14 Cyber Security Internships for College Students

If you're a college student interested in moving beyond classroom theory and gaining cybersecurity experience, internships are a great way to get started. Cybersecurity is a developing field, and internships can provide valuable experience and professional connections that coursework can't offer.

Whether you're interested in ethical hacking, cloud security, digital forensics, or threat intelligence, the right internship allows you to experiment, collaborate, and learn from professionals working on security challenges. These internships often include mentorship, exposure to enterprise tools, and opportunities to present projects, preparing you for competitive roles after graduation.

To help with your search, we’ve curated 14 cybersecurity internships for college students, selected for their prestige, professional experience, and networking opportunities. If you’re exploring even more competitive pathways, check out our other guides to prestigious internships here.

14 Cyber Security Internships for College Students

1. Ladder University Internship Program

Location: Remote

Cost: Varies depending on program type | Full financial aid available

Program dates: Multiple cohorts throughout the year, including Spring, Summer, Fall, and Winter

Application deadline: Deadlines vary by cohort: Spring (January), Summer (May), Fall (September), and Winter (November)

Eligibility: Students who can work for 10-20 hours/week for 8-12 weeks | Open to undergraduates and gap year students

Ladder University Internship Program is a selective, virtual internship program where you work with startups and nonprofits from around the world. The startups range across a variety of industries. As part of their internship, each student will work on a real-world project that addresses a genuine need of the startup they are working with, and present their work at the end of their internship. Interns work closely with their manager at the startup. Apply now!

2. CISA Cyber and IT Internships

Location: Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency (various U.S. locations) | Roles posted via USAJOBS

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: Varies by posting | Typically multi-week summer or semester-long placements

Application Deadline: Varies by each USAJOBS announcement

Eligibility: Current students enrolled in accredited institutions (high school to graduate level) | Strong fit for majors in cybersecurity, computer science, information assurance, IT management, or related fields

The CISA Cyber and IT Internships place you inside the U.S. government’s primary cyber defense agency, working directly with teams responsible for infrastructure protection and threat mitigation. You contribute to technical projects, including log-analysis workflows, threat-emulation tools, forensic automation tasks, and pipeline development, utilizing platforms such as PowerShell, .NET, and Azure DevOps. You may assist with vulnerability management, build scripts in Python to process security data, or support the analysis of industrial control systems across critical infrastructure sectors. The program also incorporates mentorship through brown-bag sessions with senior leadership, exposure to DHS initiatives, and discussions with former interns who are now working at CISA. Interns often tour federal labs, attend local cyber conferences, and collaborate with experienced analysts on mission-oriented tasks.

3. Intuit Summer Cyber Security Intern

Location: Intuit – Mountain View, CA | Atlanta, GA | New York, NY | San Diego, CA

Cost: Paid internship (expected base pay ranges by location)

Program Dates: Summer term | Exact start–end dates vary

Application Deadline: Varies by posting (listed on the Intuit careers website)

Eligibility: Bachelor’s or Master’s students in computer science, cybersecurity, or related technical fields | Must return to school after the internship  | U.S. work authorization required | On-site availability at least 3 days/week | Experience with cloud security (AWS, Azure, GCP) or Git is required | Check here for other eligibility requirements

This internship places students on Intuit’s internal security teams, where they work on applied cybersecurity tasks in software engineering or security analysis. You may contribute to secure software development, analyze vulnerabilities, support incident handling, or build automation scripts using languages such as Python and Bash. Depending on the assignment, you may work on back-end security systems, Red Team workflows, compliance analysis, forensic investigations, or threat-intelligence research. The program incorporates mentorship from Intuit security engineers and exposure to enterprise tools, including vulnerability scanners, SIEM platforms, and cloud security frameworks across AWS, Azure, and GCP. Many roles also involve contributing to internal tooling, participating in team stand-ups, and applying secure development best practices within a large-scale fintech environment.

4. DHS Cybersecurity Internship Program (CSIP)

Location: U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Springfield, VA

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: June–August

Application Deadline: Varies by year | Listed on USAJOBS during the annual application period

Eligibility: U.S. citizens aged 16+ | Enrolled in high school, a two- or four-year college, or a graduate program | A minimum GPA of 2.0 is required | Coursework in cybersecurity, IT, or related support fields

This internship places students within DHS information technology components to work on cybersecurity functions tied to national security missions. You engage in areas such as malicious code identification, forensic analysis, intrusion detection and prevention, and incident handling. You may assist engineers in network operations, cloud and web services, software assurance activities, or data management tasks that require applying classroom concepts to real operational environments. The program offers exposure to DHS cyber leaders and opportunities to observe how federal agencies manage threats across large-scale infrastructures. The experience also includes structured supervision, skill-building through real workloads, and insights into federal cybersecurity career pathways.

5. NSA Summer Cybersecurity Internship

Location: National Security Agency, Fort Meade, MD (with some placements in CO, GA, TX, HI, and UT)

Cost: Paid internship with additional benefits such as paid leave, and eligible subsidized housing/travel support

Program Dates: 12-week summer program from June to August

Application Deadline: Applications typically open September 1 | Deadlines vary by posting

Eligibility: U.S. citizens enrolled in accredited bachelor’s, master’s, or doctoral programs in cybersecurity, computer science, engineering, mathematics, or related technical fields

This internship places students within NSA’s cybersecurity and STEM divisions, where they work on applied security problems tied to national intelligence and information assurance. You may assist with analyzing vulnerabilities, developing secure code, assessing network defenses, or supporting teams in cryptographic and systems engineering. Assignments often incorporate technical tools used for intrusion detection, threat modeling, log analysis, or malware research. You collaborate with NSA engineers and analysts and receive structured mentorship on both technical problem-solving and intelligence-driven security workflows. The program includes participation in briefings, exposure to classified operational environments (as clearance permits), and opportunities to observe how secure communication systems are designed, built, and maintained.

6. Army Cyber Institute (ACI) Summer Internship Program: Army Educational Outreach Program (AEOP) Pathway

Location: Army Cyber Institute, West Point, NY

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: 3–5 weeks in the summer 

Application Deadline: AEOP applications are posted periodically throughout the year

Eligibility: College students studying cybersecurity, computer science, electronic warfare, computational linguistics, or related fields | AEOP eligibility rules apply

This internship places students on research teams within the Army Cyber Institute, where they work on emerging cyber challenges tied to national security. Projects span areas such as intrusion response research, unmanned-vehicle countermeasures, biometric-based authentication studies, sentiment analysis of social media data, and ethical frameworks for AI systems. You’ll participate in the full research cycle, from shaping an idea to analyzing data and preparing technical briefings. You’ll work closely with ACI researchers who guide experiments, hardware prototyping, software development, or analytical modeling, depending on the assigned project. The program emphasizes collaboration within interdisciplinary teams that combine cyber operations, engineering, behavioral science, and data analysis.

7. Proofpoint Internship Program (Cybersecurity Track)

Location: Proofpoint (multiple global office locations depending on role)

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: Summer program is 12 weeks | Additional part-time and year-long co-op/placement options vary

Application Deadline: Deadlines vary by role (posted on Proofpoint’s careers portal when hiring cycles begin)

Eligibility: Undergraduate students enrolled in accredited universities | Eligibility varies by internship track (cybersecurity, engineering, product, or technical co-ops)

This internship assigns students to cybersecurity technology teams working on projects related to threat detection, data protection, or security automation. You contribute to Proofpoint products by developing features, testing security tools, analyzing threat data, or supporting engineering teams in addressing active cyber threats. The program includes structured mentorship, technical learning sessions, executive speaker series, and moderated panels with senior security leaders. You’ll collaborate with cybersecurity engineers and product teams across the full project lifecycle, gaining hands-on experience in software development, threat research, or cloud security environments. You will also participate in company-wide events and a final Showcase, where you present your work to leaders and peers.

8. Fortinet Early Talent Internship Program

Location: Fortinet (multiple global office locations depending on team placement)

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: Summer program, typically runs 10–12 weeks

Application Deadline: Applications open in the fall and close in early spring

Eligibility: Undergraduate and graduate students | Strong fit for those pursuing cybersecurity, computer science, engineering, or related fields

This program places interns on cybersecurity teams working on problems tied to network security, secure software development, automation, and threat intelligence. You’ll engage in technical tasks such as developing features for Fortinet products, analyzing security behavior, testing defenses, and collaborating with engineering teams to improve product reliability and performance. The internship includes mentorship from cybersecurity professionals and participation in learning sessions that introduce how Fortinet builds and maintains enterprise security systems. The program also includes events that support professional development, networking, and an understanding of Fortinet’s global cybersecurity mission. You finish with hands-on project experience and a stronger technical foundation for future security roles.

9. Visa Cybersecurity Internships

Location: Austin, TX

Cost: Paid

Program Dates: Summer internships (typically 12 weeks)

Application Deadline: Varies per role

Eligibility: Current undergraduate students in computer science, cybersecurity, IT, engineering, or related fields

Visa offers two U.S.-based cybersecurity internship tracks in Austin: Associate Cybersecurity Engineer Intern and Cyber Software Test Engineer Intern. Both tracks are designed to build hands-on technical experience in a global payments security environment. You’ll work with Visa’s secure infrastructure teams, contribute to defensive engineering projects, and develop skills in areas like vulnerability testing, automation, threat modeling, and secure systems validation. You will collaborate with security engineers across cloud, network, and identity teams, gaining exposure to enterprise-scale tools and best practices. You’ll also work on structured projects with clear deliverables, receive mentorship from senior engineers, and participate in Visa’s technical learning programs.

10. The Estée Lauder Companies: Information Technology (Cybersecurity Track)

Location: Various U.S. locations

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: Summer (exact dates vary by department)

Application Deadline: Typically opens in the fall and closes mid-winter

Eligibility: Undergraduates (usually rising juniors or seniors) pursuing degrees in Computer Science, Cybersecurity, IT, Software Engineering, Data Science, Cloud Computing, or related fields

The Estée Lauder Companies’ Lauder Summer Internship Program offers a technical track where you can work in IT roles that include cybersecurity analysis, cloud engineering, infrastructure operations, and application monitoring. Cybersecurity-focused interns may support threat monitoring, validate security controls, assist with vulnerability reviews, and work with teams to strengthen system reliability across global business units. You gain experience with dashboards, security tooling, data validation, and insights generation using sales, social, and product-rating datasets. The internship includes mentorship, hands-on project work, professional learning sessions, and opportunities to collaborate with technology teams across multiple brands.

11. State of Florida – Cybersecurity Analyst/Specialist Internship

Location: Multiple locations across Florida (including Tallahassee, Miami, Tampa, Orlando, Jacksonville, Gainesville, Fort Myers, and more)

Cost: Paid or unpaid, depending on the hiring agency

Program Dates: Rolling start dates | Internships available year-round

Application Deadline: Varies

Eligibility: Current college students or graduates within the past 12 months in fields such as Cybersecurity, Information Technology, Computer Science, or related areas

The Cybersecurity Analyst/Specialist Internship with the State of Florida provides hands-on experience in core defensive security operations across various government agencies. You may participate in incident investigations by identifying the root causes of security events, analyzing anomalous traffic, and fine-tuning SIEM alerts to reduce false positives. You’ll support forensic workflows involving packet captures, memory analysis, drive acquisitions, and malware review, alongside log analysis across multiple platforms and operating systems. The role also includes contributing to risk management tasks such as documenting threats, tracking vulnerabilities, and helping develop mitigation plans.

12. FBI: Honors Internship Program (Cybersecurity Track)

Location: Multiple FBI Field Offices & FBI Headquarters, Washington D.C./Quantico, VA

Cost: Paid internship (GS-4 or GS-5 pay scale, depending on education level)

Program Dates: June 1–August 7 (full-time, 10 weeks)

Application Deadline: May 2

Eligibility: U.S. citizens enrolled full-time in an accredited undergraduate, graduate, or post-doctoral program | Must have a minimum GPA of 3.0 | must pass FBI background investigation and qualify for a Top Secret security clearance

The FBI Honors Internship Program offers college students the opportunity to contribute to national security work through assignments in cyber operations, intelligence support, or technical analysis teams. You may assist with open-source intelligence reviews, support digital forensics units, or help evaluate cyber incidents under supervision from FBI specialists. You will be placed in field offices or the Washington, D.C. area, where you support ongoing investigations, prepare research briefs, and participate in analytical projects that mirror real FBI workflows. The program includes structured mentorship, exposure to law-enforcement technologies, and opportunities to collaborate with agents, analysts, and technical staff across multiple divisions. Interns may also observe interagency meetings, assist with data collection relevant to cyber or security cases, and present project outcomes to unit leadership at the end of the summer.

13. Schneider: Information Security Intern

Location: Green Bay, WI

Cost: Paid internship

Program Dates: Summer (full-time, Monday–Friday, 8 a.m.–5 p.m.)

Application Deadline: Rolling until positions are filled

Eligibility: Undergraduate students pursuing Computer Science, Information Systems, or related fields; familiarity with Windows Server, UNIX, Active Directory, and Azure preferred

The Schneider Information Security Internship places you on the core IT security team, where you contribute to identity and access management, oversee security systems, and troubleshoot security-related issues. You get to help design and implement information security technologies while working closely with enterprise security engineers on day-to-day technical operations. The role offers exposure to tools used for system hardening, authentication, and enterprise threat prevention workflows. You also participate in networking events, professional development sessions, and business resource group activities, thereby gaining a broader understanding of operational security within a large organization.

14. Marshall University: Open Source Intelligence Exchange (OSIX) Internship & West Virginia Fusion Center (WVFC) Cyber Internship

Location: Marshall University Institute for Cyber Security & West Virginia Fusion Center, Charleston, WV

Cost: OSIX internship is unpaid | WVFC internship is paid

Program Dates: Summer term (with potential remote work during the academic year for WVFC)

Application Deadline: Varies | OSIX recruits through CFS (Criminal Justice & Forensic Science) faculty | WVFC accepts recommended OSIX students periodically

Eligibility: Must be a Marshall University student | OSIX is open to selected/approved students | WVFC requires completion of CFS 357 (Open Source Intelligence) and instructor recommendation

These internships provide applied experience in open-source intelligence analysis, digital forensics, and operational cybersecurity work with state-level partners. OSIX interns support intelligence needs by collecting and analyzing publicly available data, preparing written reports, and using OSINT tools and methodologies taught in the program. High-performing OSIX interns may progress to the West Virginia Fusion Center, where they work alongside state analysts on forensic acquisitions, digital evidence handling, and investigative technical tasks. You will gain exposure to intelligence workflows, reporting formats, and state cybersecurity operations. Mentorship is provided by faculty and professional analysts, creating a structured environment for developing practical skills. You may also engage in remote analytical tasks during the academic year, reinforcing continuity in technical skill-building across semesters.

One other option—the Lumiere Research Scholar Program

If you’re interested in pursuing independent research, consider applying to one of the Lumiere Research Scholar Programs, selective online high school programs for students founded with researchers at Harvard and Oxford. Last year, we had over 4,000 students apply for 500 spots in the program! You can find the application form here, check out students’ reviews of the program here and here.

Also check out the Lumiere Research Inclusion Foundation, a non-profit research program for talented, low-income students. Last year, we had 150 students on full need-based financial aid!

Stephen is one of the founders of Lumiere and a Harvard College graduate. He founded Lumiere as a PhD student at Harvard Business School. Lumiere is a selective research program where students work 1-1 with a research mentor to develop an independent research paper.

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