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Cybersecurity Analyst

University of Wisconsin-Madison · Madison, WI · Full time

Posted Sep 25, 2026 · We last checked this listing on Oct 6, 2026

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Likely interview questions for this role

Written from this job description, not a generic list. Each one notes what the interviewer is really checking.

About your past

This role covers both risk assessments and leading incident response. Which side have you done more of, and how have you built the other?

What they are checking: Honest balance of skills for a position that deliberately combines both halves.

Tell me about an incident you were part of. What went well, and what would you do differently?

What they are checking: Real response experience and the ability to learn from a post-incident review.

How do you keep up with new threats, especially ones aimed at universities and health systems?

What they are checking: A real habit of staying current in a field that changes month to month.

What would you do

You get an alert that a workstation in a clinical department is beaconing to an unknown external host. What are your first steps?

What they are checking: Calm triage, containment and evidence preservation in the first minutes of an incident.

A principal investigator pushes back on a control you've recommended because it slows their research. How do you handle it?

What they are checking: Finding workable security that researchers will actually follow rather than work around.

How do you explain a technical risk to a department chair who has five minutes and no security background?

What they are checking: Translating risk into terms that leaders can make decisions on.

About the work

Walk me through how you would run a cybersecurity risk assessment for a research lab that stores patient data.

What they are checking: A structured method that accounts for both HIPAA data and research workflows.

How do HIPAA requirements change how you respond to an incident compared with a non-clinical system?

What they are checking: Knowing breach assessment and notification duties that come with protected health information.

How would you harden a research computing environment that has a lot of older, unpatchable equipment attached to instruments?

What they are checking: Practical compensating controls like segmentation when patching is not an option.

The role helps develop staff training. How would you make security training something people actually remember?

What they are checking: Turning training into behavior change rather than a yearly checkbox.

What tools have you used for logging, detection or vulnerability scanning, and what did you learn from their limits?

What they are checking: Hands-on tool knowledge plus awareness that tools alone miss things.

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The full job description

As published by University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Current Employees: If you are currently employed at any of the Universities of Wisconsin, log in to Workday to apply through the internal application process. Job Category: Academic Staff Employment Type: Regular Job Profile: Cyberdefense Analyst I Job Summary: The Cybersecurity Analyst serves as a strategic collaborator, uniquely bridging the gap between proactive risk management and real-time emergency response. Unlike traditional siloed roles, this position is responsible for the integrated threat lifecycle: you will lead cybersecurity risk assessments to enforce secure environments, while simultaneously serving as the primary lead for incident response when threats emerge. This role is fundamental to protecting the integrity of our HIPAA-regulated patient data and ensuring that the School’s $1B+ research enterprise remains resilient against an increasingly sophisticated global threat landscape. • This position may require some work to be performed in-person, onsite, at a designated campus work location. Some work may be performed remotely, at an offsite, non-campus work location. Key Job Responsibilities: • Assists in the identification, development, and facilitation of unit staff training opportunities • Performs cybersecurity risk assessments to pre-emptively harden research and clinical infrastructure, while simultaneously spearheading incident response to ensure collaboration across SMPH, campus, and third-party vendors • Performs basic data analyses and reporting • Assists in mapping business processes using basic mapping methodologies • Assists in making recommendations for the selection of technology solutions to align with business strategies • Assists in the design, development, and implementation of data reporting and business intelligence systems • Provides basic procedural and technical guidance to unit staff regarding technology usage and management Department: School of Medicine and Public Health, Office of Information Technology, Cybersecurity. Compensation: The starting salary for the position is $55,000 annually, but is negotiable based on experience and qualifications. Employees in this position can expect to receive benefits such as generous vacation, holidays, and sick leave; competitive insurances and savings accounts; retirement benefits. For more information, refer to the campus benefits webpage. SMPH Faculty /Academic Staff Benefits Flyer 2026 Required Qualifications: • Demonstrated experience conducting cybersecurity risk assessments to identify and document risks across business processes, cloud/IT systems, and research workflows. • Hands-on experience using security operations tools (e.g., SIEM, EDR/XDR, vulnerability scanners) to monitor enterprise environments, triage alerts, and track remediation. • Working knowledge of cybersecurity frameworks and regulations, including HIPAA/HITECH, NIST SP 800-53 / 800-171, ISO 27001, or CIS Controls. • Proven ability to document information security processes, procedures, and validation of remediation • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to translate complex security risks to non-technical business partners, clinical leads, and researchers. Preferred Qualifications: • 2 or more years of experience with cybersecurity • Detailed understanding of network design, security controls, and system administration with excellent analytical and problem-solving skills • Proven experience in cybersecurity governance, risk management, and compliance • Experience executing project management skills including design review, threat modeling, and risk profiling while working across a large, complex, distributed, organization • Experience writing or updating technical documentation, security procedures, and compliance reporting artifacts. • Active industry certification: CompTIA CySA+, Security+, GIAC (GSEC/GCIH), CISA, or equivalent certification. Education: Bachelor's degree preferred How to Apply: For the best experience completing your application, we recommend using Chrome or Firefox as your web browser. To apply for this position, select either “I am a current employee” or “I am not a current employee” under Apply Now. You will then be prompted to upload your application materials. Important: The application has only one attachment field. Upload the following documents in that field, either as a single combined file or as multiple files in the same upload area. Failure to submit the required documents will result in no longer being considered for the position. • Cover letter (required) • Resume (required) Your cover letter should address how your training and experience aligns with the required and preferred qualifications listed above. Application reviewers will rely on these written materials to determine which applicants move forward in the process. References will be requested from final candidates. All applicants will be notified once the search concludes and a candidate is selected University sponsorship is not available for this position, including transfers of sponsorship and TN visas. The selected applicant will be responsible for ensuring their continuous eligibility to work in the United States (i.e. a citizen or national of the United States, a lawful permanent resident, a foreign national authorized to work in the United States without the need of an employer sponsorship) on or before the effective date of appointment. This position is an ongoing position that will require continuous work eligibility. If you are selected for this position you must provide proof of work authorization and eligibility to work. The department will not be able to support a request for a J-1 waiver. If you choose to pursue a waiver and apply for our position, neither the UW nor UWMF will reimburse you for your legal or waiver fees. Contact Information: Cody Roekle, croekle@wisc.edu , 60/-263-7676 Relay Access (WTRS): 7-1-1. See RELAY_SERVICE for further information. Institutional Statement on Diversity: Diversity is a source of strength, creativity, and innovation for UW-Madison. We value the contributions of each person and respect the profound ways their identity, culture, background, experience, status, abilities, and opinion enrich the university community. We commit ourselves to the pursuit of excellence in teaching, research, outreach, and diversity as inextricably linked goals. The University of Wisconsin-Madison fulfills its public mission by creating a welcoming and inclusive community for people from every background - people who as students, faculty, and staff serve Wisconsin and the world. The University of Wisconsin-Madison is an Equal Opportunity Employer. Qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to, including but not limited to, race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national origin, age, pregnancy, disability, or status as a protected veteran and other bases as defined by federal regulations and UW System policies. We promote excellence by acknowledging skills and expertise from all backgrounds and encourage all qualified individuals to apply. For more information regarding applicant and employee rights and to view federal and state required postings, visit the Human Resources Workplace Poster website . To request a disability or pregnancy-related accommodation for any step in the hiring process (e.g., application, interview, pre-employment testing, etc.), please contact the Divisional Disability Representative (DDR) in the division you are applying to. Please make your request as soon as possible to help the university respond most effectively to you. Employment may require a criminal background check. It may also require your references to answer questions regarding misconduct, including sexual violence and sexual harassment. The University of Wisconsin System will not reveal the identities of applicants who request confidentiality in writing, except that the identity of the successful candidate will be released. See Wis. Stat. sec. 19.36(7). The Annual Security and Fire Safety Report contains current campus safety and disciplinary policies, crime statistics for the previous 3 calendar years, and on-campus student housing fire safety policies and fire statistics for the previous 3 calendar years. UW-Madison will provide a paper copy upon request; please contact the University of Wisconsin Police Department .

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