A better internet, where privacy is the default, is possible. Building this better internet might seem daunting or even unthinkable, but at Proton, this is what we do every day.  

Proton was founded in 2014 by a group of scientists who met at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Our first product, Proton Mail, is now the world’s largest encrypted email service. Subsequent Proton products, such as Proton VPN, Proton Calendar, Proton Drive, and Proton Pass give our users full control over how and with whom their data is shared.  

Today, Proton makes privacy universally accessible. Journalists from outlets like The Guardian and The New York Times, some of the world’s largest organizations, and people in more than 180 countries have signed up for over 100 million accounts. Our diverse and dynamic team is made up of more than 400 members representing over 40 different nationalities. While we are based in Geneva, Switzerland, we have offices in Zurich, Prague, London, Vilnius, Skopje, Taipei, Barcelona, Paris and many more employees working remotely around the world.  

Join one of Europe’s fastest-growing companies to help us solve challenging problems and build new products that will reach hundreds of millions of people. We want to create more than just one of the world’s most impactful tech companies; we want to create a new internet that serves the interests of all people. We need you, your voice, your ideas, and your ambition to make it happen.   

Purpose of the role

As part of this role, you will be attached to the MSA department, and will also work jointly with the Security team. 


The MSA department is a highly multi-disciplinary group started in 2019 to tackle difficult mail delivery, spam and abuse problems. We built sophisticated systems from scratch that combine human intelligence and machine learning to make tens of millions of real-time or asynchronous decisions each day. As of 2022, our three areas of focus are 1) mail delivery and spam, 2) abuse and account security, and 3) site reliability of Proton. Over the past years, our custom systems have reduced spam filter misclassifications by over 50%, blocked millions of abusive bulk signups, protected hundreds of thousands of users from account compromise by attackers, and mitigated hundreds of DDoS attacks. In order to move fast with limited resources, we are organized into autonomous teams responsible for the whole system, with expertise across infrastructure, data storage, backend, frontend, machine learning, security and operational excellence. In 3 years, we grew from 2 engineers to over 30 engineers and analysts, spread across 3 continents for 24/7 coverage. We are looking for humble, mission- driven, systems-thinking people who want to make a big impact in a startup environment.


The Security team is tasked with protecting Proton’s against various cyber-security threats. We ensure the confidentiality, availability and integrity of thousands of assets, necessary to the fulfillment of Proton’s privacy mission. Since 2018, the team has been providing services to other business units, including security monitoring, risk management, internal advisory , product security auditing, vulnerability management and identity & access management. Our mandate includes the protection of people, devices, applications, infrastructure, data and software within the company. 

What you will do

  • Monitor and triage alerts from our security and anti-abuse systems
  • Escalate and help contain threats
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement of Proton’s security and anti-abuse posture, by providing feedback on detection, tools and procedures
  • Contribute to the continuous improvement by providing insights and feedback to various teams within Proton (e.g., Software and Machine Learning Engineers) to help design and improve our systems 
  • Safely analyze suspicious files to determine if they are malicious
  • Perform security evaluations (Red and Purple Team operations) and penetration testing.
  • Perform vulnerability research and exploitation against systems and tools used by Proton.
  • Research, develop, and apply offensive tactics, techniques and procedures in order to effectively mimic the capabilities of relevant threat actors
  • Automate repetitive exploitation activities when applicable

Job requirements

  • Experience performing data analysis (preferable but not limited to electronic communications, anomaly detection or fraud prevention)
  • Strong logical reasoning and analytical skills
  • Proven understanding of the attack lifecycle
  • Curiosity and appetite for learning technical matters

Bonus points for:

  • Experience with Python
  • Knowledge about Operating Systems (any Linux, Windows or macOS) and their Security
  • Knowledge about Networking and Network Security
  • Experience with offensive security
  • Experience understanding security vulnerabilities and bypassing security measures.
  • Working and analyzing data on Kibana
  • Any other relevant security or IT experience

 

 Why should you join Proton?  

  • Be part of a movement - Proton is not just a product or service but a community-driven movement united by a shared vision of online freedom. Our services are open source, audited, and supported by community contributions. We give back to our community by maintaining core encryption libraries and by supporting other organizations furthering the same goals as us. Proton is free, open source, neutral, independent, and community first, while remaining financially sustainable.  
  • Work with smart and dedicated people - Our team is diverse, collaborative, and tight-knit with people coming from all walks of life, including many of the world’s top academic institutions and organizations, such as MIT, Harvard, Stanford, Caltech, Cambridge, and ETH.  
  • Join a strong brand - Our encrypted email service - Proton Mail - has grown to be a staple of online security and privacy. Proton has been featured in multiple popular television and film productions, such as Mr. Robot, Knives Out, Sounds of Metal, and more.  
  • Grow with us - We’re one of Europe’s fastest-growing startups, doubling in size every year. Our growth gives you limitless career and educational opportunities as well as the opportunity to work side-by-side with many world-leading experts in their fields. 
  • Have your voice heard - We value your opinion and encourage you to speak up and share your ideas and thoughts. At Proton, no problem is someone else’s problem. We collectively strive to do the right thing and be the undisputed best in the world at everything we do. 
  • Benefits – these vary by location and type of contract but expect support on your vacation, parental leave, refreshment if working from the office, learning and development opportunities, equity for shared success, flexible working hours and remote work, company events and team building activities.   

Proton does not accept unsolicited resumes from any sources other than directly from a candidate. Proton will not pay a fee for any placement resulting from the receipt of an unsolicited offer, even in a situation when the relevant candidate is employed by Proton.  

To learn more about our privacy policy, please visit https://boards.eu.greenhouse.io/protongdpr.

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