Principal Security Researcher - Security for AI Research

Security represents the most critical priorities for our customers in a world awash in digital threats, regulatory scrutiny, and estate complexity. Microsoft Security aspires to make the world a safer place for all. We want to reshape security and empower every user, customer, and developer with a security cloud that protects them with end to end, simplified solutions. The Microsoft Security organization accelerates Microsoft’s mission and bold ambitions to ensure that our company and industry is securing digital technology platforms, devices, and clouds in our customers’ heterogeneous environments, as well as ensuring the security of our own internal estate. Our culture is centered on embracing a growth mindset, a theme of inspiring excellence, and encouraging teams and leaders to bring their best each day. In doing so, we create life-changing innovations that impact billions of lives around the world.

Come and be part of a dynamic team focused on securing cutting-edge AI and cloud technologies in a rapidly evolving threat landscape. We are leading new initiatives and research projects across AI Security, Identity Protection, and SaaS Defense, and this role offers a unique opportunity to help define the rules of the game. AI is transforming the way we interact with computers and machines and defining new cybersecurity problems and opportunities - we are looking for a Principal Researcher who can help us stay ahead of the curve. In this role, you’ll research and build defenses across AI systems, agentic protocols, Identity platforms, and SaaS applications. One day you might analyze a new class of AI prompt injection attacks or Agents abuse, the next you’ll be hunting through data or creating novel protection mechanisms for them. You’ll work closely with product teams to turn research prototypes into real security features. Join our threat protection research team and be part of a team who contributes to Microsoft’s most advanced and innovative security solutions. Our mission is to help everyone to counter cyber threats by strengthening their security capabilities across their entire environment, including Identities, Agentic AI systems, Cloud and Applications. Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond

Microsoft’s mission is to empower every person and every organization on the planet to achieve more. As employees we come together with a growth mindset, innovate to empower others, and collaborate to realize our shared goals. Each day we build on our values of respect, integrity, and accountability to create a culture of inclusion where everyone can thrive at work and beyond.

Responsibilities

Research and develop detection methods for new and advanced attack techniques -from exploits to implants. Build end-to-end PoCs, from offensive testing to scalable detection, across all our cloud and identity platforms. Stay up to date on the latest attack trends and build strong detections across the kill chain—covering agentic AI & LLM threats, cloud and identity-based attacks. Collaborate with multiple product and engineering teams to design the next iteration of security products, implement detection ideas and validate their effectiveness using a data-driven approach. Collaborate with data science teams to drive ML based protections, understand, and identify detection gaps, capabilities, assumptions, and improvements. Provide cybersecurity expertise as needed during security escalations and incidents to help protect Microsoft and our customers.

Qualifications

• You have at least 10+ years of experience in the computer security industry, including adversary tradecraft, security operations, incident response, threat hunting, and emerging threats in modern cloud environments
• You hare at least 4+ years of experience in researching, prototyping, and defining engineering requirements for threat protection systems
• B.Sc. or M.Sc. in Computer Science, Software Engineering, or equivalent practical experience.
• Strong problem-solving skills and ability to work in ambiguous situations
• Deep knowledge of the security threat landscape, attacker kill chain, and MITRE ATT&CK, especially in cloud, application, identity, and AI-related scenarios
• Experience leading projects from concept through design, coding, testing, and maintenance
  
  

Preffered Qualifications / Other Requirements

• Proficiency in C#, Python, or Rust
• Familiarity with public and hybrid cloud enterprise services
• Team player with strong collaboration skills.
  
  

Ability to meet Microsoft, customer and/or government security screening requirements are required for this role. These requirements include, but are not limited to the following specialized security screenings: Microsoft Cloud Background Check:

• This position will be required to pass the Microsoft background and Microsoft Cloud background check upon hire/transfer and every two years thereafter.
  
  

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Microsoft is an equal opportunity employer. Consistent with applicable law, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to age, ancestry, citizenship, color, family or medical care leave, gender identity or expression, genetic information, immigration status, marital status, medical condition, national origin, physical or mental disability, political affiliation, protected veteran or military status, race, ethnicity, religion, sex (including pregnancy), sexual orientation, or any other characteristic protected by applicable local laws, regulations and ordinances. If you need assistance and/or a reasonable accommodation due to a disability during the application process, read more about requesting accommodations.