Senior Security Engineer

Are you driven by a hacker mindset and ardent about enhancing the security of hardware, firmware, and low-level components? If so, this job opportunity is tailored for you!

The Azure Hardware and Firmware DevSec team is currently in search of a Senior Security Engineer with expertise in hardware, firmware, and related low-level components.

As a member of the HW/FW Security team within the Azure Security organization, you will have an opportunity to shape the landscape of platform security. This involves conducting security reviews such as threat modeling, design and code assessments for both Microsoft and third-party HW/FW solutions, penetration testing, vulnerability analysis, devising solutions to address identified vulnerabilities, and providing guidance to teams on securely building hardware, firmware, and related components.

We are seeking a detail-oriented, self-motivated engineer with exceptional communication skills who revels in delving into the security intricacies of various low-level components, including motherboard peripherals, network communication, disk controllers, and hypervisors. In this role, you will collaborate closely with other Security Engineers.

Responsibilities

• Threat Modeling / Security Assessments: Utilizing research and expertise to conduct threat modeling and security assessments of Azure HW/FW solutions and cloud infrastructure. Your objective is to prioritize areas of security risk, identifying and addressing security defects that may impact Azure's capacity to safeguard against, detect, investigate, and recover from security incidents.
• Security Reviews: Prioritize the highest risk features within Azure and perform comprehensive reviews of their design, source code, or final product to identify security defects. Utilize existing tools or develop new ones, such as static/dynamic analysis tools, to enhance efficiency and quality of work. Take the lead in addressing identified security flaws and implementing proactive security hardening measures to mitigate future exploitable vulnerabilities.
• Driving Security: Collaborate with cloud server and in-rack devices hardware ecosystem partners to establish security solutions and requirements, identify critical threats, and develop agreed plans for remedial actions. Collaborate with Microsoft Hardware Engineering teams from the early stages of product development to guarantee the security of Azure hardware platforms.
• Contributing to Policies: Engage with cross-company teams and industry partners to ensure that our insights are effectively integrated into development policies, standards, and practices. Aim to continuously elevate the security standards by fostering a growth mindset and implementing best practices.
• Emerging Threat Research: Stay at the forefront of emerging threats impacting cloud services by conducting research on externally identified vulnerabilities and proactively investigating security risks associated with the technologies utilized by Azure and our customers.
• Communication & Presentation: Be competent in security and be available to answer questions and give guidance on addressing security defects. Present team findings through white papers and security assessment reports. Work with other teams to define and adopt new best practices for secure development and operations.

Minimum Qualifications

• 5+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large scale computing, modeling, cyber security, anomaly detection OR Bachelor's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Risk Management, Cyber Security, or related field OR equivalent experience.

Preferred Qualifications

• 6+ years experience in software development lifecycle, large scale computing, modeling, cyber security, anomaly detection OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Risk Management, Cyber Security, or related field OR equivalent experience.
• Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP) Certification, Security+ Certification, or relevant certification.

Additional Qualifications

• This position will be required to pass the Microsoft background and Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
• 6+ years experience in software/firmware/hardware development lifecycle, large scale computing, modeling, cyber security OR Master's Degree in Statistics, Mathematics, Computer Science, Risk Management, Cyber Security, or related field OR equivalent experience.
• Profound understanding of server platform buses and peripherals, complemented by hands-on experience in conducting security analyses of peripherals.
• Proficiency in hardware description languages (HDL) and RTL, coupled with hands-on experience in conducting security reviews of hardware design.
• Deep and broad understanding of security vulnerabilities and attacks (Hardware, Software, Network, and People) and ability to apply them or find new ones based on new technology being developed.
• Experienced coding skills in one or more popular languages and platforms, including C/C++, C#, assembly, Rust, Python, and others, and the ability to pick up new platforms quickly.
• Detailed understanding of encryption, low-level networking protocols, operating systems including Linux and Windows.

Security Assurance IC4 - The typical base pay range for this role across Canada is CAD $108,100 - CAD $199,700 per year.

Microsoft will accept applications for the role until November 25, 2024.

Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran status, race, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application or the recruiting process, please send a request via the Accommodation request form.

Benefits/perks listed below may vary depending on the nature of your employment with Microsoft and the country where you work.