Cybersecurity Firewall Analyst

Strategic Staffing Solutions is currently looking for a Cybersecurity Firewall Analyst I W-2 contract opportunity.

Locations: Charlotte, NC

Type: W-2 Contract (No C2C)

Schedule: Hybrid

This is a W-2 contract opportunity, and candidates must be able to work on our W-2 only. NO C2C or 1099.

• 1–2 years of experience in network support, firewall administration, or a related IT/cybersecurity role.
• Basic hands‑on experience or coursework with Palo Alto Networks next‑generation firewalls.
• General networking understanding including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, NAT, and common protocols.
• Ability to read and interpret firewall security and traffic logs.

This position supports the SASE initiative by assisting with the review, cleanup, and documentation of existing Palo Alto Networks security policies in preparation for migration to a Prisma Access / SASE architecture. The Analyst I will work under the guidance of senior team members to analyze firewall rule bases, identify redundant or overly permissive rules, and help ensure policies are well‑documented and migration‑ready.

Candidates with a network support background who are looking to grow into cybersecurity policy analysis are encouraged to apply.

• Assists with the review and analysis of existing Palo Alto Networks firewall security policies across the enterprise.
• Identifies redundant, shadowed, unused, and overly permissive rules under the direction of senior analysts.
• Documents current-state firewall policies, rule intent, and business justification for each rule or rule group.
• Supports data gathering and inventory efforts for security policy objects (address groups, service groups, application filters, etc.).
• Assists with tagging, categorizing, and organizing rules to prepare them for migration to Prisma Access / SASE.
• Contributes to the team knowledge base and maintains up-to-date documentation of work performed.
• Collaborates with business partners and IT teams to validate rule ownership and traffic requirements.
• Follows established change management requirements and processes.
• Participates in team meetings, status updates, and project planning sessions.
• Escalates findings and questions to Analyst II/III team members as appropriate.

• 1–2 years of experience in network support, firewall administration, or a related IT/cybersecurity role.
• Basic hands‑on experience or coursework with Palo Alto Networks next‑generation firewalls.
• General networking understanding including TCP/IP, DNS, DHCP, HTTP, NAT, and common protocols.
• Ability to read and interpret firewall security and traffic logs.
• Familiarity with firewall rule base concepts (zones, address objects, security profiles, etc.).
• Strong attention to detail and documentation skills.
• Palo Alto Networks PCCET or PCNSA preferred.
• CompTIA Security+ and/or Network+ preferred.
• Cisco CCNA a plus.
• Experience supporting a large enterprise network is a plus.
• Demonstrated commitment to personal and team success.