17 Must-Ace Cyber Security Interview Questions

Businesses in different sectors adopt cybersecurity practices, causing a high demand for cybersecurity professionals. The cybersecurity market is projected to reach US$183.10 Billion in 2024. It is enough to understand the growth of Cybersecurity. Today, we will explore the different cyber security interview questions for individuals who want to make their career in Cybersecurity.

Top-Most Cyber security Interview Questions

While having essential cybersecurity skills is half done, cracking the interviewer is another chapter. The interview questions on cybersecurity will help you to crack the cybersecurity interview.

Let’s prepare for a cyber security interview with Cybersecurity Foundation Certification and further guidance.

1. What is Cybersecurity, and why is it important?

These are the basic cyber security interview questions for freshers. Cybersecurity protects computer systems, networks, and data from theft, damage, or unauthorized access. It is essential to safeguard sensitive information, maintain privacy, prevent financial losses, and protect critical infrastructure from cyber threats.

2. What are the terms such as virus, malware, and ransomware?

• The virus is a program that replicates itself and spreads to other files or systems, often causing them.
• Malware is the broader term encompassing any malicious software that disrupts or gains unauthorized access to computer systems.
• Ransomware is malicious software that encrypts files or computer systems and requests a ransom for their decryption. Here Certification in Cybersecurity will allow you to explore these factors, for this you must check CyberSavvy: Gain Mastery with Ethical Hacking Certification.

3. Elaborate Phishing through example.

Phishing in cybersecurity is an act in which malicious actors employ deceptive emails or texts to deceive individuals into disclosing sensitive details or information. An email claiming to be from the bank, requesting the recipient to offer their login credentials by clicking a link to the fake website.

Following are the practices by which Phishing attacks can be reduced:

• Don’t enter sensitive information in the web pages that you don’t trust
• Verify the site’s security
• Use Firewalls
• Use AntiVirus Software that has Internet Security
• Use Anti-Phishing Toolbar

4. How do firewalls protect network security?

Firewalls workhastive barriers, overseeing and screening both inbound and outbound network traffic concerning established security algorithms. They block unauthorized access and help prevent malicious data from entering or leaving a network.

5. Why is VPN used?

The virtual private network encrypts and secures the internet connections, ensuring privacy and anonymity. It protects data from eavesdropping, restricts access to restricted content, and improves public Wi-Fi security.

6. What is the concept of a secure password?

The secured password is complex, lengthy, and difficult to guess. It also combines uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. It includes the requirements which need to be distinct for every individual account.

7. What is the difference between IDS and IPS?

IDS is the Intrusion Detection System; it only detects the intrusions and the administrator who has to prevent them. IPS, an intrusion prevention system, detects and takes action to avoid it.

8. What is the CIA triad?

CIA stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. It’s the model that is designed to guide policies for Information Security.

Confidentiality:

Confidentiality showcases the details need to be accessible and readable only to authorized personnel. It shouldn’t be accessible through unauthorized personnel. The details need to be strongly encrypted just in case someone uses hacking to access the data, so it’s not readable even if it is accessed.

Integrity:

Make sure the data has not been modified through an unauthorized entity. It also ensures that data is not corrupted or altered by unauthorized personnel.

If the authorized system tried to modify the data and the modification was not successful.

Availability:

The data should be available to the user whenever the user needs it. Maintaining hardware, upgrading regularly, Data backups and Recovery, and network bottlenecks need to be taken care of.

9. How is encryption different from hashing?

Encryption and hashing are used to convert readable data into an unreadable format. The difference is that encrypted data can be converted back to the origin data through decryption, but the hashed data cannot be converted back to the original data.

10. Elaborate Traceroute?

Traceroute is the tool that elaborates the path of the packet. It also lists the points by which the packet passes through. It is also used mainly when the packet is not reaching its destination. It is also used to check where the connection stops or breaks to identify the point of failure.

You should also explore the principle of it by visiting What are the Principles of Cyber Security?

11. What is Data Leakage?

Data Leakage is the intentional or unintentional transmission of data from within the business to an external unauthorized destination. It’s the disclosure of confidential information to an unauthorized entity. It is divided into three categories: Accidental Breach, Intentional Breach, and System hack. It can be prevented using tools, software, and strategies known as Data Leakage Prevention (DLP).

12. What is Port Scanning?

Port Scanning is used to identify open ports and services available on the host. Hackers use port scanning to get details, which can help exploit vulnerabilities. Administrators use port scanning to verify the network’s security policies.

The standard port scanning techniques are:

• Ping Scan
• TCP Half-Open
• TCP Connect
• UDP
• Stealth Scanning

13. How can identity theft be prevented?

Following are the different practices you can do to prevent identity theft:

• Ensure solid and unique password
• Avoid sharing crucial information online
• Shop from known and trusted websites
• Use the latest version of the browsers
• Install advanced malware and spyware tools
• Use specialized security solutions against financial data
• Constantly update your system and the software
• Protect your Social Security Number

14. Explain White Hat, Black Hat, and Grey Hat.

Black hat hackers are known for having a wide range of knowledge regarding breaking into computer networks. They can write malware that is often used to get access to these systems. These types of hackers misuse their skills to steal details for malicious purposes.

White hat hackers use their powers for good deeds, also known as ethical hackers. With the help of Certification in Ethical Hacking, you will learn more about it. These are mostly hired by the businesses as the security specialist who attempts to find and fix vulnerabilities and security holes in their systems.

Grey hat hackers are a combination of white and black hat hackers. They look for system vulnerabilities without the owner’s permission. If they find any vulnerabilities, they report it to the owner.

15. How frequently should patch management be done?

As soon as a patch is issued, it has to be managed. Every computer should have it installed within a month of the patch’s availability for Windows. Similarly, patch network devices as soon as an update is made available. Patch management should be done correctly.

16. What is an XSS attack, and how to prevent it?

XSS (Cross-Site Scripting) is a cyberattack that allows hackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into web pages. It can be used to hijack sessions, steal cookies, modify DOM, execute remote code, crash the server, etc.

You can prevent XSS attacks through the following practices:

• Validate user inputs
• Sanitize user inputs
• Encode special characters
• Use Anti-XSS services/tools
• Use XSS HTML Filter

17. What is two-factor authentication (2FA), and how many public websites use it?

An additional security measure referred to as multi-factor authentication requires not just a username and password but also something unique to that person, that is, the piece of information that only they should be aware of or have on hand at all times, like a tangible token. Authenticator applications take the place of requesting a verification code via email, voice call, or text message.

These are the different cyber security technical interview questions which will be beneficial for you and help you to successfully pass your interview. Dont forget to explore the indiudials journey, visit Empowering My Journey via Cyber Security Certification Path.

Conclusion:

It is essential as Cybersecurity prevents theft and loss of all kinds of data and the above cybersecurity interview questions and answers will surely help you in the interview. These questions category includes sensitive data, personally identifiable information (PII), protected health information (PHI), personal information, data related to intellectual property, and information systems used by the government and business sectors.

Make sure to read the above cyber security interview questions carefully and understand the nature of questions and their answers.