Summary This position is in the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts, Department of Technology Services, Information Technology Security Office (ITSO). ITSO manages the Judiciary's IT Security program, overseeing the security operations of Judiciary IT cyber security, digital forensics, malware analysis, and forensic investigations in support of cyber and law enforcement operations. Responsibilities The Information Technology Specialist (Security) must be proficient in collecting digital evidence, analyzing data for root cause, retrieving hidden or destroyed data, conducting damage assessments, reverse-engineering malware, developing remediation plans, and following proper evidence handling procedures for potential criminal or civil litigation. This role aligns with the knowledge, skills, and abilities as described in NIST Special Publication 800-181 National Initiative for Cybersecurity Education (NICE) Cybersecurity Workforce Framework for the roles of Cybercrime Investigation (IN-WRL-001) and Digital Evidence Analysis (IN-WRL-002). Duties include, but are not limited to the following: Participating in the development and execution of security incident response plans. Performing network forensics from log files and packet captures, including obtaining data from affected parties, accurately reconstructing incident timelines, and conducting analysis to understand attack vectors and associated impacts. Conducting endpoint forensics, including volatile memory, Operating System , file system, user behavioral, and data integrity analyses. Performing malware analysis to disassemble and reverse-engineer potential malware, scripts, and code to identify and create compromise indicators to more effectively detect and prevent intrusion. Participating in activities to detect, investigate, and analyze lateral movement, threat persistence, and follow-on activities by threat actors. Providing technical direction to contractors and other SOC teams to steer the overall incident response plan and recovery actions. Maintaining a digital forensic laboratory including, updating hardware and software tools and performing tool evaluation Identifying, testing, and providing recommendations for adopting and upgrading SOC forensic capabilities and infrastructure to provide the most effective, efficient, and cost-effective service available to the Judiciary. Documenting the findings of digital investigations, detailing evidence analysis, methodologies, and conclusions in clear, concise, and legally sound reports. This role requires attention to detail, strong writing skills, and the ability to communicate complex technical information effectively. Following all federal and local guidelines for digital evidence collection, processing, and retention in accordance with chain of custody requirements. Requirements Conditions of Employment CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT All information is subject to verification. Applicants are advised that false answers or omissions of information on application materials or inability to meet the following conditions may be grounds for non-selection, withdrawal of an offer of employment, or dismissal after being employed. Selection for this position is contingent upon completion of OF-306, Declaration of Federal Employment during the pre-employment process and proof of U.S. citizenship for competitive status positions or conversion to a competitive status position with the AO. If non-citizens are considered for hire into a temporary or any other position with non-competitive status or when it is confirmed by the AO Human Resources Office there are no qualified U.S. citizens for a competitive status position (unless prohibited by a law or statue), non-citizens must provide proof of authorization to work in the U.S. and proof of entitlement to receive compensation. Additional information on the employment of non-citizens can be found at USAJOBS Help Center | Employment of non-citizens/. For a list of documents that may be used to provide proof of citizenship or authorization to work in the United States, please refer to Form I-9, Employment Eligibility Verification. All new AO employees will be required to complete an FBI fingerprint-based national criminal database and records check and pass a public trust suitability check. New employees to the AO will be required to successfully pass the E-Verify employment verification check. To learn more about E-Verify, including your rights/responsibilities, visit https://www.e-verify.gov/. All new AO employees are required to identify a financial institution for direct deposit of pay before appointment. You will be required to serve a trial period if selected for a first-time appointment to the Federal government, transferring from another Federal agency, or serving as a first-time supervisor. Failure to successfully complete the trial period may result in termination of employment. If appointed to a temporary position, management may have the discretion of converting the position to permanent depending upon funding and staffing allocation. Qualifications Applicants must have demonstrated experience as listed below. This requirement is according to the AO Classification, Compensation, and Recruitment Systems which include interpretive guidance and reference to the OPM Operating Manual for Qualification Standards for General Schedule Positions. Specialized Experience: Applicants must have at least one full year (52 weeks) of specialized experience which is in or directly related to the line of work of this position. Specialized experience is demonstrated experience must demonstrate ALL areas defined below: Expertise in conducting forensic analysis of digital devices, including computers, mobile phones, and cloud environments, using industry-standard tools like EnCase, FTK, and Axiom. In-depth knowledge of data recovery techniques, file system structures, and operating system internals, enabling the extraction and analysis of deleted, hidden, or encrypted data. Experience in preparing detailed forensic reports and providing expert testimony in legal settings, ensuring findings are presented clearly and comply with legal standards and procedures. Equivalent Certifications Desired, but Not Required: GIAC Certified Forensic Examiner (GCFE) GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM) EnCase Certified Examiner (EnCE) Education This position does not require education to qualify. Additional Information The AO is an Equal Opportunity Employer.