Security Research Engineer; Remote

Position: Security Research Engineer (Remote)
The application window is expected to close on: 09/27/2026

The successful applicant will be performing work on US Government classified environments, and therefore, must be a U.S. Person (i.e., U.S. citizen, U.S. national, lawful permanent resident, asylee, or refugee). This position may also perform work that the U.S. government has specified can only be performed by a U.S. citizen on U.S. soil.

This role can be performed from any location within the United States.

Meet the Team Our security team is dynamic, hardworking, fun, and high-energy, but the work is done in a very casual environment that strongly encourages a work/life balance. Not only will you work alongside a team of skilled security researchers with a diverse spectrum of talents and experience levels, but you will also be interacting with a variety of engineering teams across Cisco.

Cisco ASIG cultivates an environment where every individual's input and experience is valued. We prioritize training sessions and a mentor program surrounding you with the resources you will need to succeed. The Advanced Security Initiatives Group (ASIG) serves as Cisco’s elite security research unit, dedicated to identifying vulnerabilities and hardening our global products against real-world threats. By adopting an attacker mentality, the team ensures that Cisco’s critical infrastructure remains resilient for global ISPs, Fortune 500 companies, and world governments.

This dynamic, high-energy group is composed of skilled researchers with diverse technical backgrounds who thrive in a casual, supportive, and collaborative environment. What makes this team truly exciting is the unique opportunities to research security topics independently or collaboratively to explore and develop tools and ideas as part of our "Free Friday" innovation and incubation process. Your Impact Evaluate global products and services to identify security vulnerabilities, weaknesses, and potential improvements to ensure the integrity of Cisco’s infrastructure.

Adopt an attacker mentality using specialized tools and techniques to emulate real-world adversaries and proactively secure our systems. Partner with industry-leading engineering teams to assess complex architectures and contribute to creative security solutions that protect our customers. Research emerging security topics independently or collaboratively to develop new tools and ideas that drive the evolution of our security posture. Achieve success by delivering highly secured solutions that meet the rigorous demands of our most critical global clients.

Minimum Qualifications Master’s degree in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, or related field (with security research or project-based experience) or a Bachelor’s degree with 2+ years of professional security experience.
2+ years of red teaming or penetration testing experience with emphasis on remote access, network penetration, Command and Control development and use, and covert channels in Cloud environments4+ years of Unix experience, including any applicable academic experience.

Industry experience with AI/ML frameworks and offensive security tooling.

Preferred Qualifications Experience as a Dev Ops engineer

Experience in offensive security testing of web applications, APIs, user interfaces, mobile devices, and embedded devices.

Experience with full-spectrum red-team tactics

Experience in a SOC, SRE, or incident response role.

Strong ability to work collaboratively within a diverse, high-energy research team.

Excellent communication skills for multi-functional engagement with engineering teams.

Adaptability to work with emerging technologies and evolving security landscapes.

Why Cisco? At Cisco, we’re revolutionizing how data and infrastructure connect and protect…