Cyber Defence Analyst

Job Description

We have an exciting opportunity for a Cyber Defence Analyst to join our Information Security team, based in the A&O Shearman’s Belfast office.\n
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Please note that weekend working is a requirement for this role, with exact shift patterns to be discussed at interview. All weekend hours are eligible for a premium payment, in addition to your base salary.\n
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What you will do\n
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\nInvestigate escalations:\n

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• Investigate and prioritise Level 2 escalated events and alerts which have been detected through Level 1 monitoring activities by the firm’s MSSP to identify potential incidents. Escalate these events further to senior colleagues and appropriate stakeholders when necessary.
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• Investigate potential cyber security and data loss incidents raised by firm employees and third parties, following the defined playbooks for the Cyber Defence team.
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• Respond to inbound queries to the information security mailbox, consulting with more senior colleagues for advice where required.
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Incident Response:\n

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• Participate in incident response activities, including CSIRT activities, for confirmed incidents in local time-zone:\n
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  • Conduct initial triage and investigation.
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  • Assist with containment, mitigation, and remediation efforts, ensuring any forensic evidence is gathered and documented appropriately.
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• Participate in security incident response exercises and contribute to post-exercise reviews.
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• Be part of the Cyber Defence on-call rota, which may require out-of-hours work.
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• Pick-up and hand-off incident response activities with the rest of the Belfast Cyber Defence team to other teams in different time-zones across the globe, as per our 24-7 follow-the-sun global model.
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• Maintain awareness of current and emerging cyber threats, techniques, and procedures (TTPs) using threat intelligence insights from the Threat and Vulnerability Management team, applying this knowledge in daily operations.
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Tooling and Process Improvement:\n

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• Assist with the implementation and enhancement of new and existing cyber defence tools and processes to maximise the effectiveness of the Cyber Defence function.
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• Contribute to the maintenance and improvement of playbook and process documentation for Cyber Defence.
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Collaboration and Advisory:\n

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• Collaborate with other areas of the firm (e.g. wider information security and IT teams) to improve the firm’s security posture by implementing controls and fostering awareness.
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• Advise business stakeholders on Cyber Defence, translating complex technical concepts into business-friendly language.
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What you will have \n

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• At least 1+ years’ experience in a security operations or similar technical security role.
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• Operational-level experience in at least two of the following domains; Security engineering, Alert triaging, Rule writing, Incident response, Digital Forensics and Incident Response (DFIR), Threat intelligence and management, Vulnerability management, or Security control testing.
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• In-depth understanding of Networking and routing protocols (e.g.

  TCP/IP) and services (e.g. DNS, SMTP).

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• Cyber defence technologies and tooling, including:\n
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  • SIEM solutions
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  • Intrusion Detection/Prevention Systems (ID/PS)
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  • Threat and vulnerability management platforms
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  • Endpoint protection
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  • Firewalls
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• Highly analytical mindset with strong problem-solving skills.
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• Ability to interpret data flows, assess security events, and draw logical conclusions.
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• Excellent written and verbal communication skills.
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• Ability to collaborate effectively across technical and non-technical teams.
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• High level of personal integrity and ethics, demonstrating an appropriate level of judgement.
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• A genuine passion for continuous learning and development in cybersecurity, staying up-to-date with the latest developments, trends, and technologies in the field.
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You will stand out if you have\n

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• Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Computer Science, Engineering, Technology, or a related field.
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• Industry-recognised certifications such as:\n
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  • CISSP (Certified Information Systems Security Professional)
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  • CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker)
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  • CISM (Certified Information Security Manager)
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  • CompTIA Security+
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• Practical programming or scripting experience, particularly with:\n
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  • Python
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  • PowerShell
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NO AGENCIES PLEASE - A&O Shearman does not accept unsolicited CVs. For further information, please see our UK Recruitment Agency Policy and our commitment to direct sourcing here.\n
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