Security Analyst

Project Overview

The Security Analyst will play a key role in supporting the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services (SCDHHS) Office of Cybersecurity (OCS) by actively protecting the agency?s systems and networks. This hands-on position involves supporting and enhancing information security and compliance initiatives in accordance with federal, state, and agency policies and standards. The ideal candidate should possess foundational technical knowledge of IT systems security, network security, cybersecurity operations, cyber threat response, incident handling, and penetration testing. Responsibilities include supporting continuous cybersecurity threat monitoring, identifying and responding to security incidents, and collaborating with technical teams, business stakeholders, and vendors to strengthen the agency?s overall security posture. Strong analytical, troubleshooting, written communication, and interpersonal skills are essential for success in this role.

Duties/Responsibilities:

• Assess and evaluate the organization's information security solutions, processes, systems, and networks to identify risks and recommend improvements.
  
• Provide technical guidance on the design, implementation, and maintenance of secure IT systems and networks.
  
• Guide and mentor junior Security Analysts (Level I and II) in identifying security risks, investigating threats, and responding to security incidents.
  
• Support daily Security Operations Center (SOC) activities, including security monitoring, alert analysis, threat detection, and incident response.
  
• Provide hands-on support for cybersecurity tools, technologies, and security operations processes.
  
• Conduct proactive threat hunting to identify suspicious activities, potential vulnerabilities, and evidence of compromise.
  
• Perform vulnerability assessments, security scanning, analysis of scan results, and manual validation of identified vulnerabilities.
  
• Monitor and manage security technologies, including firewalls, Intrusion Detection and Prevention Systems (IDS/IPS), Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) systems, and network security monitoring tools.
  
• Investigate cybersecurity incidents, collect evidence, analyze security events, and coordinate incident response and remediation activities.
  
• Analyze anomalous activities, security alerts, and potential threats affecting agency-connected systems and resources.
  
• Analyze network traffic and security events using TCP/IP protocols and tools such as Wireshark and tcpdump.
  
• Support information security across operating systems and platforms, including Windows, Linux, Android, iOS, MVS, VMware, cloud environments, and enterprise networks.
  
• Implement and maintain security controls based on defense-in-depth principles, including secure system configurations, network segmentation, and malicious code protection.
  
• Identify, assess, and mitigate information security risks and threats affecting the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of organizational data.
  
• Support compliance with applicable security policies, standards, and regulatory frameworks, including CMS ARC-AMPE, NIST, COBIT, and FedRAMP.
  
• Assist with Risk Management Framework (RMF) activities and integrate security requirements, controls, and documentation into the System Development Life Cycle (SDLC).
  
• Support security risk assessments and controls for cloud services, multi-tenant environments, third-party applications, and vendor-managed systems.
  
• Monitor security dashboards, investigate alerts and anomalies, analyze findings, and coordinate with cross-functional teams to address security issues.
  
• Assist with the secure implementation, operation, troubleshooting, and ongoing maintenance of computer systems, software, hardware, networks, and cybersecurity technologies.
  
• Collaborate with Office of Cybersecurity (OCS) staff, IT teams, agency leadership, business units, vendors, and other stakeholders to support cybersecurity operations and compliance risk mitigation.
  
• Apply strong analytical, troubleshooting, communication, and problem-solving skills to resolve complex cybersecurity challenges.
  
• Stay informed about emerging cybersecurity threats, vulnerabilities, attack techniques, and security technologies to improve the agency's security posture.
  
• Perform other information security and cybersecurity duties as assigned.
  

Requirements

Education and Certifications:

• High school diploma with six years of relevant work experience
  
• Bachelor?s degree in information technology, computer science or a related technical field, with a minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience.
  

Required Skills:

• 6+ years of experience in IT System Security or System Administration.
  
• Experience with cybersecurity incident response procedures and practices.
  
• Intermediate proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Visio, with experience using templates and style guidelines to maintain branding consistency.
  

Preferred Skills:

• Prior experience in Health Information Technology (HIT) environments.
  
• Experience with centralized log management systems and security monitoring tools.
  
• Familiarity with information security regulatory requirements and standards, including NIST 800 series and CMS ARC-AMPE.
  
• Experience conducting or supporting information security compliance assessments and audits.
  
• Previous work or consulting experience with federal, state, city, or local government agencies.
  
• Information Security certifications such as: CompTIA, ISC(2), SANS GIAC, CCNA Security, or similar
  

Additional Skills:

• Willingness to learn new technologies, adapt to changing requirements, and take on additional responsibilities.
  
• Ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
  
• Strong collaboration and coordination skills when working with multiple teams, stakeholders, and external vendors.
  
• Ability to multitask, prioritize assignments, track progress, and effectively report the status of assigned work.
  
• Strong time management and organizational skills to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines in a results-oriented environment.
  
• Strong understanding of enterprise IT operations, information security principles, and secure best practices.
  
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to communicate effectively with technical and non-technical stakeholders.
  
• Ability to adapt to changes, accept constructive feedback, and maintain flexibility when working with leadership and teams with varying levels of technical and business knowledge.
  

Benefits