Defensive Cyber Operations Undergrad Intern

The Aerospace Corporation is the trusted partner to the nation’s space programs, solving the hardest problems and providing unmatched technical expertise. As the operator of a federally funded research and development center (FFRDC), we are broadly engaged across all aspects of space— delivering innovative solutions that span satellite, launch, ground, and cyber systems for defense, civil and commercial customers. When you join our team, you’ll be part of a special collection of problem solvers, thought leaders, and innovators.

Join us and take your place in space. The Aerospace Corporation is hiring a Defensive Cyber Operations Undergrad Intern position for the Cyberspace Combat Department (CCD) in the Information Systems and Cyber Division (ISCD).

This position will be full-time, 100% onsite at our office in El Segundo, CA

ISCD staff members couple the latest in information system technologies, such as elastic compute clouds, containerization, microservices, real-time operating systems, and visualization frameworks, with expertise in cyber security, software architecture, software engineering, data science, Artificial Intelligence, process improvement, and software development to deliver responsive, resilient, high-performance software intensive systems to our Intelligence Community, DoD, and civilian customers. Interns will join our growing team of cybersecurity engineers who design, implement, and deploy cyber solutions to defend our nation’s most valuable assets in space.

We support a variety of customers including the Space Force’s Space Systems Command (SSC), the National Reconnaissance Office (NRO), and other civil customers (e.g. NASA) in order to resolve unique challenges in protecting their ground networks and satellite systems from sophisticated adversaries.

• Research and develop on-board defensive capabilities to protect Space Vehicles
• Build innovative prototype tools and techniques to improve the cybersecurity posture of mission systems using current technologies such as containerization, cloud, and AI
• Conduct vulnerability research and reverse engineering on space related software
• Proactively interact with customers by communicating project status, technical findings, and give technical demonstrations.

Duties, responsibilities and activities may change, or new ones may be assigned as needed. Training and mentorship will be provided.

• Currently enrolled full time at an accredited college/university degree program pursuing a Bachelor’s Degree in Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Cybersecurity, or related program
• Availability to work full-time for a minimum of 10 weeks outside of university term and ability to return to a degree program full- time after completion of the internship.
• Minimum GPA 3.0
• Interest in reverse engineering and vulnerability research
• Experience with building small to mid-size projects with Python, C, or Rust
• Experience with containerization tools such as Docker or Kubernetes
• This position requires ability to obtain and maintain a security clearance, which is issued by the US government.
• U.S citizenship is required to obtain a security clearance.
• Transcripts required

• Security+ or any other security certifications
• Hands‑on experience working with Ghidra or Ida Pro
• Experience working with ground or space related technology
• Active participant in Capture‑The‑Flag events
• Active security clearance
• GPA 3.5 or higher
• Temporary housing assistance is not available

We offer a competitive compensation package where you’ll be rewarded based on your performance and recognized for the value you bring to our business. The grade-based pay range for this job is listed below. Individual…