The Center for Cyber Defenders (CCD, TITANS-Cyber) is the premier intern institute for growing R&D cybersecurity staff members for national security. We provide opportunities for undergraduate and graduate students to grow their knowledge and professional experience in every aspect of the cybersecurity domain, ranging from enterprise security to industrial control systems, from the hardware layer to cloud applications, from data science to reverse engineering, and everything in between. Our open, collaborative environment allows students to build a professional network while working together to tackle real-world national security problems on teams with world-recognized subject matter experts.
As part of the TITANS program, CCD also exposes interns to the variety of missions at Sandia through tours, tech talks, training classes, and other events. We believe a successful internship is about more than the 9-to-5 work day. We provide mentorship, coaching, and professional development opportunities while encouraging interns to explore the surrounding areas – the enchanted scenes of the Southwest in Albuquerque, NM or the local vineyards of wine country in Livermore, CA. Ultimately, the CCD is a strategic hiring pipeline for R&D cybersecurity missions at Sandia, and we do our best to grow the best-and-brightest into staff members that make immediate impact on national security after graduation.
The Center for Cyber Defenders (CCD) hires undergraduate and graduate students studying Cybersecurity, Computer Science, Computer Engineering, Electrical Engineering, and other related fields. The CCD program is focused on developing the next generation of experts in the field of computer security from the software stack down to embedded hardware. Our program fosters students’ abilities to address the serious and unique challenges existing in the realm of cybersecurity research and encourages the exploration of original ideas necessary to keep pace with the rapid changes in information technology and the increasing sophistication of cyber threats. Students will gain experience in some of the following: operating systems analysis, virtualization technologies including software defined networking, distributed systems, algorithm analysis and development, advanced modeling and emulation, machine learning and data science, hardware and software reverse engineering, vulnerability assessments, network programming, cryptography research and analysis, and much more. Projects range from working on small R&D efforts to large, multidisciplinary team collaborations.
Desired Skills
Typical skills for our research projects include, but are not limited to: Software tools such as Ghidra, IDA Pro, VMware, Wireshark, and GNURadio; Programming and Scripting languages such as C, C++, C#, Java, Python, SQL, and MATLAB; Computer hardware knowledge such as FPGA design using VHDL or Verilog, low-level programming; EE skills such as circuit design and analysis, circuit and digital logic simulation, hardware and firmware debugging using in-circuit emulators, and parsing electronic components datasheets. General Research areas for our projects have included technology areas such as artificial intelligence, cryptography, data mining, graphic modeling software, machine learning, malware, mobile device application development, malicious code behavior, networking protocols, penetration testing, vulnerability assessments, reverse engineering, red teaming, virtual machines, forensic analysis, digital signal processing, software defined radio/networking, and wireless communications.
Sandia’s Center for Cyber Defenders Intern Program
All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, age, disability, or veteran status and any other protected class under state or federal law.
Sandia invites you to review the Equal Employment Opportunity posters which include EEO is the Law, EEO is the Law Poster Supplement, and Pay Transparency Nondiscrimination Provision.
Sandia is a drug-free workplace. As a national laboratory funded by a U.S. government agency, we are subject to federal laws regarding illegal drug use. Illegal use of a controlled substance, including marijuana even in places where it does not violate state law, may impact your ability to obtain and/or maintain a Department of Energy security clearance, and may result in the withdrawal of an employment offer or termination of employment.
