Cybersecurity Entry Level Jobs in State College, PA

Introduction

In this role, you will join IBM Consulting via our world-class Co-op Program. As a Co-op at IBM Consulting, you will have the opportunity to work with a diverse range of clients. Our clients' technical and business needs are constantly evolving. We're hiring inspired, talented individuals who believe no problem is too big to solve.

We focus on your professional development through ongoing learning, mentorship, development of technical skills, and continuous personal growth, all grounded in a culture of coaching and career advancement. If you see yourself as someone who never stops learning and who wants to unleash your potential, the IBM Co-Op Program is for you. A career in IBM Consulting is rooted in long-term relationships and close collaboration with clients.

You'll work with visionaries across multiple industries to improve the hybrid cloud and AI journey for the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Your ability to accelerate impact and make meaningful change for your clients is enabled by our strategic partner ecosystem and our robust technology platforms across the IBM portfolio, including Software and Red Hat.

Curiosity and a constant quest for knowledge serve as the foundation for success in IBM Consulting. In your role, you'll be encouraged to challenge the norm, investigate ideas outside of your role, and come up with creative solutions that result in ground-breaking impact for a wide network of clients. Our culture of evolution and empathy centers on long-term career growth and development opportunities in an environment that embraces your unique skills and experience.

To give yourself the best opportunity for success, we advise applying only to roles that align with your skills and experience, rather than applying broadly across all entry-level positions. You'll receive a status update email for each application, so be sure to check your IBM Careers account regularly - it's the best way to get a centralized view of which roles you have active applications against.

Your role and responsibilities

Working alongside more senior level security consultants, you will work to collect and analyze existing business and technical requirements to solve complex client challenges and provide holistic solutions that incorporate people, processes, and technologies to improve our clients' security posture, teaming on all phases of engagement to monitor, detect, plan, build, implement, and support advanced security solutions. You will be an integral part of providing our clients with an integrated approach to business design and execution, turning strategies into actions, establishing new, flexible, and iterative approaches that only IBM can offer through our unique combination of skills, experiences, and capabilities. Leveraging a growth mindset, you are ready and willing to deliver business value, wherever needed.

Work you could do as an Security Consultant Co-op:

• Work as a team member with client personnel and other IBM teams to identify functional requirements and subsequently working with or in some instances leading others in the identification, justification, and design of the client's solution.
• Participate in a wide range of design activities, from requirements analysis through systems, application and/or process design specification and implementation.
• Gain knowledge across multiple platforms, processes, or architectures.

Required education

High School Diploma/GED

Preferred education

Bachelor's Degree

Required technical and professional expertise

• Enrollment in a Bachelor's degree program in Cybersecurity, Information Security, Computer Science, or a related field.
• Consultative mindset and ability to solve problems for clients and add value.
• Strong interest in cybersecurity and a basic understanding of security concepts.
• Familiarity with operating systems such as Windows, Linux, and macOS.
• Knowledge of networking fundamentals and protocols.
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
• Excellent problem-solving, analytical and critical-thinking skills.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.
• Strong writing skills

Preferred technical and professional experience

• Outcome focused, possessing a high level of resilience, you demonstrate the flexibility and resolve needed to achieve success across a broad range of consultative contexts.
• Familiarity with network design, network security, authentication, authorization techniques, and encryption protocols and standards.
• Experience in one or more of the following security domains: Threat Management including Security Intelligence & Operations Consulting, Data and Application Security, Identity & Access Management, Cloud and Infrastructure Security, and/or Strategy and Risk.
• Knowledge in Network Design and Security, Web or Custom Application Development, Mobile Development, Software Engineering, Identity and Authentication Technology.
• Exposure to software tools such as Java, Python, C/C++, Java, Ruby, GO, Golang or bash, C#; Sharepoint; Software code Testing and TestAutomation is helpful.
• Familiarity with network security tools for vulnerability scanning, network monitoring, network sniffing, routers, firewalls, intrusion detection and protection, anomaly detection and encryption standard.

ABOUT BUSINESS UNIT

IBM Consulting is IBM's consulting and global professional services business, with market leading capabilities in business and technology transformation. With deep expertise in many industries, we offer strategy, experience, technology, and operations services to many of the most innovative and valuable companies in the world. Our people are focused on accelerating our clients' businesses through the power of collaboration. We believe in the power of technology responsibly used to help people, partners and the planet.

YOUR LIFE @ IBM

In a world where technology never stands still, we understand that, dedication to our clients success, innovation that matters, and trust and personal responsibility in all our relationships, lives in what we do as IBMers as we strive to be the catalyst that makes the world work better.

Being an IBMer means you'll be able to learn and develop yourself and your career, you'll be encouraged to be courageous and experiment everyday, all whilst having continuous trust and support in an environment where everyone can thrive whatever their personal or professional background.

Our IBMers are growth minded, always staying curious, open to feedback and learning new information and skills to constantly transform themselves and our company. They are trusted to provide on-going feedback to help other IBMers grow, as well as collaborate with colleagues keeping in mind a team focused approach to include different perspectives to drive exceptional outcomes for our customers. The courage our IBMers have to make critical decisions everyday is essential to IBM becoming the catalyst for progress, always embracing challenges with resources they have to hand, a can-do attitude and always striving for an outcome focused approach within everything that they do.

Are you ready to be an IBMer?

ABOUT IBM

IBM's greatest invention is the IBMer. We believe that through the application of intelligence, reason and science, we can improve business, society and the human condition, bringing the power of an open hybrid cloud and AI strategy to life for our clients and partners around the world.

Restlessly reinventing since 1911, we are not only one of the largest corporate organizations in the world, we're also one of the biggest technology and consulting employers, with many of the Fortune 500 companies relying on the IBM Cloud to run their business.

At IBM, we pride ourselves on being an early adopter of artificial intelligence, quantum computing and blockchain. Now it's time for you to join us on our journey to being a responsible technology innovator and a force for good in the world.

IBM is proud to be an equal-opportunity employer. All qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender, gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, national origin, genetics, pregnancy, disability, neurodivergence, age, or other characteristics protected by the applicable law. IBM is also committed to compliance with all fair employment practices regarding citizenship and immigration status.

OTHER RELEVANT JOB DETAILS

Supplemental 1 employees may be eligible for up to 8 paid holidays, minimum of 56 hours paid sick time and the IBM Employee Stock Purchase Plan. IBM offers paid family medical leave and disability benefits to eligible employees where required by applicable law. This position was posted on the date cited in the key job details section and is anticipated to remain posted for 15 days from this date or less if not needed to fill the role. We consider qualified applicants with criminal histories, consistent with applicable law.

IBM will not be providing visa sponsorship for this position now or in the future. Therefore, in order to be considered for this position, you must have the ability to work without a need for current or future visa sponsorship.

The compensation range and benefits for this position are based on a full-time schedule for a full calendar year. The salary will vary depending on your job-related skills, experience and location. Pay increment and frequency of pay will be in accordance with employment classification and applicable laws. For part time roles, your compensation and benefits will be adjusted to reflect your hours. Benefits may be pro-rated for those who start working during the calendar year.

Job Title

Co-Op Security Consultant 2027

Date posted

14-Aug-2026

Job ID

128737

City / Township / Village

University Park

State / Province

Pennsylvania

Country

United States

Work arrangement

Onsite

Area of work

Consulting

Employment type

Co-Op (Fixed Term)

Contract type

Internship

Projected Minimum Salary per year

51,840.00

Projected Maximum Salary per year

95,040.00

Position type

Internship

Travel required

Up to 100% or 5 days a week (home on weekends - based on project requirements)

Company

(0147) International Business Machines Corporation

Shift

General (daytime)

Is this role a commissionable/sales incentive based position?

No