PrincipalSenior Security Researcher Virtualization (Cortex)

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks were united by a shared missionto protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here everyone has a voice and every idea counts. If youre ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are youre in the right place.

Who We Are

In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption Collaboration Execution Integrity and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest we invite you to join us!

Job Summary

Are you an innovative security researcher with a deep understanding of the cyber threat landscape and a passion for protecting modern environments Do you want to tackle the challenge of securing enterprise networks against evolving threats
We are seeking a highly skilled professional to focus on the critical fast-paced domain of Virtualization Security. As a foundational member of a newly formed and growing team you will explore the blue ocean of threat detection pioneering next-generation capabilities within the worlds largest cybersecurity enterprise. This is a unique opportunity to apply your expertise and influence the future of threat preventionhelping us build cutting-edge security solutions from the ground up.

Key Responsibilities

• Conduct deep research into virtualization technologies and targeted attacks to fortify our attack prevention mechanisms.

• Stay current with the latest attacker methodologies APT campaigns and Tactics Techniques and Procedures (TTPs) targeting virtualization systems.

• Analyze emerging threats and malware to identify new techniques and formulate effective detection and prevention strategies.

• Leverage AI and big data methodologies to investigate and analyze extensive datasets across our customer base.

• Design cutting-edge protection components and develop sophisticated detection rules to enhance the effectiveness of our security solutions.

• Drive the research and development of novel protection concepts seeing them through to production-grade quality and serve as a subject matter expert in the field.

• Play a pivotal role in shaping the future of our security product offerings.

• Collaborate closely with Engineering Product Management and other research teams to seamlessly translate research findings and insights into new production features.

Qualifications

Required Qualifications

• 5 years of experience in cybersecurity research with a proven track record of impactful projects.

• . Computer Science Software Engineering Computer Engineering or equivalent military experience required

• Hands-on experience in real-world threat hunting incident response or detection engineering.

• Solid knowledge of the cyber threat landscape modern malware techniques and APTs.

• Proficiency in programming languages such as Python Go Java or other relevant languages.

• Strong understanding of OS internals (Windows Linux and macOS for example).

• Excellent problem-solving skills and a passion for cybersecurity innovation.

• Ability to work independently take initiative and collaborate effectively in a team environment.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience with virtualization platforms or understanding of virtualization-related attacks (e.g. focused on ESXi/vCenter).

• Proven background in security solution development particularly within the EDR/XDR space.

• Proficiency in reverse engineering including practical experience with disassembly and debugging tools.

• Demonstrated experience utilizing advanced techniques like statistics machine learning or complex data analysis for security-related applications.

• Experience with vulnerability research or development within the Linux environment.

• Experience with research or development focused on Linux internals.

Our Commitment

Were trailblazers that dream big take risks and challenge cybersecuritys status quo. Its simple: we cant accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating together.

We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need please contact us at .

Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age ancestry color family or medical care leave gender identity or expression genetic information marital status medical condition national origin physical or mental disability political affiliation protected veteran status race religion sex (including pregnancy) sexual orientation or other legally protected characteristics.

All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines.