Threat Actor Engagement & Intelligence Consultant - Remote (Anywhere in the U.S.)

GuidePoint Security provides trusted cybersecurity expertise, solutions and services that help organizations make better decisions and minimize risk. The Threat Actor Engagement and Intelligence Consultant will support GuidePoint's Digital Forensics and Incident Response practice within the GuidePoint Research and Intelligence Team (GRIT). The primary function of this role is threat actor communications (also known as threat actor engagement, or ransomware negotiations) for GuidePoint's clients, collecting intelligence and advising digital extortion victims of appropriate courses of action aligned to their business needs. This is a client-facing role. The ideal candidate will also support GRIT's intelligence research efforts, operationalizing threat intelligence data obtained through threat actor engagement and digital forensics efforts. Travel not required. Sedentary work with substantial hand/finger movement and close visual acuity for a minimum of 8 hours a day.

Responsibilities

Lead and conduct Threat Actor Communications engagements, advising clients, legal counsel, and insurance carriers on risks, benefits, and key considerations for communication with threat actors in ransomware and data extortion cases; Operate as a technical resource within the Practice and actively participate in DFIR investigations to share and identify actionable intelligence; Effective engagement communication, time management, and collaboration with peers and clients; Foster client relationships by providing support, information, and guidance; Author comprehensive engagement deliverables tailored to technical and managerial audiences, detailing technical findings, recommendations, business impact, and realistic remediation strategies; Utilize automation, orchestration, and scripting to reduce manual processes; Contribute to integration of existing and future open-source and commercial tools or automation to improve GRIT processes and procedures; Perpetually strengthen relevant skills, knowledge, and abilities; Maintain a strong desire to learn, adapt, and improve; Willingness and ability to support a rotating on-call schedule, including possible weekend work as needed to support emergency requirements

Requirements

2 - 4 years prior experience in communicating with threat actors, such as through virtual persona operations, ransomware negotiations, or use of "sock puppet" accounts in Deep and Dark Web collection; Two (2+) years of experience performing Threat Intelligence analysis and/or collection; Prior experience in intelligence sharing relationships and partnerships within the private sector, ISACs, government, and/or private intelligence sharing groups; Prior experience in building and developing persona operations, including familiarity with dark web forums and marketplaces, adversary behavior, and trust mechanisms; Familiarity with digital forensics and incident response workflows, processes, and deliverables; Experience in client-facing, professional services, or consulting roles; Experience using emerging technologies, including AI tools, to work smarter, solve problems, and drive better business outcomes

Nice to have

Familiarity with cryptocurrency tracing and blockchain technology; Experience implementing or improving operational processes or procedures in the intelligence lifecycle; Proficiency hunting APT data using open source or commercial cyber threat analytic tools or data repositories such as VirusTotal, Passive Total, Threat Miner, or Maltego; Experience in scoping and conducting threat research centered on cybercrime, ransomware, and/or nation-state cyber operation

Benefits

Group Medical Insurance options (Zero Deductible PPO Plan or High Deductible Health Plan with HSA, with employer contributions); Group Dental Insurance (employer pays 100% of employee premium and 75% of family plans); 12 corporate holidays; Flexible Time Off (FTO) program; Healthy mobile phone and home internet allowance; Eligibility for retirement plan after 2 months at open enrollment; Pet Benefit Option