Cyber Threat Hunting Analyst - Cyber Security & TSOC

About The Role

FirstEnergy at a Glance

We are a forward-thinking electric utility powered by a diverse team of employees committed to making customers’ lives brighter, the environment better and our communities stronger.

FirstEnergy (NYSE: FE) is dedicated to safety, reliability, and operational excellence. Headquartered in Akron, Ohio, FirstEnergy includes one of the nation's largest investor-owned electric systems, more than 24,500 miles of transmission lines that connect the Midwest and Mid-Atlantic regions, and a regulated generating fleet with a total capacity of 3,780 megawatts.

About the Opportunity

This position’s base reporting location is in Akron, Ohio, and reports to the Supervisor of Threat Hunting.

The Cybersecurity Threat Hunter will contribute to incident response efforts, analyze threat actors' tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs), and develop actionable reports for stakeholders. They will leverage expertise in cutting-edge technologies and ethical artificial intelligence to maintain the organization’s robust cybersecurity posture. A key focus will be on researching and developing innovative tools, techniques, and processes to strengthen the security ecosystem

This role requires the ability to research attackers’ TTPs and build custom profiles and content based on their behaviors, enabling enhanced detection and response capabilities. The Threat Hunter will design custom attacks and security emulations to test and improve organizational defenses while also training staff to bolster overall security readiness. Maintaining a high level of technical knowledge through continuous learning, networking, and professional development is integral to this role

Additionally, this position involves creating and refining SIEM, EDR, and SOAR content, analyzing forensic artifacts to uncover security gaps, and driving collaboration across cross-functional teams to deliver solutions for complex cybersecurity challenges. Strong communication skills, a commitment to FirstEnergy's core values, and an ability to translate technical findings into actionable strategies are essential for success in this role.

Responsibilities Include

Proactively search for and identify vulnerabilities in the organization’s security systems
Collaborate with the SOC s to convert intelligence into actionable defensive capabilities
Evaluate intelligence sources and feeds for relevance, accuracy, timeliness, and operational value to reduce unnecessary alerting and noise
Analyze threat actors' TTPs (Tactics, Techniques, and Procedures) to provide detailed technical reports with a high level of attention to detail for stakeholders, as well as assist in developing related content
Analyze threat reporting from commercial intelligence platforms, OSINT, government advisories, ISACs, and trusted industry partner
Research and enrich IOCs, including domains, IP addresses, URLs, file hashes, certificates, and adversary infrastructure
Monitor geopolitical events, vulnerabilities, cybercriminal activity, and nation-state campaigns for potential organizational impact
Act as a cybersecurity subject matter expert (SME) to support the SOC, providing consultancy and advice on the delivery of security solutions
Maintain a high level of expertise in log analysis, malware reverse engineering, memory forensics, network and endpoint telemetry, and behavioral analytics
Assist with incident response for operational and cybersecurity related issues
Identify process improvements to further advance security operations
Improve detections in SIEM, EDR, and SOAR platforms by fine-tuning existing content and developing new custom rules and alerts
Re-evaluate current controls and make recommendations for best practices based on new information received in an ever-evolving threat landscape
Research new capabilities from both open and closed sourced technologies to find opportunities to enhance the Security Operation Center (SOC) ecosystem
Participate with cross-functional team members in issue identification, process impacts and solution development for cybersecurity projects and initiatives
Educate and influence IT, Cyber Security and Business stakeholders to better understand existing security risks, best practices, and infrastructure designs/changes required to support business and IT strategies securely
Champions FE’s Core Values & Behaviors, through coaching and by personal example
Assist with metrics, reporting, and other SOC communications
Process and share information with other FirstEnergy security teams

Qualifications

Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Security, or similar discipline is required with 1 to 3 years of experience

o Industry standard certifications will be considered such as OSCP, GIAC (GCTI, GCIH,

GREM, GCFA), CISSP and HTB CPTS

o A bachelor's degree in another field with 4 years relevant industry experience in cyber/information security will be considered

o In lieu of a degree, 3 years of related experience is required

o Related experience includes but is not limited to: SOC (Security Operations Center) experience, IT Security experience in detection, triage, investigation, and remediation of security incidents within a network

Understanding of adversarial techniques (i.e., MITRE ATT&CK framework)
Understanding programming/scripting code (Python, PowerShell, Bash. C#)
Understanding of both Linux and Windows operating systems
Demonstrate strong communication skills, both verbal and written
Demonstrate creative problem solving and solutioning
Ability to work effectively, independently and within a team environment
Ability to handle, protect and preserve highly confidential information
Ability to learn independently and from others
Ability to find answers effectively using open-sourced information
Understanding of networking concepts and technologies
Must be organized and comfortable with ongoing changes in priorities
Must be able to work independently with minimal supervision

Level Qualifications

II - Qualifications at Level II include all the above, plus a minimum of 3 years professional experience in a cyber related function

Strong foundation in cyber security
Ability to create, detect, and enhance security content
Working knowledge of relevant experience

III - Qualifications at Level III include all the above, plus a minimum of 5 years professional experience in a cyber-related function. Experience and subject matter expert knowledge in at least one major discipline required

Demonstrable subject matter expert knowledge in Threat Emulation, Threat Hunting, or Threat Intelligence
Proven ability to mentor and guide others in creating, detecting, and enhancing security content
In-depth knowledge of relevant work experience

Benefits, Compensation & Workforce Diversity

At FirstEnergy, employees are key to our success. We depend on their talents to meet the challenges of our changing business environment. We are committed to rewarding individual and team efforts through our total rewards philosophy which includes competitive pay plus incentive compensation, a company-sponsored pension plan, 401(k) savings plan with matching employer contribution, a choice of medical, prescription drug, dental, vision, and life insurance programs, as well as skills development training with tuition reimbursement. Please visit our website at www.firstenergycorp.com to learn more about all of our employee rewards programs. FirstEnergy proudly supports workforce diversity. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, religion, color, national origin, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, status as a protected veteran, or status as a qualified individual with a disability. No recruiters or agencies without a previously signed contract. Unable to sponsor or transfer H-1B visas at this time.

Safety

Safety is a core value for FirstEnergy and is essential to all of our business activities. We ensure employees have the tools, information, and processes to perform their duties in a manner that assures safety for themselves, their co-workers, our customers and the public. Our goals are to provide a safe work environment, to maintain an accident-free, injury-free workplace, and to promote and maintain public safety. To meet these goals, we dedicate ourselves to achieving world-class safety standards.