Cybersecurity Intern - Summer 2026 at Varda Space… · El Segundo

Summary: Varda is a company focused on developing commercial space infrastructure, aiming to create products that benefit life on Earth. The Cybersecurity Intern will assist the Information Security team in monitoring security alerts, preparing for audits, and gaining hands-on experience with security tools and practices. Responsibilities: - Help review security alerts that come in each day. You will read them, decide what they are, and write down what you did about them - Help set up, fine tune, and improve the way our security tools are configured. These tools include Zscaler, CrowdStrike, ThreatLocker, Darktrace, and AlienVault. You will work with your lead to adjust settings, clean up noisy alerts, and make sure each tool is doing its job well - Help keep our security event logs up to date, so we have a clear record of what happened and how it was handled - Pull sample logs from our security tools and organize them, so we can show an auditor that we are watching the right things - Help keep track of the reports we get from our outside security partner, making sure they arrive on time and get filed in the right place - Help upload reports and updates into the software we use to track our compliance work - Work on one bigger summer project that you own from start to finish. You will pick this with your lead in the first week. Some examples: a report on gaps in our logging, a refreshed incident response guide, or a simple dashboard Required Qualifications: - You are a current undergrad in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology, information systems, or a similar major - You will be a rising junior or rising senior this coming fall - You plan to graduate between December 2026 and June 2027 - You have taken classes or taught yourself at least two of these: networking, how operating systems work, how user accounts and passwords are managed, how to respond to security incidents, or how to watch for security problems - You are comfortable reading logs and working with data in a spreadsheet - You know what a basic script is, even if you have not written many - You write clearly - You are organized, you pay attention to details, and you are willing to ask questions when something is unclear - You are allowed to work in the United States for the full length of the internship without needing us to sponsor a visa Preferred Qualifications: - You are working toward a beginner certification like CompTIA Security Plus or Network Plus - You have played with security tools on your own, in a home lab, in a school club, or in a capture the flag competition - You have used or read about any of these tools: Zscaler, CrowdStrike, ThreatLocker, Darktrace, AlienVault, Okta, or Vanta - You have heard of compliance frameworks like NIST 800 171, NIST 800 53, ISO 27001, or CMMC and understand the basics - You can write simple scripts in Python, PowerShell, or Bash Required Skills: Networking, Operating systems, User account, password management, Security incident response, Security monitoring, Log analysis, Spreadsheet data handling, Basic scripting, Cybersecurity tools configuration, CompTIA Security Plus, CompTIA Network Plus, Security compliance frameworks, Clear writing Internship Start Date: Start in 2026 Summer Benefits: Exciting team of professionals at the top of their field working by your side, Equity in a fully funded space startup with potential for significant growth (interns excluded), 401(k) matching (interns excluded), Unlimited PTO (interns excluded), Health insurance, including Vision and Dental, Lunch and snacks provided on site every day. Dinners provided twice a week., Maternity / Paternity leave (interns excluded)