Cyber Defense Response Analyst II

The Cyber Defense Response Analyst II is a mid-level technical role focused on responding to and remediating cyber incidents at CME Group, a major player in global financial markets. We are looking for someone who finds joy in the inner workings of technology and has a slight tendency to get lost in deep research. In this role, you will use industry leading tools to lead the response to medium-severity incidents in collaboration with teammates around the globe.

Primary Responsibilities

• Digital Forensics and Incident Response: Drive the full incident response lifecycle from initial triage to remediation, confidently applying specialty skills like endpoint forensics and malware analysis. Be ready to operate in a multi-cloud environment.
• Threat Hunting: Conduct regular threat hunts to identify misconfigurations, detection gaps, and other anomalies.
• Automation & Engineering: Use AI, Python and REST APIs to build/integrate security tools for ad-hoc needs, while working with automation engineers to develop heavy-duty solutions for advanced use-cases.
• Tabletop Exercises (TTX): Lead regular tabletop exercises to improve team readiness.
• Technical Documentation: Contribute continuously to our internal knowledge base of incident response runbooks and playbooks, keeping it exhaustive, accurate, and reflective of the latest workflows.
  
  

Ideal Candidate Attributes

• Innate Curiosity: An exceptional level of curiosity and a track record of self-teaching advanced technical concepts.
• Highly Innovative: You have a strong record of creative problem solving and taking unorthodox approaches to challenges
• A "Researcher" Mindset: A passion for collecting facts, debating details, and diving into "rabbit holes" to solve complex problems.
• Adept at High-Pressure Communication: Ability to deal effectively at all levels of the organization and translate technical research into clear, actionable intelligence for leadership.
• Record of Academic Excellence: A strong academic record with a demonstrated ability to innovate within information security.
• Highly Detail Oriented: Very strong attention to detail; you are the person who notices the one log entry that doesn't belong.
  
  

Preferred Technical Qualifications

• DFIR Background: 2-4 years of practical experience with Digital Forensics, Incident Handling, and/or Malware Analysis.
• Demonstrated hands-on experience with leading forensics tools like KAPE, EnCase, Cellebrite, FTK, Magnet Axiom, and Autopsy, and comfort with malware analysis tools like Ghidra, Ida Pro, PEStudio, and x64dbg.
• SIEM/Data Analysis: 2–4 years of experience with Q Radar, Sentinel, Splunk, Chronicle, ArcSight, or similar log management technologies.
• Strong IT Fundamentals: Strong understanding of computer networking, operating systems, and their intersection with Cybersecurity.
• Programming Skills: Development experience with Python, specifically for data manipulation (Pandas) and interacting with security tool APIs.
• Cloud Experience: Practical experience with AWS, GCP, or Azure.
  
  

Education & Certifications

• Education: BA/BS in Engineering, Computer Science, or Information Security (non-tech degrees acceptable with appropriate levels of Information Security job experience and/or certifications).
• Certifications: GCIH, GCFE, GCFA, OSCP, Sec , and similar cyber-oriented certifications are desired.
  
  

CME Group is committed to offering a competitive total rewards package for our employees that recognizes their contributions to the business and reflects our long-term investment in their future. The pay range for this role is $103,200-$172,000. Actual salary offered will be dependent on a wide array of factors including but not limited to: relevant experience, skills, education and comparison to internal employees (where relevant). Our compensation program also includes an annual target bonus opportunity for all employees, as well as the opportunity to become an owner in the company through our broad-based equity program. Through our benefits program, we strive to offer flexibility, value and choice. From comprehensive health coverage, to a retirement package that includes both a 401(k) and an active pension plan, to highly competitive education reimbursement provisions, paid time off and a mental health benefit, CME Group offers a holistic benefits package for our team and their dependents.

CME Group: Where Futures are Made

CME Group is the world’s leading derivatives marketplace. But who we are goes deeper than that. Here, you can impact markets worldwide. Transform industries. And build a career by shaping tomorrow. We invest in your success and you own it – all while working alongside a team of leading experts who inspire you in ways big and small. Problem solvers, difference makers, trailblazers. Those are our people. And we’re looking for more.

At CME Group, we embrace our employees' unique experiences and skills to ensure that everyone’s perspectives are acknowledged and valued. As an equal-opportunity employer, we consider all potential employees without regard to any protected characteristic.

Important Notice: Recruitment fraud is on the rise, with scammers using misleading promises of job offers and interviews to solicit money and personal information from job seekers. CME Group adheres to established procedures designed to maintain trust, confidence and security throughout our recruitment process. Learn more here.