Who We Are
As the leader in cloud-managed IT and networking, Cisco connects passionate people to their mission by simplifying the digital workplace. Our impact is driven by the innovative, purposeful, and vibrant people who make up our inclusive community. When technology is intuitive and secure, our customers can focus on what matters!
About The Team
Join our Device Penetration Testing team, where your expertise will directly strengthen the security of millions of Cisco devicesfrom embedded systems to global cloud platforms. Here, you'll collaborate with security professionals recognized for leading hardware security training, being credited with multiple CVE discoveries, and achieving success in bug bounty programs.
We are a highly technical, collaborative group passionate about dissecting complex technologies, uncovering critical vulnerabilities, and pushing the boundaries of what's possible to safeguard the infrastructure that powers the internet. If you thrive on solving tough technical challenges, get excited by impactful security discoveries, and value an environment built on knowledge sharing and continuous learning, you'll feel right at home with us.
What You'll Do Day-to-Day:
As a Penetration Testing Engineer on our team, you will:
- Proactively engage in penetration tests and perform deep-dive code reviews for vulnerabilities across a wide array of Cisco's product solutions. This includes extensive web application testing, firmware security testing, cloud services, network devices, and embedded systems.
- Leverage your go-to offensive security tools such as Burp Suite, Caido, or similar, for comprehensive vulnerability discovery and analysis.
- Develop custom scripts, tools, and automation frameworks to enhance our offensive capabilities, streamline testing, and discover complex vulnerabilities at scale.
- Focus on uncovering technically challenging and highly impactful vulnerabilities, directly contributing to the security and trustworthiness of Cisco's extensive product portfolio.
- Conduct research into emerging attack surfaces (e.g., cloud, IoT, AI/ML systems) and develop innovative techniques for exploitation that push the boundaries of current security understanding.
- Continuously develop your offensive security skillset across a broad spectrum of targets, including web applications, embedded firmware, hardware components, and network protocols.
- Document all identified vulnerabilities with comprehensive technical write-ups and collaborate directly with product engineers and leaders to provide detailed insights, driving effective remediation throughout the product development lifecycle.
- Analyze recurring vulnerability patterns across diverse systems, translating these findings into actionable security insights and baseline test sets to influence secure design and prevent future vulnerabilities.
What We're Looking For:
- A security-focused mindset with genuine passion for penetration testing and vulnerability research
- Bachelor's degree in Computer Science, Information Security, or 5+ years of related work experience
- 2+ years of hands-on experience in web application security, firmware security, embedded system penetration testing, authentication and security protocols
- Working knowledge of industry frameworks:
- OWASP Web Security Testing Guide (WSTG)
- OWASP IoT Security Testing Guide (ISTG)
- Penetration Testing Execution Standard (PTES)
- Strong written and verbal communication skillsyou can explain complex security issues clearly to both technical and non-technical audiences
Nice to Have:
- Experience with source code security assessments and adjacency analysis in C/C++, Golang, Rust, or Ruby
- Comfort working in Linux environments
- Exposure to hardware injection attacks such as EMFI
- Understanding of secure development lifecycle practices including threat modeling, code review, SAST, DAST, and security architecture review
- OSCP or similar penetration testing certification
- Experience participating in bug bounty programs or resposible disclosure initiatives
Cisco is an Affirmative Action and Equal Opportunity Employer and all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, sexual orientation, national origin, genetic information, age, disability, veteran status, or any other legally protected basis. Cisco will consider for employment, on a case by case basis, qualified applicants with arrest and conviction records.
Message to applicants applying to work in the U.S. and/or Canada:
When available, the salary range posted for this position reflects the projected hiring range for new hire, full-time salaries in U.S. and/or Canada locations, not including equity or benefits. For non-sales roles the hiring ranges reflect base salary only; employees are also eligible to receive annual bonuses. Hiring ranges for sales positions include base and incentive compensation target. Individual pay is determined by the candidate's hiring location and additional factors, including but not limited to skillset, experience, and relevant education, certifications, or training. Applicants may not be eligible for the full salary range based on their U.S. or Canada hiring location. The recruiter can share more details about compensation for the role in your location during the hiring process.
U.S. employees have access to quality medical, dental and vision insurance, a 401(k) plan with a Cisco matching contribution, short and long-term disability coverage, basic life insurance and numerous wellbeing offerings.
Employees receive up to twelve paid holidays per calendar year, which includes one floating holiday (for non-exempt employees), plus a day off for their birthday. Non-Exempt new hires accrue up to 16 days of vacation time off each year, at a rate of 4.92 hours per pay period. Exempt new hires participate in Cisco's flexible Vacation Time Off policy, which does not place a defined limit on how much vacation time eligible employees may use, but is subject to availability and some business limitations. All new hires are eligible for Sick Time Off subject to Cisco's Sick Time Off Policy and will have eighty (80) hours of sick time off provided on their hire date and on January 1st of each year thereafter. Up to 80 hours of unused sick time will be carried forward from one calendar year to the next such that the maximum number of sick time hours an employee may have available is 160 hours. Employees in Illinois have a unique time off program designed specifically with local requirements in mind. All employees also have access to paid time away to deal with critical or emergency issues. We offer additional paid time to volunteer and give back to the community.
Employees on sales plans earn performance-based incentive pay on top of their base salary, which is split between quota and non-quota components. For quota-based incentive pay, Cisco typically pays as follows:
- 75% of incentive target for each 1% of revenue attainment up to 50% of quota;
1.5% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 50% and 75%;
1% of incentive target for each 1% of attainment between 75% and 100%; and once performance exceeds 100% attainment, incentive rates are at or above 1% for each 1% of attainment with no cap on incentive compensation.
For non-quota-based sales performance elements such as strategic sales objectives, Cisco may pay up to 125% of target. Cisco sales plans do not have a minimum threshold of performance for sales incentive compensation to be paid.
