The Cybersecurity Analyst is responsible for monitoring, assessing, protecting, and improving the security of Polk State College information systems, networks, cloud services, endpoints, applications, and institutional data. Reporting within the Institutional Technology division, this position serves as a senior technical resource for security operations, incident response, vulnerability management, security engineering, risk assessment, compliance support, and the continuous improvement of the College’s cybersecurity program.
The Cybersecurity Analyst works closely with technology teams, data owners, functional departments, vendors, auditors, and College leadership to identify and reduce cybersecurity risk. The position applies the NIST Cybersecurity Framework to governance and operational practices; supports compliance with the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act (GLBA), the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA), GovRAMP requirements, and other applicable standards; and helps ensure that security controls are effective, documented, measurable, and aligned with institutional priorities.
Essential Functions/Duties:
- Monitor security alerts, logs, events, threat intelligence, and anomalous activity across networks, endpoints, identities, applications, email, and cloud environments.
- Investigate suspected cybersecurity incidents; perform triage, analysis, containment, eradication, recovery, documentation, and post-incident review in accordance with the College’s incident response plan.
- Administer, configure, monitor, and optimize security technologies including security information and event management, endpoint detection and response, identity protection, email security, vulnerability management, and network security platforms.
- Perform vulnerability scanning, risk-based prioritization, remediation tracking, validation, and reporting for servers, endpoints, network devices, applications, and cloud services.
- Support the development, implementation, assessment, and continuous improvement of cybersecurity controls using the NIST Cybersecurity Framework functions of Govern, Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover.
- Support the College’s GLBA information security program, including risk assessments, safeguards, service-provider oversight, control testing, incident response, and required documentation.
- Support FERPA compliance by helping protect education records through appropriate access controls, monitoring, secure handling, incident management, and user awareness.
- Evaluate cloud service providers and technology solutions for security, privacy, regulatory, and contractual risk, including review of GovRAMP authorization status and applicable security documentation.
- Conduct security risk assessments and control reviews for systems, applications, vendors, projects, integrations, and changes to the technology environment.
- Assist with identity and access management, multifactor authentication, privileged access, conditional access, role-based access controls, access reviews, and account lifecycle security.
- Analyze firewall, intrusion prevention, virtual private network, network segmentation, web filtering, and related network-security configurations; recommend and implement improvements within assigned authority.
- Develop and maintain cybersecurity policies, standards, procedures, baselines, incident playbooks, risk registers, control evidence, diagrams, and technical documentation.
- Coordinate cybersecurity audit and assessment activities; collect evidence, document control operation, track findings, and assist responsible owners with corrective action plans.
- Develop security metrics, dashboards, risk reports, vulnerability reports, and incident summaries for technical teams and College leadership.
- Participate in disaster recovery, business continuity, tabletop exercises, penetration testing, and incident response exercises.
- Support cybersecurity awareness activities, phishing simulations, security advisories, targeted training, and technical guidance for faculty, staff, and students.
- Research emerging threats, vulnerabilities, attack techniques, regulatory developments, and security technologies; recommend practical improvements to the College’s security posture.
- Coordinate with law enforcement, cyber insurance resources, incident response partners, vendors, and external specialists when authorized and appropriate.
- Perform other related duties and special projects as assigned.
Typical Qualifications:
Required Skills:- Strong knowledge of cybersecurity operations, incident response, threat detection, vulnerability management, security engineering, and risk management.
- Working knowledge of GLBA Safeguards Rule requirements, FERPA protections, GovRAMP authorization concepts, and the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
- Knowledge of common attack methods, indicators of compromise, security event analysis, malware behavior, phishing, identity-based attacks, and network threats.
- Experience with SIEM, endpoint detection and response, vulnerability scanning, identity security, email security, firewalls, intrusion prevention, and cloud-security tools.
- Understanding of TCP/IP, DNS, authentication, encryption, certificates, operating-system security, network segmentation, cloud architectures, and secure configuration practices.
- Ability to analyze security logs and technical evidence, distinguish normal from suspicious activity, and communicate appropriate response actions.
- Ability to conduct risk and control assessments and translate technical findings into clear business risk statements and remediation recommendations.
- Strong analytical, investigative, troubleshooting, organizational, documentation, and problem-solving skills.
- Ability to manage sensitive information and cybersecurity incidents with discretion, sound judgment, and attention to legal and institutional requirements.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills with the ability to work effectively with technical and non-technical audiences.
- Ability to manage multiple priorities, respond calmly under pressure, and participate effectively in time-sensitive incident response activities.
- Commitment to continuous learning, ethical conduct, customer service, and the protection of institutional information resources.
Working Conditions:- This is a full-time, on-campus position within the Institutional Technology department.
- Work hours may include evenings, weekends, holidays, and on-call response as needed to address cybersecurity incidents, maintenance windows, upgrades, assessments, and critical operational activities.
- Travel between Polk State College campuses and centers may be required.
- Frequent use of computers and office technology is required.
Salary and Benefits Information:- This position is classified at Level P16.
Polk State College offers an excellent employer-paid benefits package, including Medical, Dental, Life, Long-Term Disability, Vacation, Holiday, and Sick Leave, Retirement (if eligible), and college fee waivers. Additional voluntary benefits are also available.
Required Education:- Bachelor’s degree or higher in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Digital Forensics, or a related field from a regionally accredited college or university.
Preferred Education:- Master’s degree in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Computer Science, Information Technology, Information Systems, Digital Forensics, or a related field.
Required Experience:- Five (5) years of progressively responsible experience in cybersecurity operations, information security, network security, systems security, incident response, or related information technology work.
- Experience monitoring and investigating security events using SIEM, endpoint detection and response, network-security, identity-security, or comparable technologies.
- Experience performing vulnerability assessments, prioritizing security findings, coordinating remediation, and validating corrective actions.
- Experience responding to cybersecurity incidents and documenting investigation, containment, recovery, lessons learned, and follow-up actions.
- Experience applying security frameworks, policies, standards, or regulatory requirements to technical and operational controls.
- Experience preparing technical documentation, risk assessments, audit evidence, security metrics, and reports for varied audiences.
Preferred Experience- Experience administering or supporting Palo Alto Networks or Fortinet FortiGate next-generation firewalls, including policies, VPNs, threat prevention, logging, and network segmentation.
- Experience with the Microsoft cybersecurity stack, including Microsoft Defender XDR, Microsoft Sentinel, Microsoft Defender for Endpoint, Defender for Office 365, Defender for Cloud, Microsoft Entra ID, Microsoft Purview, and Microsoft Intune.
- Experience with cloud security, conditional access, identity protection, privileged identity management, data loss prevention, information protection, and security automation.
- Experience implementing or assessing controls under the NIST Cybersecurity Framework, NIST Special Publications, GLBA, FERPA, or comparable regulatory and security frameworks.
- Experience in higher education, government, financial services, healthcare, or another regulated environment.
- Experience with penetration testing, digital forensics, threat hunting, incident response exercises, or security orchestration and automation.
- Relevant certifications such as CISSP, CISM, GIAC, CompTIA Security+, CySA+, Microsoft SC-100, SC-200, or SC-300, Palo Alto Networks, Fortinet, or comparable credentials.
Alternative Credentials: - High School Diploma or equivalent with 9 years of directly related experience.
or
- Associate''s degree with 7 years of directly related experience.
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