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Remote Malware Analyst Jobs in California (NOW HIRING)

Information Security Analyst

Hawthorne, CA · On-site +1

$110K - $130K/yr

... malware/software analysis. * Experience automating repetitive support tasks and building internal ... This role requires you to be onsite; remote or hybrid work will not be considered. * Travel may be ...

You will lead technical workstreams, conduct advanced forensic analysis, and provide actionable ... Experience performing malware triage or reverse engineering. Background working in consulting ...

$151K - $208K/yr

Perform forensic acquisition and analysis of systems, memory, logs, and endpoint telemetry ... Experience with malware triage or reverse engineering. * Background in consulting, incident ...

Security Engineer II

Dublin, CA · On-site +1

$124K - $212K/yr

... virus/malware protection, Advanced Threat Protection, Log Collection & Analysis, User Behavior ... However, this role can perform duties effectively using a combination of in-office and remote work ...

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$144K - $190K/yr

... malware platform available. Senior hires will be entrusted with broad decision-making ... Comfortable working in a remote-only environment * Analytical mind * Confidence to share your ideas

Senior Software Engineer

San Francisco, CA · On-site +1

$144K - $190K/yr

... malware platform available. Senior hires will be entrusted with broad decision-making ... Comfortable working in a remote-only environment * Analytical mind * Confidence to share your ideas

Remote Malware Analyst information

See California salary details

$44.4K

$85.3K

$132.2K

How much do remote malware analyst jobs pay per year?

As of Jul 31, 2026, the average yearly pay for remote malware analyst in California is $85,342.00, according to ZipRecruiter salary data. Most workers in this role earn between $64,100.00 and $99,200.00 per year, depending on experience, location, and employer.

What is a Remote Malware Analyst job?

A Remote Malware Analyst is a cybersecurity professional who analyzes, identifies, and mitigates malicious software from a remote location. They investigate malware threats, reverse-engineer code, and develop security recommendations to protect systems and networks. These analysts work with cybersecurity teams to detect vulnerabilities, respond to incidents, and prevent future attacks. Strong knowledge of programming, forensic tools, and threat intelligence is essential for this role.

What are the key skills and qualifications needed to thrive in the Remote Malware Analyst position, and why are they important?

To thrive as a Remote Malware Analyst, you need expertise in malware detection, reverse engineering, network security, and a solid foundation in computer science or cybersecurity. Familiarity with tools such as IDA Pro, Wireshark, YARA, and experience with SIEM systems or certifications like CEH or GIAC are commonly required. Strong analytical thinking, problem-solving, and effective written and verbal communication skills are critical for collaborating with distributed teams. These competencies enable accurate threat identification and reporting, ensuring effective protection of digital assets in remote and dynamic environments.

What does a typical day look like for a Remote Malware Analyst?

A typical day for a Remote Malware Analyst involves analyzing suspicious files or network traffic, reverse engineering malware samples, and documenting findings for other cybersecurity teams. You may spend time using specialized tools to dissect malware code, developing detection signatures, and collaborating virtually with threat intelligence or incident response teams. Communication is often conducted via secure messaging platforms and regular video meetings to coordinate efforts. The remote aspect allows for flexibility but also requires self-motivation and effective time management. Analysts often prioritize ongoing learning to keep up-to-date with evolving threats and methodologies.

What are the most commonly searched types of Malware Analyst jobs in California? The most popular types of Malware Analyst jobs in California are:
What job categories do people searching Remote Malware Analyst jobs in California look for? The top searched job categories for Remote Malware Analyst jobs in California are:
What cities in California are hiring for Remote Malware Analyst jobs? Cities in California with the most Remote Malware Analyst job openings:
Infographic showing various Remote Malware Analyst job openings in California as of July 2026, with employment types broken down into 87% Full Time, 8% Part Time, 1% Temporary, and 4% Contract. Highlights an 85% Physical, 6% Hybrid, and 9% Remote job distribution, with an average salary of $85,342 per year, or $41 per hour.

Expert Detection and Response Engineer (Remote)

Activision Blizzard, Inc.

Irvine, CA • Remote

Full-time

Medical, Dental, Vision, Life, Retirement, PTO

Posted 20 days ago


Activision Blizzard rating

8.3

Company rating: 8.3 out of 10

Based on 11 frontline employees who took The Breakroom Quiz

14th of 75 rated media


Job description

Job Title:Expert Detection and Response Engineer (Remote)Requisition ID:R027801Job Description:Role Overview

Activision is seeking an Expert Detection and Response Engineer to help protect our players, studios, platforms, and enterprise environments from advanced cyber threats. As part of our Global Security Operations organization, this role is responsible for actively identifying, investigating, and responding to security threats. This role is highly hands-on and focuses on real-world attacker behavior, rapid analysis, and effective containment.

Responsibilities
  • Detect, investigate, and respond to security incidents across cloud, corporate, and production environments as a handson member of the TDIR team.
  • Monitor and analyze security telemetry and audit logs to identify anomalous activity, unauthorized access, and emerging threats, including targeted attacks and advanced adversaries.
  • Perform alert triage, indepth investigation, and forensic analysis across the full incident lifecycle, from identification through containment, remediation, and postincident review.
  • Execute endpoint, identity, cloud, and malware investigations, including timeline reconstruction, indicator extraction, and root cause analysis.
  • Develop, refine, and tune threat detections within the SIEM based on realworld attacker behavior and investigation findings.
  • Enhance investigation and response efficiency through automation, SOAR workflows, scripting, and advanced analytics.
  • Design, build, or operate AI/LLM-assisted triage and enrichment workflows (e.g., agentic pipelines integrated with case management platforms) to accelerate investigation and reduce analyst toil.
  • Evaluate and harden AI-assisted security tooling against adversarial input, including prompt injection and verdict-poisoning risks introduced via analyzed artifacts, applying schema-constrained or otherwise bounded output design rather than relying solely on input-side filtering.
  • Contribute to TDIR procedures, playbooks, runbooks, documentation, and operational metrics.
  • Collaborate closely with engineering teams, business stakeholders, and vendors during active investigations and response efforts.
  • Participate in an oncall rotation and provide offhours support for critical incidents and material security events.
  • Communicate investigation findings clearly and effectively to technical teams and leadership.
  • Occasional travel (up to approximately 10%) may be required to support studios or on-site incident response.
Required Qualifications
  • Bachelor's degree in computer science, Information Security, or equivalent practical experience. 10+ years of progressively accountable security experience, with a demonstrated track record of independent, expert-level judgment in incident response.
  • Handson experience in threat detection, security operations, and incident response, with active involvement across the full incident lifecycle.
  • Strong understanding of the modern threat landscape, attacker tactics, techniques, and procedures.
  • Proven ability to detect, triage, investigate, and respond to security incidents in enterprise environments.
  • Experience performing detailed log analysis, correlation, and investigative triage.
  • Strong written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to clearly articulate incident findings and response actions.
  • Ability to work independently and collaboratively within the TDIR team and with technical and business stakeholders.
  • Willingness to participate in an oncall rotation and provide offhours support for critical security incidents.
  • Hands-on experience with security monitoring platforms such as SIEM and EDR, including building or significantly extending detection content (not solely tuning existing rules).
  • Scripting or programming experience (e.g., Python, PowerShell, KQL) to support detection, investigation, or response automation.
  • Strong host- and network-based forensic skills, including timeline reconstruction and root cause analysis.
  • Working knowledge of how LLMs are applied to security operations (alert enrichment, auto-triage, summarization) and the failure modes specific to that application, such as hallucinated verdicts, injection via log or artifact content, and over-trust in model output.
  • Fluency in English.
Preferred Qualifications
  • 12+ years of relevant IT and security experience, including prior leadership or mentorship of less-senior analysts.
  • Handson malware analysis experience using static and dynamic techniques.
  • Experience implementing or operating SOAR platforms and security automation.
  • Hands-on experience building or integrating AI-assisted triage into a SOC workflow (SOAR, case management, or custom pipeline), including designing constrained output schemas or guardrails rather than relying solely on vendor-side content filtering.
  • Familiarity with emerging threat models for AI-augmented security tooling, such as prompt injection and verdict poisoning via analyzed artifacts.
  • Identity-focused detection experience, including Active Directory, hybrid identity, and privileged account monitoring.
  • Understanding foundational security best practices, including system and network hardening.
  • Ability to assess incidents quickly, recommend effective response actions, and mitigate operational and reputational risk.
  • Experience interfacing effectively with leadership, engineering teams, and external vendors.
  • Demonstrated engagement with the cybersecurity community or strong evidence of selfdriven learning and professional contribution.

Our World

At Activision, we strive to create the most iconic brands in gaming and entertainment. We're driven by our mission to deliver unrivaled gaming experiences for the world to enjoy, together. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty, Crash Bandicoot, Tony Hawk's Pro Skater, and Guitar Hero. As a leading worldwide developer, publisher and distributor of interactive entertainment and products, our "press start" is simple: delight hundreds of millions of players around the world with innovative, fun, thrilling, and engaging entertainment experiences.

We're not just looking back at our decades-long legacy; we're forging ahead to keep advancing gameplay with some of the most popular titles and sophisticated technology in the world. We have bold ambitions to create the most inclusive company as we know our success comes from the passionate, creative, and diverse teams within our organization.

We're in the business of delivering fun and unforgettable entertainment for our player community to enjoy. And our future opportunities have never been greater - this could be your opportunity to level up.

Ready to Activate Your Future?

The videogame industry and therefore our business is fast-paced and will continue to evolve. As such, the duties and responsibilities of this role may be changed as directed by the Company at any time to promote and support our business and relationships with industry partners.

We love hearing from anyone who is enthusiastic about changing the games industry. Not sure you meet all qualifications? Let us decide! Research shows that women and members of other under-represented groups tend to not apply to jobs when they think they may not meet every qualification, when, in fact, they often do! We are committed to creating a diverse and inclusive environment and strongly encourage you to apply.

We are committed to working with and providing reasonable assistance to individuals with physical and mental disabilities. If you are a disabled individual requiring an accommodation to apply for an open position, please email your request toaccomodations@activisionblizzard.com. General employment questions cannot be accepted or processed here. Thank you for your interest.

We are an equal opportunity employer and value diversity at our company. We do not discriminate on the basis of race, religion, color, national origin, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, marital status, veteran status, or disability status, among other characteristics.

Rewards

We provide a suite of benefits that promote physical, emotional and financial well-being for 'Every World' - we've got our employees covered! Subject to eligibility requirements, the Company offers comprehensive benefits including:

  • Medical, dental, vision, health savings account or health reimbursement account, healthcare spending accounts, dependent care spending accounts, life and AD&D insurance, disability insurance;
  • 401(k) with Company match, tuition reimbursement, charitable donation matching;
  • Paid holidays and vacation, paid sick time, floating holidays, compassion and bereavement leaves, parental leave;
  • Mental health & wellbeing programs, fitness programs, free and discounted games, and a variety of other voluntary benefit programs like supplemental life & disability, legal service, ID protection, rental insurance, and others;
  • If the Company requires that you move geographic locations for the job, then you may also be eligible for relocation assistance.

Eligibility to participate in these benefits may vary for part time and temporary full-time employees and interns with the Company. You can learn more by visiting https://www.benefitsforeveryworld.com/.

In the U.S., the standard base pay range for this role is $124,000.00 - $229,400.00 Annual. These values reflect the expected base pay range of new hires across all U.S. locations. Ultimately, your specific range and offer will be based on several factors, including relevant experience, performance, and work location. Your Talent Professional can share this role's range details for your local geography during the hiring process. In addition to a competitive base pay, employees in this role may be eligible for incentive compensation. Incentive compensation is not guaranteed. While we strive to provide competitive offers to successful candidates, new hire compensation is negotiable.

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About Activision Blizzard

Sourced by ZipRecruiter

Activision Blizzard, Inc. (NASDAQ: ATVI), is one of the world's largest and most successful interactive entertainment companies and is at the intersection of media, technology and entertainment. We are home to some of the most beloved entertainment franchises including Call of Duty®, World of Warcraft®, Overwatch®, Diablo®, Candy Crush™ and Bubble Witch™. Our combined entertainment network delights hundreds of millions of monthly active users in 196 countries, making us the largest gaming network on the planet!

Industry

Arts, entertainment, and recreation

Company size

5,001 - 10,000 Employees

Headquarters location

Santa Monica, CA, US

Year founded

2008

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