Principal Consultant, DFIR- Reactive Services (Unit 42)

Our Mission At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place. Who We Are In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us! This role is remote, but distance is no barrier to impact. Our hybrid teams collaborate across geographies to solve big problems, stay close to our customers, and grow together. You will be part of a culture that values trust, accountability, and shared success where your work truly matters. Job Summary The Team Unit 42 - Unit 42 Consulting is Palo Alto Network's security advisory team. Our vision is to create a more secure digital world by providing the highest quality incident response, risk management, and digital forensic services to clients of all sizes. Our team is composed of recognized experts and incident responders with deep technical expertise and experience in investigations, data breach response, digital forensics, and information security. With a highly successful track record of delivering mission-critical cybersecurity solutions, we are experienced in working quickly to provide an effective incident response, attack readiness, and remediation plans with a focus on providing long-term support to improve our clients’ security posture. Job Summary This client-facing role requires the Principal Consultant to lead and produce deliverables for reactive services engagements. You will work directly with multiple customers and key stakeholders, from technical administrators to the C-Suite, to manage incident response engagements from start to finish and provide expert guidance on long-term security posture remediation. Key Responsibilities Manage end-to-end incident response engagements, including scoping work, guiding clients through forensic investigations, containing security incidents, and providing long-term remediation recommendations. Perform reactive incident response functions, including host-based analysis of Windows, Linux, and Mac OS X systems to identify Indicators of Compromise (IOCs). Investigate data breaches by leveraging digital forensics tools (e.g., EnCase, FTK, X-Ways, SIFT, Splunk) to determine the root cause of compromises and malicious activity. Examine firewall, web, database, and other log sources to identify evidence of malicious activity, focusing on the details to ensure a thorough and accurate investigation. Proactively collaborate with and mentor junior team members, sharing expertise in incident response and forensics best practices to empower others and ensure team alignment. Effectively communicate complex technical findings and strategic recommendations to both technical and executive-level stakeholders. Travel as needed to meet client engagement demands, typically averaging 20%. Qualifications Required Qualifications Bachelor's degree in Cybersecurity, Computer Science, or a related field, or equivalent military/professional experience. 8+ years of experience in incident response or digital forensics consulting. Demonstrated experience leading complex technical engagements and interfacing directly with clients and stakeholders. Proficiency in host-based forensics, data breach response, and network traffic analysis. Hands-on experience with forensic tools such as EnCase, FTK, X-Ways, SIFT, Splunk, Volatility, or similar technologies. Preferred Qualifications Master's degree in a relevant technical field. Strong executive presence with experience presenting complex technical concepts to C-suite stakeholders. Established external presence through public speaking, conference presentations, or industry publications. Relevant industry certifications such as GIAC (GCFA, GCFE, GNFA), CISSP, or similar. Our Commitment We’re trailblazers that dream big, take risks, and challenge cybersecurity’s status quo. It’s simple: we can’t accomplish our mission without diverse teams innovating, together. We are committed to providing reasonable accommodations for all qualified individuals with a disability. If you require assistance or accommodation due to a disability or special need, please contact us at accommodations@paloaltonetworks.com . Palo Alto Networks is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity in our workplace, and 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 other legally protected characteristics. All your information will be kept confidential according to EEO guidelines. Is role eligible for Immigration Sponsorship? No. Please note that we will not sponsor applicants for work visas for this position.