Mitigation and Response - Technical

About the role

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is recruiting professionals to support a range of technical roles in Mitigation and Response, including Cyber Defense Incident Responder, Cyber Incident Response Analyst, and Cyber Intrusion Detection Specialist. All positions are in the DHS Cybersecurity Service.

What you will do

• DHS Cybersecurity Service (DHS-CS) uses a multi-phase assessment process to qualify applicants seeking employment through the DHS-CS.
• Given the ever-advancing nature of cybersecurity and the ongoing need for cybersecurity talent, DHS-CS uses "Talent Pools" to pull qualified applicants (i.e., individuals who have successfully completed the multi-phase assessment process for their capability and career track/level) for consideration for these jobs.
• This announcement is being used to fill the Mitigation and Response Talent Pool.
• By applying to this job announcement, you are opting to be part of the DHS-CS Talent Pool for ongoing consideration for employment for relevant open jobs and will remain eligible for consideration for up to one year from the date of completion.
• There are a variety of Mitigation and Response opportunities across the Department, including supporting several specialized programs at DHS Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans (PLCY), the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), DHS Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO), the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), ICE | U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Secret Service (USSS).
• Depending on your career level and role, DHS Cybersecurity Service employees in the Technical Career Track, with a technical capability in Mitigation and Response, will generally apply their expertise to perform a range of tasks, including: Supporting a team or program in monitoring, analysis, incident response, and handling for DHS or its constituents.
• Proactively analyzing network traffic patterns to identify possible threats - includes analyzing log files from a variety of sources (e.g., individual host logs, network traffic logs, firewall logs, and intrusion detection system [IDS] logs) and using other analytic tools and data science methodologies.
• Actively monitoring DHS environments for potential threats or vulnerabilities, providing DHS or external agency/private industry leadership with situational visibility across the enterprise.
• Creating threat assessments for vulnerabilities on networks, systems software, and hardware and recommending appropriate mitigation.
• Ensuring incidents are managed in accordance with NIST stages of incident handling guidelines and assisting others who are less seasoned in properly applying these standards.
• Customizing communications for different levels of leadership and audiences to provide strategic direction and support to DHS, Component leadership and/or their SOCs, or external constituents to enable mission capabilities.
• Collaborating with internal and external DHS stakeholders in performing critical security operations and incident handling.
• Working with HQ and/or Component NOC/SOCs to block or deny access by hostile sites or restrict access by specific ports/protocols.
• Actively engaging processes to implement, configure, monitor, and maintain Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) tools to monitor, detect and respond to threats on DHS or federal/national partner networks and enclaves.
• Applying techniques for gathering, recovering, analyzing, interpreting, preserving, and presenting information and digital evidence (from computers, mobile devices, websites, network packets, et al.) to support legal prosecution or other departmental requirements.
• Integrating stakeholder feedback when recommending recovery action plans for repairs, including mitigation strategies for interim system vulnerabilities/deficiencies.
• Customizing communications (e.g., incident updates and after-action reports) to emphasize the most critical information and address anticipated follow-up concerns of specific target audiences.
• Proposing and maintaining, a suite of cybersecurity tools, to include SIEM and Endpoint Security Tools.
• Working with designated managers, cyber incident responders, and cybersecurity service provider team members in handling suspected cyber incidents articulating the event's history, status, and potential impact for further action in accordance with the organization's cyber incident response plan.
• Collaborating with team members to collect intrusion artifacts (e.g., source code, malware, trojans) and using discovered data to enable mitigation of potential cyber defense incidents within the enterprise in accordance with recovery action plans.

Education

Degrees are not required for jobs in the DHS Cybersecurity Service, but DHS is interested in your level of education and the topics you studied. As you submit initial application information, you will be asked questions about your education.

How you will be evaluated

All DHS Cybersecurity Service (DHS-CS) applicants participate in a multi-phase assessment process, which varies by career track. For the Technical Career Track, applicants participate in a two-phase assessment process: You must successfully complete each phase to advance to the next phase.

The total time commitment for the three phases is approximately 4 hours (many applicants require less time!). Before each phase, DHS will e-mail you instructions and information to help you prepare. Assessments are time sensitive, so monitor your e-mail to ensure you have plenty of time to complete them prior to any deadlines.

PHASE I: ONLINE ASSESSMENTS Un-proctored - Completed online within a prescribed period of time. Includes two assessments: (1) a work styles inventory that will take about 30 minutes to complete; (2) a work simulation that you will have up to 2 hours to complete. The two assessments take about 90 minutes (on average) to complete.

Requires a computer with audio (speakers or headphones) and a reliable internet connection.

No knowledge of DHS or cybersecurity is required for these assessments, which measure non-technical capabilities that are important for professional success in the DHS-CS.

This includes how you communicate, analyze information, and collaborate with others: The work styles inventory presents you with questions about your work-related interests and preferences. The work simulation presents you with realistic, work-related scenarios and asks you to respond to them.

PHASE II: TECHNICAL CAPABILITY ASSESSMENT Proctored - must be scheduled in advance and completed at a designated assessment center within a prescribed period of time There is a different assessment for each DHS-CS technical capability (visit Jobs to learn more about the technical capabilities).

Most individuals only have a primary technical capability and complete only one Technical Capability Assessment, but in limited circumstances, you may complete a second Technical Capability Assessment. You will have up to 2.5 hours to complete each Technical Capability Assessment; each takes about 90 minutes (on average) to complete.

Assessments present realistic, work-related cybersecurity scenarios and questions to assess technical skills. Cybersecurity knowledge is assessed, but no knowledge of DHS is required. *Applicants who successfully complete Phase II will undergo a resume review to confirm required experience. NOTE: Your resume must explicitly outline your cybersecurity experience.

Your proctored assessment results are valid for a period of one year after completion and will be kept and used toward future positions for which you might apply, that require the same assessments. To learn about the assessment process for this Technical Track position, visit our portal and read the "Assessment Process" guide.

Documents you must provide

• To help you prepare your resume before applying to the DHS Cybersecurity Service, visit our application portal and read the "Resume Tips" guide.
• If you are requesting a reasonable accommodation to the online assessments, submit documentation to support your request, including the Reasonable Accommodation Request Form found here.
• If you are a current or former political Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES or Presidential Appointee employee please submit a copy of your applicable SF-50, along with a statement that provides the following information regarding your most recent political appointment:- Position title- Type of appointment (Schedule A, Schedule C, Non-career SES, or Presidential Appointee)- Agency- Beginning and ending dates of appointment

What to expect next

The DHS Cybersecurity Service application process is designed to both prioritize fairness to all applicants and identify qualified candidates to join the DHS Cybersecurity Service.

Successful applicants proceed through the following steps and will receive notifications as each step is completed: Submit Initial Information Upload resume Answer questions about your expertise and experience Assessment + Interview Complete multi-phase assessment process Interview with the team you might join Tentative Job Offer + Background Investigation Receive a tentative job offer, including your compensation and benefits package Receive an invitation to start the background investigation process Final Job Offer + Start Date Receive a final job offer Determine your start date We will notify you by email after each of these steps has been completed.

Your status will also be updated on USAJOBS throughout the process.

To check your status, log on to your USAJOBS account, click on "Application Status," and then click "More Information." Note: If you successfully complete the application process and receive a tentative DHS Cybersecurity Service job offer, applicable employment eligibility requirements, including those you must comply with throughout your appointment at DHS, will be communicated to you in writing.

Any offers of employment made pursuant to this announcement will be consistent with all applicable authorities, including Presidential Memoranda, Executive Orders, interpretive U. S. Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and U.

S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidance, and Office of Management and Budget plans and policies concerning hiring. These authorities are subject to change.

DHS uses e-Verify, an Internet-based system, to confirm the eligibility of all newly hired employees to work in the United States. Learn more about E-Verify, including your rights and responsibilities.(***). To learn more about DHS Cybersecurity Service employment eligibility, visit our application portal.

Additional information

Salary: Listed salary ranges reflects typical starting salaries available to employees in most of the United States across applicable career levels. Within the provided range, average salaries vary for each career level.

Senior Cybersecurity Specialist: $106,700 - $138,000 Staff Cybersecurity Specialist: $129,700 - $163,000 Principal Cybersecurity Specialist: $154,600 - $196,500 Senior Principal Cybersecurity Specialist: $170,600 - $214,500 In some geographic areas, average starting salaries will be higher because of a local cybersecurity labor market supplement (e.g., metro Washington, D.C. +10%).

Actual salaries of individual employees may be higher or lower than provided figures. For an overview of the salaries available in the DHS Cybersecurity Service, visit Resources. Benefits: DHS Cybersecurity Service employees receive a range of federal employment benefits designed to support their professional and personal lives.

To learn more about benefits, visit our application portal. More information about the specific benefits available to you will be provided as you progress through the application process. Background Investigation: To ensure the accomplishment of its mission, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) requires each and every employee to be reliable and trustworthy.

To meet those standards, all selected applicants must undergo and successfully complete a background investigation for a security clearance as a condition of placement in this position.

This review includes financial issues such as delinquency in the payment of debts, child support and/or tax obligations, as well as certain criminal offenses and illegal use or possession of drugs.

Pursuant to Executive Order 12564 and DHS policy, DHS is committed to maintaining a drug-free workplace and, therefore, conducts random and other drug testing of its employees in order to ensure a safe and healthy work environment.

Headquarters personnel in safety- or security-sensitive positions are subject to random drug testing and all applicants tentatively selected for employment at DHS Headquarters are subject to drug testing resulting in a negative test result.