Critical Infrastructure Protection Jobs in Florida

Hiring Salary: $15.00

This position will work within Cyber Florida's Security Operations Center Apprenticeship Program and the Florida Cyber Hub. The Critical Infrastructure Student Analyst will work with security tools such as a SIEM, DLP, IDP, threat reports, and other security tools to identify incidents and threats, of interest to supporting critical infrastructure sectors. The Critical Infrastructure Student Analyst will also complete incident reports, produce threat advisories and reports, and handle issues according to established procedures and guidelines. The Critical Infrastructure Student Analyst will also perform troubleshooting of technical issues, provide technical support to business partners and end users, and create technical documentation. This position is only open to current students at the University of South Florida.

Working at USF

With approximately 16,000 employees, the University of South Florida is one of the largest employers in the Tampa Bay area. We are dedicated to cultivating a talented, engaged and driven workforce that strives to be bold. Employees excel in USF's rich academic environment, which fosters their development and advancement. In 2025, Forbes recognized USF as one of Florida's best large employers, ranked No. 1 among the state's 12 public universities. Our first-class benefits package includes medical, dental and life insurance plans, retirement plan options, employee and dependent tuition programs, generous leave, and hundreds of employee perks and discounts.

About USF 

The University of South Florida is a top-ranked research university serving approximately 50,000 students from across the globe at campuses in Tampa, St. Petersburg, Sarasota-Manatee and USF Health. USF is recognized by U.S. News & World Report as a top 50 public university and the best value in Florida. U.S. News also ranks the USF Health Morsani College of Medicine as the No. 1 medical school in Florida and in the highest tier nationwide. USF is a member of the Association of American Universities (AAU), a group that includes only the top 3% of universities in the U.S. With an all-time high of $738 million in research funding in 2024 and as a top 20 public university for producing U.S. patents, USF uses innovation to transform lives and shape a better future. The university generates an annual economic impact of more than $6 billion. USF's Division I athletics teams compete in the American Athletic Conference. Learn more at www.usf.edu.

Compliance and Federal Notices

This position may be subject to a Level 1 or Level 2 criminal background check.

Applicants have rights under Federal Employment Laws: 

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.

Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA)

Applicants for USF employment are entitled to request reasonable accommodation(s) in the application process. A request is to be made at least five (5) working days prior to the time the accommodation(s) is needed. Visit the Central Human Resources ADA Accommodations webpage for more information on requesting an accommodation during the application/interview process.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of South Florida is an equal opportunity employer that does not discriminate against any employee or applicant for employment based on any characteristic protected by law.  The University maintains affirmative action programs for protected veterans and individuals with disabilities in accordance with all applicable federal and state laws.  This job description does not constitute an employment contract.  

Minimum Education & Experience:

• Current student at the University of South Florida.
• Pursuing cybersecurity or closely related degree (Appropriate college coursework, technical training, or industry certifications may substitute at an equivalent rate for the required experience)

Knowledge, Skills & Abilities:

• Basic understanding of how to work with a Windows PC
• Students must exhibit excellent communication skills, be punctual, detail-oriented, and demonstrate initiative and a willingness to learn and help. 
• Students must be responsible, reliable, and dependable. 
• Students must handle confidential information professionally and ethically and abide by all applicable legal requirements.  

Standard Learning Objectives: 

• As a result of this position, students will be able to:
• Demonstrate basic employability skills such as timeliness to work, appropriate dress, interpersonal communication, and time management.
• Receive and solicit feedback from supervisor and effectively apply feedback on the job. 
• Assess the workplace and demonstrate how personal talents, skills, and knowledge fit the employer's goals, mission, and vision.
• Demonstrate appropriate skills considered valuable in cybersecurity fields. 
• Communicate transferable and functional skills to prospective employers.
   

REQUIRED DOCUMENTS:

• Resume

Special Requirements

• Employment with the Florida Center for Cybersecurity requires signing a nondisclosure agreement and completing a level one background check. Failure to complete the document or requirement will be considered a job offer refusal.

Working Conditions: 

• Environment - Typical indoor environment/office setting.
• Physical Requirements - climbing, standing, stooping, and/or typing; Ability to lift up to 20 lbs as needed.
• Travel - Ability to travel to other USF campuses and/or locations as requested. 
   

Acknowledgment: 
While the primary job duties and responsibilities have been included, this job description is not designed nor meant to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities or responsibilities.  This does not preclude the assignment of additional or developmental duties, special projects, or the scope of the position.  Duties, responsibilities, and activities may temporarily or permanently change at any time, with or without notice. 

• Working with security applications (SIEM, Threat Intel Applications, IDS, etc.)
• Analyze and respond to security alerts. Provide updates to end-users. 
• Prepare detailed threat advisories with recommendations and indicators of compromise. 
• Make recommendations on improvements to workflows and processes. 
• Become familiar with Amazon Web Services (AWS), such as Workspaces, EC2 instances, and security groups. Create and maintain golden images (AMIs) for deployment within an AWS environment. 
• Become familiar with Microsoft Azure, such as Virtual machines, Storage, and security groups.
• Create and maintain golden images (VHDs) for deployment within an Azure environment. 
• Create cybersecurity capture-the-flag challenges (CTF) and exercises. Maintain and update current CTF challenges and scoreboard.
• Provide technical support to faculty members with onboarding new courses and labs.
• Perform software installations and upgrades to operating systems and software applications.
• Act as a point of escalation to resolve requests or issues from end users.
• Implement and enhance technology standards based on best practices - ensuring high system availability and providing an easily sustainable, compatible, and scalable architecture for future implementations. 
• Ensure the timely resolution of support requests from end-users. 
• Perform routine security tasks in support of the systems for the Security Operations Center.
• Review security tools and create status reports according to schedule and need.
• Create documentation on processes, troubleshooting techniques, and specific problem resolution for use by co-workers and administrators.
• Analyze and investigate security data from a range of security tools and resources.
• Research trends and current precautions for cybersecurity vulnerabilities, exploits, and other potential threats.
• Conduct and provide incident response support when required.
• Research threats and monitor feeds to produce cyber threat intelligence reports.
• Keep up to date with cybersecurity software and hardware tools and resources.
• Communicate effectively with clients while thoroughly documenting conversations, exchanges, or sessions into ticketing systems.
• Participate in meeting with experts in critical infrastructure sectors, and absorb feedback into their operational duties in concurrence with managers and administrators. 
• Perform other duties as required to support the work of the unit.