Principal Security Researcher

Company Background Censys’ mission is to be the one place to understand everything on the internet. Frustrated by the lack of trustworthy Internet intelligence, we set out to create the industry’s most comprehensive, accurate, and up-to-date map of the Internet. Today, Censys delivers real-time Internet intelligence and actionable threat insights to global governments, over 50% of the Fortune 500, and leading threat intelligence providers worldwide. As a Principal Security Researcher, you’ll have the opportunity to work at the intersection of large-scale internet measurement, advanced threat research, and real-world cybersecurity events. Our research doesn't just advance academic knowledge—it’s leveraged to directly protect enterprise customers and support critical national security initiatives. You'll collaborate with world-class researchers, engineers, and product teams while having the freedom to pursue ambitious research projects that push the boundaries of what's possible in cybersecurity. With our strong partnerships across government and commercial sectors, your work will have immediate real-world application and visibility at the highest levels of the security community. In this role, you will provide technical leadership for Censys research, engineering, and product, lead research projects end-to-end, drive the technical excellence of the company as whole, and serve as an ambassador at public and private technical conferences. For this specific role, we are looking for an individual who will drive Censys’ technical excellence in finding and tracking adversary infrastructure, help to integrate this data into our datasets and products, work with our relevant government and commercial partners, and publish and speak about specific research results as well as how Censys and Internet scanning can be used to understand adversaries and the infrastructure they use to mount attacks. What you’ll do:

• Conduct hands-on end-to-end research from ideation to publication and presentation, with an emphasis on tracking adversary infrastructure
• Work with Product and Engineering to define technical priorities and the future of the Censys Internet Map
• Build prototypes and help transfer Internet measurement and analysis techniques from research phase to production
• Serve as a public face for Censys Research at research conferences (e.g., LABScon) and in private collaborations with trusted partners
• Track recent events within the security industry and global politics; monitor key developments across classified and OSINT sources
• Provide technical mentorship to researchers, help to set the bar for Censys Research output, and assist in building a world-class research team

What you’ll bring:

• 8+ years of experience in cybersecurity research, threat intelligence, or related fields
• 3+ years of experience in a senior or principal-level research role with demonstrated technical leadership
• Expert-level knowledge of Internet infrastructure, protocols, and scanning technologies
• Proven experience in reverse engineering malware and analyzing adversary tactics, techniques, and procedures (TTPs)
• Demonstrated ability to lead research projects from conception to completion
• Demonstrated experience tracking infrastructure of advanced threat actors and groups
• Strong written and verbal communication skills for both technical and executive audiences
• Experience writing Snort, Yara, Sigma, Yara-L, Splunk, and other detection rules or direct experience with network protocol and malware analysis

Extra skills you might bring:

• Track record of publishing high-quality security research in peer-reviewed venues or industry publications
• Experience presenting research findings at major security conferences (Black Hat, DEF CON, USENIX Security, etc.)
• Experience working with government agencies or holding security clearance
• Background in threat hunting, incident response, or SOC operations
• Knowledge of geopolitical events and their impact on cybersecurity landscape
• Experience with commercial threat intelligence platforms and feed

Our target salary range for this role is between $210,000 and $265,000 + bonus eligibility and equity. Our roots are in Ann Arbor, Michigan but this position is located remotely with no expectations to come into an office. We value diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees. Censys is an equal opportunity employer. Apply tot his job Apply To this Job