Staff Security Research Engineer

4 days ago Be among the first 25 applicants Get AI-powered advice on this job and more exclusive features. Overview About Us We are the leader in human-centric cybersecurity. Half a million customers, including 87 of the Fortune 100, rely on Proofpoint to protect their organizations. We’re driven by a mission to stay ahead of bad actors and safeguard the digital world. Join us in our pursuit to defend data and protect people. How We Work At Proofpoint, you’ll be part of a global team that breaks barriers to redefine cybersecurity, guided by our BRAVE core values: Bold in how we dream and innovate; Responsive to feedback, challenges, and opportunities; Accountable for results and best-in-class outcomes; Visionary in future-focused problem-solving; Exceptional in execution and impact. Corporate Overview Proofpoint is a leading cybersecurity company protecting organizations’ greatest assets and biggest risks vulnerabilities in people. With an integrated suite of cloud-based solutions, Proofpoint helps companies around the world stop targeted threats, safeguard their data, and make their users more resilient against cyber-attacks. Leading organizations of all sizes, including more than half of the Fortune 1000, rely on Proofpoint for people-centric security and compliance solutions mitigating their most critical risks across email, the cloud, social media, and the web. We are singularly devoted to helping our customers protect their greatest assets and biggest security risk their people. That’s why we’re a leader in next-generation cybersecurity. Protection Starts with People. Responsibilities Design and develop software using a variety of languages, primarily Python, with little external guidance, while providing technical leadership to guide other software engineers on the team Some skill in modifying existing web-based UI for internal tools is needed to maintain and extend the sandbox submission and report UI for Proofpoint threat researchers to use Some work requires skill in writing C or C++ for low level interactions with the OS Develop and maintain web browser interaction capabilities using Chrome web driver Analyze and Reverse Engineer JavaScript that fingerprints web browser artifacts to identify sandbox web browsers or instrumentation, and innovate solutions to defeat those checks Familiarity with analyzing web front-end and the Document Object Model (DOM) Develop and maintain software for processing network traffic, including TLS decryption and processing PCAP files Work closely with threat analysts and detection engineers who research threat actors and write detection rules which run on the systems you develop As needed, create new detection languages and systems that allow threat researchers to develop detection rules Add features to existing threat detection languages to allow greater flexibility by threat researchers to automate interactions with websites and detect threat patterns Make use of AI Large Language Models as appropriate to enhance threat detection pipelines, produce samples to test evasion countermeasures, and make sound decisions about when applying AI is a benefit vs. a detriment to achieving goals Design and develop automation pipelines to turn manual tasks into automated scripts Stay abreast of a constantly evolving threat landscape Understand the latest tactics, techniques, and procedures used by threat actors to bypass detection environments, especially URL sandbox fingerprinting / detection / evasion techniques used by threat actors As needed, provide expert assistance and support to threat researchers and analysts as they analyze phishing websites, threat detection evasion techniques, and security research or red team demonstrations of new evasion techniques As needed to support sandbox countermeasure development, reverse engineering malware executable files for Windows (note primary malware reverse engineering responsibilities rest on other job roles and are not expected regularly for this role) Apply critical thinking skills to identify the most efficient and effective way to mitigate threats and evasions Work effectively as part of a remote team using chat, video chat and conference calls Work with other engineering teams, defining requirements, for continuous improvement of critical detection capabilities What You Bring To The Team A passion for threat research and a well-rounded yet deep understanding of the security threat landscape and actor TTPs, especially understanding how to develop countermeasures for threat actor evasions and sandbox detection techniques Ability to write production-grade, reliable Python code with instrumentation that supports observability and monitoring of performance and errors is required Experience developing software using Docker containers is required Experience developing web browser automation is required Experience analyzing network traffic for threat detection and a solid understanding of TLS, HTTP, and other network protocols used by malware is required Willing and able to work independently and collaboratively as part of a distributed team of industry-leading security researchers Ability to perform the above in a fully remote work environment Nice to Have Experience with C and C++ is a plus; Experience developing Windows API hooks and knowing how to research undocumented Windows API internal functions is a plus; Experience writing malware behavior signatures; Some experience analyzing malware using a debugger, and willingness to learn is a plus; Experience with statically reverse engineering malware using IDA Pro, Ghidra, Binary Ninja, or other reverse engineering tools is a plus, although being an expert is not required; Ability to accurately interpret the forensic output of dynamic analysis (sandbox) environments; Experience with a variety of publicly-available malware sandboxes (for example Cuckoo, Joe Sandbox, Any Run, Triage, etc.). Additional Information Travel 1% - 10% (flexible) mainly for team collaboration or security conferences Location Canada (Remote), US (Remote), Argentina (Remote), UK (Remote), Ireland (Remote), Germany (Remote), France (Remote), Switzerland (Remote) Must be able to work during business hours local to your time-zone Why Proofpoint As a customer focused and driven-to-win organization with leading edge products, there are many exciting reasons to join the Proofpoint team. We believe in hiring the best the brightest and cultivating a culture of collaboration and appreciation. As we continue to grow and expand globally, we understand that hiring the right people and developing great teams is key to our success We are a multi-national company with locations in many countries, with each location contributing to Proofpoint’s amazing culture Why Proofpoint? At Proofpoint, we believe that an exceptional career experience includes a comprehensive compensation and benefits package. Here are just a few reasons you’ll love working with us Competitive compensation Comprehensive benefits Learning & Development We are committed to the growth and development of our team members, offering a range of programs including leadership and professional development workshops, stretch project assignments, and mentoring opportunities to help employees reach their full potential. Flexible work environment (Remote options, hybrid schedules, flexible hours, etc.). Annual wellness and community outreach days Always on recognition for your contributions Global collaboration and networking opportunities Our Culture Our culture is rooted in values that inspire belonging, empower purpose and drive success-every day, for everyone. If you need accommodation during the application or interview process, please reach out to How to Apply Interested? Submit your application here We can’t wait to hear from you Consistent with Proofpoint values and applicable law, we provide the following information to promote pay transparency and equity. Our compensation reflects the cost of labor across several U.S. geographic markets, and we pay differently based on those defined markets as set out below. The actual offer will be based on the individual candidate. The range provided may represent a candidate range and may not reflect the full range for an individual tenured employee. This role may be eligible for variable compensation and/or equity. We offer a competitive benefits package, including flexible time off, a comprehensive well-being program with two paid Wellbeing Days and two paid Volunteer Days per year, plus a three-week Work from Anywhere option. Base Pay Ranges SF Bay Area, New York City Metro Area Base Pay Range 194,475.00 - 285,230.00 USD California (excludes SF Bay Area), Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois, Washington DC Metro, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Texas, Washington, Virginia, and Alaska Base Pay Range 162,375.00 - 238,150.00 USD All other cities and states excluding those listed above Base Pay Range 148,425.00 - 217,690.00 USD Seniority level Not Applicable Employment type Full-time Job function Engineering and Information Technology Industries: Computer and Network Security and Software Development Referrals increase your chances of interviewing at Proofpoint by 2x Get notified about new Staff Research Engineer jobs in Cordoba, Córdoba, Argentina . We’re unlocking community knowledge in a new way. Experts add insights directly into each article, started with the help of AI. #J-18808-Ljbffr