Of course you’d rather intern with Matasano!

Thomas Ptacek | April 24th, 2008 | Filed Under: Matasano

Are you a student looking for some experience in the information security field?

Why, yes!

Consider an internship with Matasano, in Chicago or New York. This is a paid position.

Sounds interesting. I’ve interned for security companies in the past, and got experience making copies of TPS reports, delivering mail, and even providing back massages to senior partners. What can I expect from you?

At Matasano, you can expect to do those things too. But you can also expect to:

  • Learn or hone reverse engineering skills

  • Research vulnerabilities in high-profile software

  • Find zero-day vulnerabilities and never talk about them!

  • Write reversing and security testing tools in fun languages like Ruby or ok wait just Ruby.

Not sold yet?

No.

Consider some of the projects our interns have worked on: web applications your mother has heard of, plus many that she hasn’t! Hardware and RTOS systems built for CPUs that are documented only in secret binutils distributions from India! Popular cryptosystems deployed throughout the Fortune 500!

What’s an RTOS?

Exactly! Consider whether you’re going to learn more with us than at any other internship:

  • You’ll do vulnerability research work almost exclusively.

  • You’ll likely get a diverse set of targets, from Win32 to custom embedded platforms.

  • You’ll have opportunities to work at a very low level (for instance, firmware and chipsets) and at very high levels (for instance, AJAX toolkits).

  • You’ll get a chance to develop and promote new security tools and techniques.

But I don’t know how to do most of this stuff, Thomas.

Can you code?

Sure, in Python.

Are you… interested in any of that RTOS-y, firmware-y, crypto-y security stuff?

I might be if you’d tell me what it is.

Excellent! You’ll fit right in. Here are our requirements:

  • Strong computer programming skills, in any language. You don’t need to be an expert C programmer, but be forewarned, you may be one by the time you leave.

  • Enrollment in a computer science curriculum.

  • Strong written English skills.

  • Ability to work consistent on-site core hours in either Chicago (we’re in the Loop) or Manhattan (we’re downtown).

Do you have any more details?

I do!

  • This is a salaried position.

  • Interships run between 10-12 weeks.

  • Office space and computers (we’re a Mac shop) provided.

How do I apply?

Email us at careers@matasano.com.

23 Comments so far

  • Matt

    April 24th, 2008 5:28 pm

    Open up a West Coast office and I’m there ;)

  • Daniel Axelrod

    April 24th, 2008 5:46 pm

    Sounds like a fantastic opportunity. Unfortunately, you’re at least several months late in announcing it. Most students are done with their summer employment plans (i.e. have accepted job offers) by late February.

    Ideally, I suggest you shoot for making your summer positions known Novemberish.

    Good luck tho!

  • Thomas Ptacek

    April 24th, 2008 5:51 pm

    We know, but we just opened up more slots. Better late than never!

    My advice: quit your current internship. We’re much cooler.

  • Matt

    April 24th, 2008 6:05 pm

    We’re much cooler

    If I take the office out to happy hour and run up a $900 bar tab, will you reimburse me? That’s how cool my last internship was…

  • Mike

    April 24th, 2008 6:54 pm

    Way to be late, I already have an internship ;). For future reference, do you all happen to offer relocation funds and/or housing assistance?

  • Thomas Ptacek

    April 24th, 2008 7:42 pm

    I don’t know, Matt. What did you work on while you were there? If you can drink $900 worth of something that doesn’t come out of a diamond-encrusted bottle hand delivered by a board member of LVMH, then, yes, I’ll comp you personally.

    If you’re picking your internship based on the bar tabs, we might not be the best fit for you, though.

  • Andrew

    April 24th, 2008 7:58 pm

    Ah!

    Major bummer! Well, there is always next year :)

  • Nathan Ramella

    April 24th, 2008 8:38 pm

    This is only appealing if part of the on the job training includes honing my skills at spotting the fed.

  • Matt

    April 24th, 2008 11:12 pm

    My project last summer was very algorithms-intensive and I was really happy with the code I wrote, but I can’t really say much more (it would involve discussing top sekrit network infrastructure).

    All kidding aside, I think Matasano would be a pretty awesome place to intern — I’ll keep you guys in mind for next year.

  • lol

    April 24th, 2008 11:35 pm

    You had me up until having to use macs

  • Thomas Ptacek

    April 24th, 2008 11:42 pm

    You had us until you said that.

  • lol

    April 24th, 2008 11:43 pm

    Can you wipe the disk and install gentoo?

  • Thomas Ptacek

    April 24th, 2008 11:51 pm

    Only if you hand tune your CFLAGS to compile everything for 686 so all your code doesn’t run only as fast as a 386. Don’t forget to omit frame pointers.

  • lol

    April 25th, 2008 12:00 am

    fast-math, tree-vectorize, and O3 are also required for stable and quick builds.

  • lol

    April 25th, 2008 12:05 am

    When can I start? Do I get blog access?

  • daniel palacio

    April 25th, 2008 11:05 am

    Awesome opportunity, although I already have an internship at immunity, which is also awesome. Are you hiring for full-time too ? I am in indiana area, and I can probably make it to next ChiSec on wednesday if you don’t mind discussing a little about jobs etc.

  • Neat

    April 25th, 2008 12:06 pm

    Sounds awesome.

    Makes me wish I was a student again, and able to apply. (Of course, I’m a little far away here in Canada)

  • Sunil

    April 26th, 2008 8:16 am

    This is a challenging opportunity. Are you open to international talent?

  • Lennie

    April 27th, 2008 5:00 pm

    Oh man, too bad I already have an internship. Will you be looking for full time next year?

  • hugin

    April 28th, 2008 9:50 am

    I’d be hugely interested were I not already Taken for this summer, and graduating after that… Matasano sounds like entirely too fun a shop to have missed interning for. SAD FACE.

  • Steve

    April 28th, 2008 12:29 pm

    Neat’s got it right, that kind of experience + working in Manhattan has me reconsidering my $65K government contractor IA job.

  • grey

    May 2nd, 2008 3:00 pm

    I definitely know at least a young not-jaded person or two who would jump at this (and be able to learn a lot no doubt), but why are you limiting it to Chicago/NYC, I mean you guys all work remotely I thought?

  • Wes Brown

    May 2nd, 2008 3:47 pm

    Nope, we don’t work remotely, though we do have remote gigs. Every morning I get up and trundle into the office, and I’m rather enjoying the culture and the closer contact with my fellow Matasano’ers. Also, reverse engineering gigs often require that we be physically in the office to work on the hardware that’s been provided us.

    It’s worth it, I promise you. :)

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