What is a Security Engineer at AIG?

As a Security Engineer specializing as a Cyber Threat Intelligence Analyst at AIG, you are the vanguard of our cybersecurity defense. AIG is a leading global insurance organization operating in approximately 70 countries and jurisdictions. The technology systems you help protect are the lifeblood of our business, enabling everything from underwriting complex global risks to processing critical claims for individuals and corporations. In this role, your work directly shields our infrastructure, our colleagues, and our clients from sophisticated cyber adversaries.

This position is not a standard defensive engineering role; it is deeply rooted in intelligence gathering and strategic analysis. You will operate within an interdisciplinary Cyber Threat Intelligence (CTI) team that develops advanced analytical frameworks to identify emerging threats. By analyzing the technical and behavioral aspects of malicious cyber activity—ranging from organized cybercriminal groups to state-sponsored actors—you provide the crucial situational awareness that dictates our defensive posture. Your insights will directly influence how AIG maps adversary behavior to detection and mitigation strategies.

What makes this role uniquely compelling is the scale and geopolitical context of the work. Because AIG operates globally, you will not only analyze malware and Indicators of Compromise (IOCs), but you will also evaluate how global geopolitical dynamics influence cyber risk. You will be expected to conduct deep-dive investigations using OSINT, dark web sources, and internal telemetry, translating complex technical data into actionable intelligence for both tactical engineering teams and executive leadership.

Common Interview Questions

The questions below represent the types of inquiries you will face during your interviews. They are drawn from core evaluation themes for the Security Engineer role at AIG. While you should not memorize answers, you should use these to practice structuring your thoughts and identifying patterns in how we assess candidates.

Threat Intelligence & Frameworks

This category tests your foundational knowledge of how intelligence is structured, categorized, and operationalized to defend an enterprise.

• Walk me through the phases of the threat intelligence lifecycle. Which phase do you find most challenging?
• How do you leverage the MITRE ATT&CK framework to improve an organization's security posture?
• Can you explain the difference between tactical, operational, and strategic threat intelligence?
• Describe a common malware family currently targeting the financial sector and explain its typical infection chain.
• How do you evaluate the reliability and credibility of a new intelligence source?

Technical Investigations & Analysis

These questions evaluate your hands-on investigative tradecraft and your ability to connect disparate technical indicators.

• If you find a suspicious IP address in our firewall logs, what specific tools and steps do you use to investigate it?
• Describe a time you used OSINT to uncover the infrastructure of a threat actor.
• How do you safely conduct research on dark web marketplaces without compromising your operational security?
• What is passive DNS, and how would you use it in an investigation?
• Explain how you would analyze a suspected phishing email to extract actionable IOCs.

Behavioral & Strategic Communication

We need to know how you work within a team, how you handle ambiguity, and how you translate complex threats into business risks.

• Tell me about a time you had to present highly technical research findings to an executive audience. How did you alter your delivery?
• Describe a situation where you had conflicting intelligence from two different sources. How did you resolve the discrepancy?
• How do you stay updated on global geopolitical events, and how have you applied that knowledge to a security context?
• Give an example of how you have mentored a junior analyst or improved the analytic tradecraft of your team.
• Tell me about a time you had to deliver an intelligence product under a very tight deadline.

Getting Ready for Your Interviews

Preparation is the key to demonstrating your readiness for the complex, fast-paced environment at AIG. We want to see how you think, how you investigate, and how you communicate your findings.

During your interviews, you will be evaluated against several core criteria:

• Role-Related Knowledge – We assess your deep understanding of the threat intelligence lifecycle, common threat actor tools, malware families, and your ability to leverage frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK. You can demonstrate strength here by using precise technical terminology and referencing recent, real-world cyber campaigns.
• Analytical Problem-Solving – Interviewers will evaluate your investigative tradecraft. We want to see how you pivot from a single data point (like an IP address or a phishing email) to uncover broader adversary infrastructure and intent using OSINT and telemetry.
• Strategic Communication – Because you will produce intelligence for various stakeholders, we look for your ability to distill raw, complex information into concise, actionable reporting. Strong candidates seamlessly transition between technical deep dives and high-level executive summaries.
• Culture Fit and Adversary Awareness – AIG values a culture of curiosity, critical thinking, and collaboration. We evaluate your passion for the cybersecurity community, your geopolitical awareness, and your ability to mentor junior analysts and work effectively within an interdisciplinary team.

Interview Process Overview

The interview process for a Security Engineer at AIG is designed to be thorough, engaging, and reflective of the actual work you will do on the CTI team. You can expect a structured progression that balances technical rigor with behavioral and strategic assessments. The process typically begins with an initial screening by our talent acquisition team to align on your background, expectations, and fundamental knowledge of the threat landscape.

Following the initial screen, you will move into discussions with hiring managers and senior members of the Information Technology and cybersecurity teams. These rounds will dive deep into your investigative methodologies, your familiarity with intelligence collection tools, and your understanding of global cyber risks. You may also be asked to walk through past intelligence reports you have authored or discuss how you would brief leadership on an emerging threat. AIG places a heavy emphasis on practical application, so expect scenario-based questions rather than simple trivia.

This visual timeline outlines the typical stages of your interview journey, from the initial recruiter screen to the final comprehensive panel. Use this map to pace your preparation, ensuring you are ready to discuss your foundational technical skills early on, while saving your deepest strategic and behavioral examples for the final rounds. Note that specific stages may occasionally blend depending on interviewer availability, but the core evaluation themes will remain consistent.

Deep Dive into Evaluation Areas

To succeed in your interviews, you must demonstrate proficiency across several critical domains. Our interviewers will probe these areas using both historical examples from your resume and hypothetical scenarios relevant to AIG.

Threat Intelligence & Frameworks

Understanding how to structure and operationalize intelligence is paramount. Interviewers will test your grasp of standard methodologies that turn raw data into actionable insights. We want to see that your investigations are methodical and repeatable.

Be ready to go over:

• The Threat Intelligence Lifecycle – Planning, collection, processing, analysis, dissemination, and feedback.
• MITRE ATT&CK Mapping – How to map adversary behaviors (TTPs) to the framework to drive detection engineering.
• Adversary Profiling – Differentiating between the motivations and capabilities of cybercriminal syndicates versus state-sponsored APTs.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Diamond Model of Intrusion Analysis, structured analytic techniques (like Analysis of Competing Hypotheses).

Example questions or scenarios:

• "Walk me through how you would use the MITRE ATT&CK framework to assess our current defensive coverage against a specific ransomware group."
• "Describe a time you applied the threat intelligence lifecycle to a raw piece of data to produce a finished intelligence product."
• "How do you determine the attribution of a cyber attack, and when is attribution actually important to the business?"

Technical Investigations & OSINT

A core function of this Security Engineer role involves getting into the weeds of an investigation. We need to know that you are comfortable operating in various environments to hunt down adversary infrastructure.

Be ready to go over:

• OSINT Tradecraft – Utilizing public records, social media, and open directories to build a profile of adversary activity.
• Dark Web & Closed Forums – Safe operational security (OPSEC) practices when investigating vetted marketplaces.
• IOC Pivoting – Taking a single hash, domain, or IP and using tools (like VirusTotal, Shodan, or passive DNS) to uncover broader campaigns.
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Basic static/dynamic malware analysis, reverse engineering concepts, and writing YARA rules.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "If you are given a suspicious domain name that was flagged in our internal telemetry, what steps do you take to investigate it?"
• "Explain your OPSEC procedures when conducting research on dark web forums."
• "Tell me about a time you successfully pivoted from a single IOC to uncover an entire phishing infrastructure."

Geopolitics & Strategic Communication

Because AIG is a global financial entity, geopolitical events directly translate to cyber risk. You must demonstrate an understanding of the world stage and the ability to communicate these risks effectively.

Be ready to go over:

• Global Threat Landscape – Current events and how they influence state-sponsored cyber operations.
• Executive Briefings – Distilling technical findings into business risk (e.g., financial impact, operational downtime).
• Stakeholder Management – Delivering timely, accurate, and appropriate intelligence to different audiences (tactical defenders vs. C-suite).
• Advanced concepts (less common) – Developing recurring intelligence reporting structures from scratch.

Example questions or scenarios:

• "How would you explain the risk of a newly discovered zero-day vulnerability to a non-technical executive?"
• "Discuss a recent geopolitical event and explain how it might alter the cyber threat landscape for a global insurance company."
• "Describe a situation where you had to push back on a stakeholder's request because it did not align with actual intelligence requirements."

Key Responsibilities

As a Security Engineer on the CTI team, your day-to-day work is dynamic and heavily relies on continuous learning. You will spend a significant portion of your time collecting, processing, and cataloging information from a wide array of sources, including commercial intelligence feeds, internal telemetry, and open-source intelligence (OSINT). You are the primary investigator when a new, sophisticated threat actor emerges, tasked with conducting deep-dive analyses into their TTPs, malware, and phishing campaigns.

Collaboration is a massive part of your daily routine. You will work closely with security operations centers (SOC), incident response teams, and enterprise architecture to ensure that the intelligence you produce is immediately actionable. For example, when you identify a new adversary behavior, you will map it to MITRE ATT&CK and work with detection engineers to develop new mitigation strategies. You will also independently develop and support the production of recurring intelligence briefings, ensuring that various stakeholders across AIG maintain high situational awareness.

Beyond the technical work, you will serve as a mentor and a leader within the team. You will be expected to champion a culture of curiosity and critical thinking, helping junior analysts strengthen their analytic tradecraft. Additionally, you will frequently monitor the dark web and closed forums, maintaining a high level of professionalism even when encountering offensive or sensitive materials during your investigations.

Role Requirements & Qualifications

To be competitive for the Security Engineer role at AIG, candidates must blend technical cybersecurity expertise with strong analytical and communication skills. We are looking for professionals who can look beyond the alerts and understand the human adversaries driving the attacks.

• Must-have skills – A Bachelor's degree in cybersecurity, intelligence studies, or a related field. You must have at least 2+ years of cybersecurity experience, with a minimum of 1 year dedicated specifically to cyber threat intelligence. Deep familiarity with the threat intelligence lifecycle, MITRE ATT&CK, OSINT methodologies, and common threat actor tools is non-negotiable. Outstanding written and oral communication skills are essential for presenting findings to diverse audiences.
• Geopolitical & Strategic Acumen – You must possess a solid understanding of global geopolitical dynamics and be able to apply that knowledge to an information security context, specifically for a global financial institution.
• Operational Experience – Proven experience conducting operations in closed or vetted online forums and marketplaces (both surface and dark web) is required.
• Nice-to-have skills – Prior experience in the finance, insurance, or government sectors. Established professional contacts within the broader cybersecurity community. Experience mentoring junior analysts and formally defining intelligence requirements for a large enterprise.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How technical is the interview process for this role? While you need a strong foundation in cybersecurity concepts (networking, malware behavior, IOCs), this role leans heavily into analytical tradecraft, OSINT, and intelligence frameworks. You will not be asked to write complex code from scratch, but you must be deeply comfortable navigating technical data and translating it into intelligence.

Q: What is the typical timeline from the initial screen to an offer? The process generally takes between three to five weeks. AIG is thorough in its evaluation, ensuring you meet with various stakeholders, including technical peers and team leadership, to guarantee a strong mutual fit.

Q: Do I need to be an expert in reverse engineering malware? No. While a basic understanding of static and dynamic malware analysis is highly beneficial for extracting IOCs, your primary focus as a Security Engineer in CTI is analyzing adversary behavior, infrastructure, and intent, rather than unpacking complex binaries.

Q: What makes a candidate stand out to the hiring team? Standout candidates seamlessly bridge the gap between technical indicators and business risk. If you can explain not just how a ransomware group operates, but why they might target AIG and what we should do about it strategically, you will differentiate yourself significantly.

Other General Tips

• Know the Industry Landscape: AIG is a massive global insurance provider. Tailor your preparation to understand the specific threats facing the financial and insurance sectors, such as financially motivated ransomware, business email compromise (BEC), and data extortion.
• Master the Pivot: Interviewers love to see a candidate's thought process. When given a hypothetical IOC during an interview, narrate your internal monologue. Explain exactly what tools you are querying, what data you are hoping to find, and how that informs your next step.
• Demonstrate Geopolitical Awareness: Be prepared to discuss at least one major recent global event (e.g., a regional conflict or major election) and articulate a well-reasoned hypothesis on how it might shift the tactics of state-sponsored threat actors.
• Emphasize Actionability: Intelligence is useless if it cannot be acted upon. Always conclude your answers by explaining how your findings would be used by a SOC analyst to block a threat, or by an executive to allocate security budget.
• Prepare for the Uncomfortable: Acknowledge the reality of dark web research. Be ready to calmly discuss your strategies for maintaining professionalism and mental resilience when dealing with the illicit or offensive materials common in cybercriminal forums.

Summary & Next Steps

Stepping into the role of a Security Engineer on the Cyber Threat Intelligence team at AIG is an opportunity to operate at the cutting edge of global cybersecurity. You will be tasked with untangling the complexities of modern cyber adversaries and providing the strategic foresight needed to protect one of the world's most critical financial institutions. The work is challenging, deeply analytical, and requires a unique blend of technical curiosity and geopolitical awareness.

To succeed in the upcoming interviews, focus on solidifying your investigative tradecraft and your ability to communicate complex risks clearly. Review your past intelligence reports, practice pivoting through mock investigations, and ensure you can confidently speak to frameworks like MITRE ATT&CK. Remember that your interviewers are looking for a colleague they can trust to navigate the darkest corners of the web and return with clear, actionable insights.

The compensation data above provides a baseline understanding of the salary expectations for this role. Keep in mind that total compensation at AIG often includes a mix of base salary, performance bonuses, and comprehensive benefits tailored to your experience level and geographic location.

You have the skills and the analytical mindset necessary to excel in this process. Approach your preparation strategically, lean into your unique investigative experiences, and remember that you can explore additional interview insights and resources on Dataford to further refine your edge. Good luck—you are ready for this.