Cybersecurity Specialist

The Junior Security Operations Engineer is an entry-level cybersecurity professional responsible for supporting daily security operations, threat monitoring, vulnerability management, incident documentation, identity and access governance, security documentation, and cybersecurity metrics reporting. This role is intentionally structured as a career-ladder position rather than a static junior role. It provides hands-on experience across multiple security disciplines while building the technical, analytical, and business skills required to progress into a Cybersecurity Engineer role within approximately three years. The ideal candidate is detail-oriented, highly motivated to learn, comfortable working in a documentation-driven environment, and interested in building a long-term career in cybersecurity operations and engineering. Essential Job Functions Security Monitoring & Alert Triage

• Monitor security alerts generated by Microsoft Defender, Darktrace, Rapid7, Sentinel, and other security platforms.
• Perform initial triage and investigation of low- to medium-risk alerts.
• Distinguish true positives from false positives using established indicators and threat context.
• Escalate potential threats according to established incident response procedures.
• Document findings, actions taken, and recommendations.

Vulnerability Management

• Assist with vulnerability identification, prioritization, tracking, and remediation efforts.
• Coordinate remediation tasks with system, application, and infrastructure owners.
• Validate remediation activities and document risk reduction outcomes.
• Support patch management and security configuration reviews.
• Maintain accurate vulnerability metrics, aging reports, and remediation status.

Incident Response Support

• Participate in security incident response activities.
• Maintain incident timelines, evidence collection, and documentation in FreshService to defined SOP standards.
• Support post-incident reviews and lessons-learned activities.
• Assist with creation and maintenance of incident response playbooks.

Phishing & User Security Awareness

• Investigate reported phishing emails and suspicious user activity.
• Classify reports accurately and complete investigations within defined response targets.
• Assist with security awareness campaigns, simulated phishing exercises, and training initiatives.
• Track phishing trends and recommend improvements to awareness efforts.

Identity & Access Management (IAM)

• Support user access reviews and onboarding/offboarding security controls.
• Perform recurring audit checks across Active Directory and Entra ID, documenting results.
• Assist with privileged access reviews and audit activities.
• Identify access control discrepancies, orphaned accounts, and policy violations for remediation.

Security Documentation & Governance

• Maintain, review, and organize cybersecurity policies, standards, procedures, and knowledge articles.
• Ensure documentation meets compliance and audit requirements.
• Support audit preparation and compliance activities.
• Assist with collection and reporting of cybersecurity metrics and KPIs.

Asset & Configuration Security

• Participate in security reviews of infrastructure, cloud platforms, endpoints, firewalls, and network devices.
• Assist with maintaining asset inventories and security baselines.
• Validate security configurations and identify potential gaps for escalation.

Metrics & Trend Reporting

• Compile recurring reports covering alerts, vulnerabilities, incidents, and phishing activity.
• Maintain accuracy and consistency of reported data.
• Explain observed trends and anomalies to the security team and leadership.

Qualifications:

• Associate's or Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, Networking, or related field; or equivalent experience.
• Internship or hands-on experience in cybersecurity, networking, or IT support.
• Familiarity with Microsoft Defender, Sentinel, Darktrace, Rapid7, Entra ID, Active Directory, or similar platforms.
• Experience with a ticketing/ITSM platform such as FreshService.
• Working knowledge of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework.
• Security+, Network+, SC-900, or equivalent certification.
• Basic scripting experience (PowerShell, Python, or similar).
• 1-2 years work experience

Benefits

Anderson Power Products employees enjoy a competitive benefits package, including:

• Medical, Dental & Vision Insurance
• 401(k) with Company Match
• Cash Balance Pension Plan
• Education Reimbursement
• Wellness Programs

In addition, IDEAL Industries values personal well-being, community involvement, and work-life balance through:

• Vacation
• Personal Days
• Volunteer Time
• Holidays
• Parental Leave

About IDEAL Industries IDEAL Industries, Inc. is proud to be recognized as one of Newsweek's Global Top 100 Most Loved Workplaces. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer committed to creating an inclusive environment where all employees can thrive. We know that when you honor relationships, success for all will follow.