedures for a full range of investigative tools and processes to include, but not limited to, interviews, cyber surveillance, counter surveillance, and surveillance detection, and appropriately balances the benefits of intelligence gathering. Ensures that vulnerabilities are identified as early as possible and mitigated.• Provides program oversight of activities to produce timely, fused, all-source cyber operations intelligence and/or indications and warnings intelligence products (e.g., threat assessments, briefings, intelligence studies, country studies). Analyzes collected information to identify vulnerabilities and potential for exploitation. Ensures that the reporting of all cyber events/activity are presented in a timely and actionable media; consistent with cyber intelligence and security best practices.• Oversees detailed intelligence plans to satisfy cyber operations requirements. Collaborates with cyber operations planners to identify, validate and impose requirements for collection and analysis. Participates in targeting selection, validation, synchronization, and execution of cyber actions. Synchronizes intelligence activities to support organization objectives in cyberspace. Ensures the reporting of all cyber events/activity are presented in a timely and actionable media; relevant to cyber intelligence and security best practices.• Oversees the monitoring of all defensive measures and information collected from a variety of sources to identify, analyze, and report events that occur or might occur within the network to protect information, information systems, and networks from internal and external threats. Takes appropriate action by reporting, remediating and/or providing preventive recommendations. Acts as the liaison between the security engineering and authorizing official. Ensures that analysis of the information (data) from various sources within the enterprise is executed and identifies possible security violation or threat.• Oversees the process and analysis that identifies, collects, examines, and preserves evidence using controlled and documented analytical and investigative techniques. Manages the analysis of digital evidence and investigates computer security incidents to derive useful information in support of system/network vulnerability mitigation. Ensures the forensically sound collection of images and inspects to discern possible mitigation/remediation on enterprise systems.The essential duties listed are not intended to limit specific duties and responsibilities of any particular position. Nor is it intended to limit in any way the right of managers and supervisors to assign, direct and control the work of employees under their supervision.Evaluation CriteriaConsideration will be given to applicants whose resumes demonstrate the required education and experience. Applicants should include all relevant education and work experience.Evaluation criteria may include one or more of the following:• Skills and/or behavioral assessment• Personal interview• Verification of education and experience (including certifications and licenses)• Criminal Background Check (a criminal conviction is not an automatic bar to employment)• Medical examination including a drug and alcohol screening (for safety sensitive positions)• Review of a current motor vehicle reportClosingWMATA is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, disability, status as a protected veteran, or any other status protected by applicable federal law.This posting is an announcement of a vacant position under recruitment. It is not intended to replace the official job description. Job descriptions are available upon confirmation of an interview.