Security Researcher II

Security represents the most critical priorities for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft Security aspires to make the world a safer place for all. We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud that protects them with end to end, simplified solutions. The Microsoft Security organization accelerates Microsoft’s mission and bold ambitions to ensure that our company and industry is securing digital technology platforms, devices, and clouds in our customers’ heterogeneous environments, as well as ensuring the security of our own internal estate.    

Email, chat, and the web are an integral part of our everyday lives. They are essential for communication and productivity; while also providing the primary ways cybercriminals exploit victims and infiltrate organizations. Attackers abuse these communication methods to steal identities through phishing, hold critical assets for ransom, inflict financial harm, disrupt business operations through floods of unsolicited email, and install malicious software.  

Do you want to join a team dedicated to protecting hundreds of millions of people from these threats? The Messaging and Web Security Research team is a global, multidisciplinary organization of engineers, data scientists, security researchers, and program managers. With an unparalleled view of the threat landscape, we develop deep expertise in attacker techniques and use that knowledge to fuel innovations using the latest technologies. We protect customers using Outlook.com, Microsoft Defender for O365, Microsoft Edge, and much more.  

We are looking for an experienced Security Researcher II with a background in data science to join our dynamic and innovative team. As a Security Researcher at Microsoft, you’ll play a vital role in analyzing the latest threats, identifying system gaps in our detection stack to identify areas of improvement and partnering to develop the next generation of cutting-edge machine learning models and algorithms to detect and mitigate email security threats. Together, we are redefining email and web security using the latest technology, unparalleled data and intelligence systems. Join us and make a difference in our mission to empower everyone to communicate with confidence and trust!  

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.  

Responsibilities

• Conduct in-depth threat research to identify and analyze potential security attack vectors and emerging threats;
• Collaborate with cross-functional teams, including cyber security analysts, data scientists and software engineers, to understand requirements and enhance ML models and algorithms to address specific security challenges;
• Monitor and evaluate the performance of Machine Learning (ML) models, identify areas for improvement, and implement necessary refinements; and
• Stay updated with the latest advancements in threat research, ML techniques, and cybersecurity trends to enhance the organization’s capabilities.
• Embody our Culture and Values  

Qualifications

Required Qualifications:

• Bachelor’s Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science or related field and in-depth experience in software development lifecycle, large-scale computing, modelling, cybersecurity, and/or anomaly detection. 
• Proven experience in the security domain, including both detailed understanding of attacker techniques and tracking threat actors behind specific campaigns. 
• Practical experience with machine learning principles, algorithms and methodologies. 
• Practical experience with programming languages such as C#, Python or R. 

Preferred Qualifications  

• In-depth experience working in cyber security response or email security related role. 
• Experience tracking email-based threat actors or groups. 
• Experience working in a geographically distributed operational team. 
• Experience representing innovative work across the greater organization and/or the industry. 
• Experience translating complex business problems into prioritized, results-driven team objectives. 
• Able to deliver impact through collaborative work across organizational boundaries.  
• Able to work in an agile environment balancing committed work with emerging innovative solutions. 

 Other Requirements  

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings:   

• Microsoft Cloud Background Check: This position will be required to pass the Microsoft background and Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.  

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. 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 any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. 

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.

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