Cyber Blue Team Analyst

The Mission Concepts & Capabilities (MCC) division of Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is building a team to conduct cyber assessments of vulnerabilities of critical U.S. and Allied systems, networks, infrastructures, and assets. Our team will support the Defense Threat Reduction Agency’s Nuclear Enterprise Support Directorate (NE)’s Mission Assurance Department (MA) program. We are seeking hands-on cyber analysts with an understanding of both the compliance standards and the tools and techniques to assess vulnerabilities to be a part of our team.

Assessment teams will identify risks that may lead to mission loss or degradation and provide recommendations for risk reduction based on DoD Mission Assurance Assessment benchmarks. Teams will identify threats to information technology and operational technology and assess the vulnerability and risk to assets. Selected candidates will apply in-depth knowledge of cyber threats to develop recommendations to remediate system vulnerabilities.

Our teams will provide a balanced look at the mission survivability of key DoD facilities and provide recommendations with supporting rationale to leadership. Teams will also perform assessments from an adversarial viewpoint to identify weaknesses, test and evaluate protection strategies, and demonstrate exploitation of identified vulnerabilities. Components of these assessments include examining telecommunications (video, voice, data, commercial and military) and cyber space operations (computer networks, IA tools use, operations security).

Cyber assessment teams may be deployed to high-threat but permissive environments worldwide. Each team can support up to 10 assessments per year, ranging from one to six weeks in duration, from start to submission.

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in computer science, information technology, computer engineering, electrical engineering, or related discipline
• 4 years of experience OR 10 years of relevant experience as a substitute for degree requirements
• Current / Active DoD Top Secret clearance with the ability to obtain and maintain SCI access
• Active certifications – IAT II as per DoDD 8570.01 and CSSP Auditor
• Experience with Linux environments (Red Hat, CentOS, Ubuntu)
• Understanding of IT threats and cybersecurity practices
• Hands-on experience with security monitoring, threat hunting, packet analysis, malware analysis, signature development, and shell scripting
• Experience with network monitoring and packet inspection tools
• Programming experience (Perl, Python, C, etc.)

Desired Qualifications:

• Knowledge and ability to operate advanced cyber analytical tools and perform assessments
• Familiarity with DoD’s IT system and network certification and accreditation processes, including system security authorization agreements
• Experience conducting Computer Network Defense/Exploitation assessments
• Experience with firewalls, network TAP technologies, and configuring, administering software applications
• Skills in troubleshooting hardware and software issues
• Knowledge of managing networking equipment
• Understanding of DoD’s Information Assurance processes
• Experience with Vulnerability Alert processes
• Familiarity with Computer Network vulnerability and compliance analysis software

Company Information:

Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) is an employee-owned international research and engineering company founded in Albuquerque, NM, in 1979. With over 1400 professionals, ARA provides solutions in defense, civil, environmental, and technological fields. Employees benefit from a culture of innovation, ownership, and growth, including participation in the Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP). For more information, visit

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