OPT Cybersecurity Intern Jobs
Cybersecurity Intern roles are among the most OPT-friendly positions in tech. Many employers file H-1B visa sponsorship for strong interns after graduation, making this a strategic first step. STEM OPT extension eligibility applies, giving you up to three years of work authorization to build your security career in the U.S.
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About the Team
TikTok is seeking a GRC Cybersecurity Controls Analyst to join the TikTok USDS Joint Venture (JV) GRC Controls & Certifications team. This role will support the operation, testing, and continuous improvement of the controls framework and will help drive audit readiness across key security, compliance, privacy, and regulatory obligations. The candidate will work closely with control owners, product teams, security teams, privacy, legal, internal audit, external auditors, and GRC leadership to evaluate control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
About the Role
The role will support control testing, evidence review, audit response coordination, control narrative development, and issue identification across frameworks and obligations such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, PCI, control validation, and other certification or assessment activities. The candidate will also help mature the team’s approach to GRC automation and engineering. This includes improving how controls are mapped, tested, monitored, and reported through tooling, dashboards, structured data, workflow automation, evidence recommendations, and scalable testing. The ideal candidate is comfortable working at the intersection of GRC, security controls, audit readiness, and process automation.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support the maintenance and continuous improvement of the controls framework, including control descriptions, mappings, owners, evidence expectations, testing procedures, and control narratives.
- Perform control testing and validation activities, including design, implementation, and operating effectiveness testing.
- Review evidence submitted by control owners and product teams to determine whether it sufficiently demonstrates control performance and meets audit or assessment expectations.
- Coordinate with control owners, evidence owners, product teams, and GRC stakeholders to resolve evidence gaps, clarify control intent, and improve testing quality.
- Support internal and external audits, certifications, and assessments, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI, NIST CSF, and other GRC obligations.
- Support GRC automation initiatives by helping define requirements for workflow automation, control monitoring, and scalable control testing processes.
- Work with technical and engineering teams to understand security tools, data sources, system-generated evidence, and opportunities to automate or improve control validation.
- Contribute to a culture of high-quality documentation, defensible controls testing, and continuous improvement across the Controls & Certifications function.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Risk Management, Compliance, Engineering, Data Analytics, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years of experience in GRC, IT risk, security controls, audit readiness, control testing, compliance, security assurance, or a related field. Experience performing or supporting control testing, including evaluating control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
- Experience gathering, reviewing, and assessing technical control evidence from stakeholders, systems, tools, dashboards, or documentation repositories. Working knowledge of security and compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, or similar control frameworks.
- Familiarity with security domains such as Identity and Access Management, Vulnerability Management, Incident Management, Asset Management, Logging and Monitoring, Data Security, SDLC, Third-Party Risk Management, Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery, or Privacy.
- Strong writing and documentation skills, with the ability to create clear control narratives, evidence and testing summaries, and status updates. Strong analytical skills and ability to assess whether evidence meets the intent of a control, requirement, or audit request.
- Experience working with control owners, technical teams, auditors, legal, privacy, compliance, or cross-functional stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple workstreams, follow up on open items, identify blockers, and communicate risks clearly. Demonstrated teamwork and collaboration skills, especially in fast-moving, cross-functional environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional certification such as CISA, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor / Lead Implementer, or equivalent.
- Experience supporting external audits, security certifications, or regulatory assessments such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, NIST CSF, or national security / data protection obligations.
- Experience with GRC automation, control monitoring, evidence automation, dashboarding, workflow design, or data-driven control testing. Experience working with engineering, security, infrastructure, product, or data teams to translate technical processes into control evidence and audit-ready narratives.
- Familiarity with automation, scripting, SQL, APIs, or data workflows used to improve GRC operations.
- Experience maintaining or improving a control library, control framework, control mapping, or integrated compliance framework. Experience identifying evidence quality issues, control design gaps, operating effectiveness concerns, or audit readiness risks.
About USDS
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $98,800 - $196,000 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
- Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
- Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
- Exercising sound judgment.
Responsibilities
About the Team
TikTok is seeking a GRC Cybersecurity Controls Analyst to join the TikTok USDS Joint Venture (JV) GRC Controls & Certifications team. This role will support the operation, testing, and continuous improvement of the controls framework and will help drive audit readiness across key security, compliance, privacy, and regulatory obligations. The candidate will work closely with control owners, product teams, security teams, privacy, legal, internal audit, external auditors, and GRC leadership to evaluate control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
About the Role
The role will support control testing, evidence review, audit response coordination, control narrative development, and issue identification across frameworks and obligations such as ISO 27001, SOC 2, NIST CSF, PCI, control validation, and other certification or assessment activities. The candidate will also help mature the team’s approach to GRC automation and engineering. This includes improving how controls are mapped, tested, monitored, and reported through tooling, dashboards, structured data, workflow automation, evidence recommendations, and scalable testing. The ideal candidate is comfortable working at the intersection of GRC, security controls, audit readiness, and process automation.
Key responsibilities include:
- Support the maintenance and continuous improvement of the controls framework, including control descriptions, mappings, owners, evidence expectations, testing procedures, and control narratives.
- Perform control testing and validation activities, including design, implementation, and operating effectiveness testing.
- Review evidence submitted by control owners and product teams to determine whether it sufficiently demonstrates control performance and meets audit or assessment expectations.
- Coordinate with control owners, evidence owners, product teams, and GRC stakeholders to resolve evidence gaps, clarify control intent, and improve testing quality.
- Support internal and external audits, certifications, and assessments, including ISO 27001, SOC 2, PCI, NIST CSF, and other GRC obligations.
- Support GRC automation initiatives by helping define requirements for workflow automation, control monitoring, and scalable control testing processes.
- Work with technical and engineering teams to understand security tools, data sources, system-generated evidence, and opportunities to automate or improve control validation.
- Contribute to a culture of high-quality documentation, defensible controls testing, and continuous improvement across the Controls & Certifications function.
Qualifications
Minimum Qualifications
- Bachelor’s degree in Information Security, Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Risk Management, Compliance, Engineering, Data Analytics, or a related discipline, or equivalent practical experience.
- 3+ years of experience in GRC, IT risk, security controls, audit readiness, control testing, compliance, security assurance, or a related field. Experience performing or supporting control testing, including evaluating control design, implementation, and operating effectiveness.
- Experience gathering, reviewing, and assessing technical control evidence from stakeholders, systems, tools, dashboards, or documentation repositories. Working knowledge of security and compliance frameworks such as ISO 27001, NIST CSF, SOC 2, PCI-DSS, or similar control frameworks.
- Familiarity with security domains such as Identity and Access Management, Vulnerability Management, Incident Management, Asset Management, Logging and Monitoring, Data Security, SDLC, Third-Party Risk Management, Business Continuity / Disaster Recovery, or Privacy.
- Strong writing and documentation skills, with the ability to create clear control narratives, evidence and testing summaries, and status updates. Strong analytical skills and ability to assess whether evidence meets the intent of a control, requirement, or audit request.
- Experience working with control owners, technical teams, auditors, legal, privacy, compliance, or cross-functional stakeholders. Ability to manage multiple workstreams, follow up on open items, identify blockers, and communicate risks clearly. Demonstrated teamwork and collaboration skills, especially in fast-moving, cross-functional environments.
Preferred Qualifications
- Professional certification such as CISA, CISSP, CISM, CRISC, CDPSE, ISO 27001 Lead Auditor / Lead Implementer, or equivalent.
- Experience supporting external audits, security certifications, or regulatory assessments such as SOC 2, ISO 27001, PCI, NIST CSF, or national security / data protection obligations.
- Experience with GRC automation, control monitoring, evidence automation, dashboarding, workflow design, or data-driven control testing. Experience working with engineering, security, infrastructure, product, or data teams to translate technical processes into control evidence and audit-ready narratives.
- Familiarity with automation, scripting, SQL, APIs, or data workflows used to improve GRC operations.
- Experience maintaining or improving a control library, control framework, control mapping, or integrated compliance framework. Experience identifying evidence quality issues, control design gaps, operating effectiveness concerns, or audit readiness risks.
About USDS
TikTok USDS Joint Venture LLC is dedicated to the safety and security of millions of Americans who create, discover, and connect with what they love on the apps we operate. The Joint Venture has been established in compliance with the Executive Order signed by President Trump on September 25, 2025. Our foundation is a comprehensive data privacy and cybersecurity program we operate under defined safeguards to protect national security and secure U.S. user data, apps and the algorithm. We safeguard the U.S. content ecosystem, holding decision-making authority for trust and safety policies and moderation. USDS Joint Venture helps ensure Americans can continue to express their creativity, discover new hobbies and interests, and build thriving communities and businesses on a global scale.
On-site presence across teams allows the company to operate with greater speed, alignment, and agility — especially in areas like real-time decision-making, team development, and integrated execution. As such, the company is shifting from a hybrid work model to a fully in-person schedule up to 5 days a week.
Why Join Us
Inspiring creativity is at the core of TikTok's mission. Our innovative product is built to help people authentically express themselves, discover and connect – and our global, diverse teams make that possible. Together, we create value for our communities, inspire creativity and bring joy – a mission we work towards every day.
We strive to do great things with great people. We lead with curiosity, humility, and a desire to make impact in a rapidly growing tech company. Every challenge is an opportunity to learn and innovate as one team. We're resilient and embrace challenges as they come. By constantly iterating and fostering an "Always Day 1" mindset, we achieve meaningful breakthroughs for ourselves, our company, and our users. When we create and grow together, the possibilities are limitless. Join us.
Diversity & Inclusion
TikTok is committed to creating an inclusive space where employees are valued for their skills, experiences, and unique perspectives. Our platform connects people from across the globe and so does our workplace. At TikTok, our mission is to inspire creativity and bring joy. To achieve that goal, we are committed to celebrating our diverse voices and to creating an environment that reflects the many communities we reach. We are passionate about this and hope you are too.
USDS Reasonable Accommodation
USDS is committed to providing reasonable accommodations in our recruitment processes for candidates with disabilities, pregnancy, sincerely held religious beliefs or other reasons protected by applicable laws. If you need assistance or a reasonable accommodation, please reach out to us at https://tinyurl.com/USDS-RA
Job Information
【For Pay Transparency】Compensation Description (Annually)
The base salary range for this position in the selected city is $98,800 - $196,000 annually. Compensation may vary outside of this range depending on a number of factors, including a candidate’s qualifications, skills, competencies and experience, and location. Base pay is one part of the Total Package that is provided to compensate and recognize employees for their work, and this role may be eligible for additional discretionary bonuses/incentives, and restricted stock units.
Benefits may vary depending on the nature of employment and the country work location. Employees have day one access to medical, dental, and vision insurance, a 401(k) savings plan with company match, paid parental leave, short-term and long-term disability coverage, life insurance, wellbeing benefits, among others. Employees also receive 10 paid holidays per year, 10 paid sick days per year and 17 days of Paid Personal Time (prorated upon hire with increasing accruals by tenure).
The Company reserves the right to modify or change these benefits programs at any time, with or without notice.
For Los Angeles County (unincorporated) Candidates:
Qualified applicants with arrest or conviction records will be considered for employment in accordance with all federal, state, and local laws including the Los Angeles County Fair Chance Ordinance for Employers and the California Fair Chance Act. Our company believes that criminal history may have a direct, adverse and negative relationship on the following job duties, potentially resulting in the withdrawal of the conditional offer of employment:
- Interacting and occasionally having unsupervised contact with internal/external clients and/or colleagues;
- Appropriately handling and managing confidential information including proprietary and trade secret information and access to information technology systems; and
- Exercising sound judgment.
See all 276+ OPT Cybersecurity Intern Jobs
Sign up for free to unlock all listings, filter by visa type, and get alerts for new OPT Cybersecurity Intern Jobs.
Get Access To All JobsTips for Finding OPT Sponsorship as a Cybersecurity Intern
Target employers with active security practices
Companies with dedicated security operations centers, compliance teams, or government contracts are far more likely to sponsor visas long-term. Look for roles tied to frameworks like NIST, SOC 2, or FedRAMP, which signal mature, resource-backed security programs.
Lead with certifications, not just coursework
CompTIA Security+, Google Cybersecurity Certificate, or even in-progress certifications signal hands-on commitment. Hiring managers in security weight certifications heavily because they demonstrate practical skills independent of your university program or GPA.
Apply before your OPT start date is set
Most cybersecurity internships require background checks, which add two to four weeks to onboarding. Start your job search at least six weeks before your intended start date to avoid gaps between your I-20 end date and authorized employment.
Clarify your STEM OPT eligibility early
Cybersecurity, computer science, and information assurance degrees typically qualify for the 24-month STEM extension. Confirming your CIP code with your DSO before interviews lets you confidently communicate your full three-year work authorization timeline to employers.
Highlight lab experience and CTF participation
Capture the Flag competitions, TryHackMe labs, and home network projects are taken seriously in cybersecurity hiring. These demonstrate initiative that classroom projects cannot, and they give hiring managers concrete technical skills to evaluate beyond your degree.
Ask about conversion and sponsorship policy before accepting
Some employers hire interns with no intent to sponsor H-1B visas after graduation. Ask directly during the offer stage whether the company has sponsored prior interns and whether a full-time conversion pathway exists for international students.
Cybersecurity Intern OPT: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I work as a Cybersecurity Intern on OPT?
Yes, as long as the role is directly related to your field of study. Cybersecurity internships typically qualify for students with degrees in computer science, information assurance, cybersecurity, or related STEM fields. Your employment must begin on or after your OPT start date printed on your EAD card, and the role must be paid or formally structured as an authorized unpaid position approved by your DSO.
Does a Cybersecurity Intern position qualify for the STEM OPT extension?
It depends on your degree's CIP code, not the job title. Degrees in cybersecurity, computer science, information technology, and information assurance commonly qualify. If your degree falls under an eligible STEM CIP code, you can apply for the 24-month extension, giving you a total of three years of OPT work authorization. Confirm your CIP code with your DSO before your initial 12-month OPT period ends.
How do I find Cybersecurity Intern roles that are open to OPT students?
Migrate Mate is built specifically for F-1 OPT and STEM OPT students, so every job listed is vetted for visa sponsorship compatibility. Searching there filters out roles where employers have explicitly ruled out work authorization candidates, saving you the time of applying to positions that will screen you out at the offer stage.
Do Cybersecurity Intern employers typically sponsor H-1B visas after graduation?
Many do, particularly large technology companies, defense contractors, and financial institutions with dedicated security teams. Internships are often used as a pipeline for full-time hires, and employers who invest in training interns have a financial incentive to retain them. That said, sponsorship is never guaranteed, and smaller employers or staffing agencies rarely sponsor. Ask about sponsorship policy directly before accepting any offer.
What happens to my OPT status if my Cybersecurity Internship ends before my EAD expires?
You enter a 60-day grace period once your employment ends. During those 60 days, you can search for a new position, transfer to a different visa status, or prepare to depart the U.S. You cannot work during the grace period. If you secure a new role related to your degree, you can resume authorized employment under your existing EAD without filing a new OPT application, provided your EAD is still valid.