Digital Forensic and Incident Response Investigator

As a member of Corporate Security's (CS) Global Cyber Operations (GCO) team, the DFIR Investigator acts as the second line of cyber incident response focusing on 9/5 (Weekend - on call) investigations of cyber incidents reported by various stakeholders. The role is responsible for leading the organization's cyber incident response efforts, including threat response, forensic investigation, and reporting. This role acts as the primary escalation point for complex cyber security incidents.

Mandatory Skills:

• Experience with forensic tools (e.g., EnCase, FTK, Volatility).
• Hands-on experience with SIEM platforms (e.g., Splunk, Cortex, QRadar), EDRs (e.g., MDE, Cisco AMP, CrowdStrike, Palo Alto).
• Strong understanding of TCP/IP, network forensics, and intrusion analysis.
• Familiarity with threat hunting and threat intelligence frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK.
• Scripting skills in Python, PowerShell, or Bash to support automation and analysis.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Lead end-to-end cyber incident response operations including triage, containment, eradication, and recovery.
• Conduct comprehensive digital forensic investigations (disk, memory, network) and ensure proper chain of custody.
• Analyze logs and telemetry data from SIEM, EDR, and other security tools to identify IOCs and root cause.
• Use frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK to guide incident analysis and improve detection and response capabilities.
• Develop and maintain incident response playbooks and provide recommendations to automate response tasks using SOAR tools.
• Create detailed incident reports, RCA documents, and post-incident recommendations.
• Collaborate with SOC, IT, Legal, and Compliance teams during incident handling and investigations.
• Mentor junior analysts and conduct periodic IR tabletop exercises and red-blue team simulations.
• Capture the gaps identified during investigations and prepare concise Risk statements to elevate to the Corporate Security Risk team (CAR) for action.
• Promote risk mitigation strategies and monitor remediation timelines.
• Develop and publish articles and blogs focusing on lessons learned and security awareness for employees.
• Evaluate and implement solutions for malware analysis and advanced memory forensics to deepen investigation capabilities.
• Participate in collaborative platforms like threat-sharing communities (e.g., ISACs) to exchange best practices and emerging threat indicators.
• Leverage insights gained during investigations to work closely with Corporate Security functions, including threat intelligence, vulnerability management, and security engineering teams, to create robust use cases for improved threat detection.
• Make fast, high-stakes decisions with limited information.
• Handle sensitive evidence with discretion and professionalism.

Qualifications & Certifications (Optional):

• Education: Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Security, or a related field.
• Experience: 5-10 years of experience in cybersecurity, preferably in threat detection and incident response.
• Certifications: Relevant certifications such as GCFA - GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst, GCIH - GIAC Certified Incident Handler, GCIA - GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst, CHFI - Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, OSCP/OSCE - Offensive Security Certifications, Ence - EnCase Certified Examiner or equivalent are preferred.

Salary Range: >$100,000

Date of Posting: 12-Aug-26

Cognizant is committed to providing Equal Employment Opportunities. Successful candidates will be required to undergo a background check.