Principal Security Researcher - ITDR (Cortex)

Company Description

Our Mission

At Palo Alto Networks® everything starts and ends with our mission:

Being the cybersecurity partner of choice, protecting our digital way of life.
Our vision is a world where each day is safer and more secure than the one before. We are a company built on the foundation of challenging and disrupting the way things are done, and we’re looking for innovators who are as committed to shaping the future of cybersecurity as we are.

Who We Are

We take our mission of protecting the digital way of life seriously. We are relentless in protecting our customers and we believe that the unique ideas of every member of our team contributes to our collective success. Our values were crowdsourced by employees and are brought to life through each of us everyday - from disruptive innovation and collaboration, to execution. From showing up for each other with integrity to creating an environment where we all feel included.

As a member of our team, you will be shaping the future of cybersecurity. We work fast, value ongoing learning, and we respect each employee as a unique individual. Knowing we all have different needs, our development and personal wellbeing programs are designed to give you choice in how you are supported. This includes our FLEXBenefits wellbeing spending account with over 1,000 eligible items selected by employees, our mental and financial health resources, and our personalized learning opportunities - just to name a few!

Job Description

Your Career

We are looking for a Principal Security Researcher to join our Identity Threat Detection and Response team. 

In this role, you will research the evolving threat landscape and develop advanced detection techniques to protect identities across SaaS, cloud, hybrid and on-premises environments. Your focus will be on identifying and mitigating identity-related threats across networks, endpoints, and cloud environments. 

You’ll apply your expertise in adversary tradecraft, data analysis and statistical modeling, to shape high-impact detection strategies, build effective detection models and protect customers at scale. Working closely with cross-functional teams, you’ll explore new concepts using real-world data, continuously refine our detection capabilities, and help ensure we stay ahead of emerging threats.

Your Impact

• Perform deep, hands-on research targeting advanced identity-based threats across endpoints, networks, cloud and SaaS environments.
• Simulate real-world attack scenarios in lab environments and conduct a deep analysis of the behavior.
• Develop and refine advanced statistical models and behavioral algorithms for high-fidelity threat detection.
• Define strategic research priorities and influence product detection roadmap.
• Collaborate within a diverse research group, improving our research processes and leading us to be a better team creating a better product.
• Stay ahead of the evolving threat landscape by continuously researching APT tactics, attacker methodologies, and new identity-related TTPs.
• Share research findings internally and externally to strengthen the broader security community.

Qualifications

Your Experience 

• 8+ years of hands-on experience in security research, red teaming, or detection engineering, with a strong focus on identity-based threats and Active Directory security.
• Deep expertise in Active Directory security, Entra ID (formerly Azure AD) and SaaS platforms used in enterprise and cloud environments.
• In-depth understanding of the inner workings of operating systems.
• Strong knowledge of network protocols and authentication mechanisms (e.g., Kerberos, NTLM, RPC, SMB, DNS, DHCP, HTTP etc.)
• Proven experience leading threat research initiatives and driving detection strategies end-to-end.
• 3+ years of hands-on coding experience in Python (or equivalent language).
• Strong experience working with SQL.
• Practical experience in red teaming, offensive security or identity-focused penetration testing - Advantage.
• Experience with machine learning / data analysis / cloud infrastructure - Advantage
• Excellent communication skills with the ability to influence technical direction and support the growth of others.
• Self-driven and curious, with a strong sense of ownership and a collaborative mindset.

Additional Information

The Team

Cyber threats are adapting fast in a new XDR reality, changing their shape, volumes and sophistication. Every day, SecOps put more and more time and human-power into handling new cybersecurity challenges. The UEBA team is exactly here to address these areas. We leverage the Palo Alto Networks rich cloud-power and visibility to build up data-driven technologies which can save invaluable hours in customers’ day to day security challenges.

Our Commitment

We’re problem solvers that take risks and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t 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  accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com.

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.