Principal Security Researcher
US$162,500 – US$263,000 / yr base salary
Posted 1 Sep 2026
Advertised as “Principal Security Researcher (Decoder)”
BranchFactor Summary
The original posting with the fluff stripped out
- Expected experience
- 5+ yrs
- Management level
- Individual contributor
- Contract
- Full-time
- Visa sponsorship
- Offered
| Base salary | US$162,500 – US$263,000 / yr |
|---|
Field of studyComputer Science, Electrical Engineering (or related)
Study levelBachelor's or higher
Our Mission
At Palo Alto Networks®, we’re united by a shared mission—to protect our digital way of life. We thrive at the intersection of innovation and impact, solving real-world problems with cutting-edge technology and bold thinking. Here, everyone has a voice, and every idea counts. If you’re ready to do the most meaningful work of your career alongside people who are just as passionate as you are, you’re in the right place.
Who We Are
In order to be the cybersecurity partner of choice, we must trailblaze the path and shape the future of our industry. This is something our employees work at each day and is defined by our values: Disruption, Collaboration, Execution, Integrity, and Inclusion. We weave AI into the fabric of everything we do and use it to augment the impact every individual can have. If you are passionate about solving real-world problems and ideating beside the best and the brightest, we invite you to join us!
We believe collaboration thrives in person. That’s why most of our teams work from the office full time, with flexibility when it’s needed. This model supports real-time problem-solving, stronger relationships, and the kind of precision that drives great outcomes.
Job Summary
Your Career
You will be part of the team that develops the Intrusion Prevention System to power the Palo Alto Networks’s next generation firewall. The Decoder team is responsible for decoding network protocols and inspecting application traffic on enterprise customers’ networks, providing common service to support a variety of network security services.
As a member of the Decoder team, you have the opportunity to work on our security engine, and collaborate with different intelligent teams on various advanced cybersecurity products.
Your Impact
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Research networking protocols and related application networking behavior.
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Research file types and file properties.
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Research and provide defense mechanisms against popular protocol/firewall evasions
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Develop protocol and file decoders, and integrate the detection solutions with Palo Alto Networks products
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Build common services to support various network security services.
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Develop internal tools to monitor and support the cyber security products.
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Cross-team collaboration, discover and integrate advanced cybersecurity features to inline product solutions.
Qualifications