Tier 2 SOC Analyst - Contract - Columbia, SC

Tier 2 SOC Analyst Location: Remote Interview Process: 1 round, Virtual/Online & potential for second round of in-person interviews Duration: 12 Months Employment Type: Contract Experience Required: 05+ Years Candidate location: SC residency required. Additional Information: Preference will be given to candidates that are local to SC and are able to come onsite for project needs. Project Scope: The Division of Information Security (DIS) is seeking an experienced Tier 2 SOC Analyst to support enterprise security operations, threat detection, incident response, and cyber investigations. This role will work closely with state agencies to enhance security monitoring capabilities and improve adoption of centralized security services. Key Responsibilities: · Monitor and analyze security events across SIEM, EDR, IDS/IPS, and threat intelligence platforms. · Investigate suspicious activity, security incidents, phishing attempts, malware infections, and policy violations. · Perform incident validation, root cause analysis, impact assessment, and escalation to Tier 3 teams when necessary. · Create detailed incident reports, timelines, lessons learned, and remediation recommendations. · Support proactive threat hunting using current threat intelligence and MITRE ATT&CK methodologies. · Tune detection rules, alert thresholds, and correlation logic to improve SOC effectiveness. · Collaborate with engineering, SOC teams, and state agencies to strengthen security monitoring and response capabilities. · Assist with onboarding and support of centralized security services. · Document SOC procedures, runbooks, troubleshooting guides, and operational processes. · Serve as a customer-facing security SME supporting agency stakeholders. Required Skills & Experience: · 2+ Years of Security Monitoring Experience · 2+ Years of Incident Response Experience · 2+ Years of Experience with MITRE ATT&CK Framework · Experience with Security Event Analysis & Threat Detection · Dashboard Development and Security Reporting Experience · Strong Analytical and Investigation Skills Preferred Skills: · Palo Alto Cortex XSIAM / Cortex XDR Experience · Linux Administration Knowledge · Network Administration & Network Design Experience · Firewall Administration Experience · VPN Technologies Experience · Active Directory Administration Experience · IDS/IPS Administration Experience · Local to Columbia, SC or surrounding areas Preferred Certifications: · CISSP · CISA · CISM · CEH · OSCP · GPEN · Other Security Vendor Certifications Education: · Associate Degree in Information Technology, Cybersecurity, Information Security, or related field OR · Four years of relevant cybersecurity experience in lieu of degree