Most Asked Interview Questions for Cybersecurity Professionals

The only area of IT that has not experienced a recession is cybersecurity. Demand brings competition. It is wise to choose a profession that has a promising career. A cybersecurity professional in India can earn up to ₹2.5 lakhs per annum. 

To get any job, your marks and CGPA take a back seat, and you have to express yourself in an interview. To help you in this process, we have listed basic cybersecurity interview questions. Read and understand them to ace your next interview.

20 Interview Questions and Answers for Cybersecurity Professionals in 2023

 

• What does cyber security personnel mean by XSS? 

 

Cross-site scripting or XSS, is a weakness in online security that enables an attacker to control how users engage with a vulnerable application. The same-origin policy, intended to keep websites independent from one another, can be circumvented by an attacker implementing this. 

Cross-site scripting flaws allow an intruder to take on the persona of a victim, do all actions the victim is competent in, and access all of the victim's data.

 

• Why do you use the term "botnet"?

 

A group of online-connected devices, including computers, servers, and cell phones, that are infected with malware and under its control is known as a botnet.

In addition to granting the user access to the device and its connection, it is also used for data theft, spam distribution, distributed denial-of-service (DDoS) attacks, and other activities.

 

• Explain the differences between penetration testing and vulnerability assessment.

 

Both vulnerability assessment and penetration testing have the same goal: securing the network environment.

The process of defining, identifying, and prioritising vulnerabilities in computer systems, network infrastructure, applications, and other systems and giving the knowledge it needs to fix the faults is known as vulnerability assessment.

Pen-testing and ethical hacking are different names for penetration testing. It's a technique for locating weaknesses in a network, system, application, or other systems so that attackers can't use them. In web application security, it is most frequently used to enhance a web application firewall (WAF).

A vulnerability scan is comparable to walking up to a door and checking to see if it is unlocked before stopping. A penetration test takes a step further by opening the door, walking inside, and checking to see if the door is locked.

 

• Discuss some firewall types.

 

Several popular kinds of firewalls include

Packet-filtering Firewalls: The most popular kind of firewalls are those that examine packets and only permit them to pass through if they comply with a set of security rules.

Proxy firewalls: These are network traffic filters that operate at the application level.

SMLI firewalls: Network, transport, and application layer packets are filtered by Stateful Multilayer Inspection (SMLI) firewalls. The packets, in this case, are compared to the known reliable packets.

 

• In cyber security, what do you mean by brute force?

 

A "brute force attack" on a cryptographic system works by assuming every permutation until the correct information is discovered. Cybercriminals frequently utilise this vulnerability to obtain private data such as passwords, login credentials, encryption keys, and PINs. Hackers can accomplish this with ease.

 

• Explain what a VPN is.

 

A VPN, also known as a virtual private network, links a VPN client and server. Through the internet, a secure encrypted tunnel is made.

 

• TCP/IP: What is it?

 

A group of communication protocols called Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) are used to connect network devices on the internet. Offering end-to-end communication establishes the guidelines for how data should be transferred across the internet.

The main goal of Internet Protocol (IP) is to route each packet so that it reaches its destination. The OSI model is condensed into the TCP/IP model. It has four layers, which are as follows:

• Application layer
• Transport layer
• Internet layer
• Network access layer

 

• By ipconfig and ifconfig, what do you mean?

 

To see and configure the network interface in Microsoft Windows, use the ipconfig (Internet Protocol Configuration) command.

On Linux, Mac, and UNIX operating systems, the ifconfig command is employed.

 

• Describe the traceroute. Why is it employed?

 

A traceroute is used to determine a packet's journey. The places, in particular the primary nodes, that the packet will pass through are provided. 

A packet is primarily used to determine when one does not reach its destination. To assess connection breakdowns and stops at any point of failure, utilise the traceroute tool.

 

• What distinguishes HIDS and NIDS from one another?

 

Between HIDS and NIDS, there is primarily one distinction. 

HIDS for Host IDs and Network ID is an intrusion detection system that, on a larger scale, focuses on finding any threats. The Host IDS is set up on the host or device. When there is a suspicious action, it will keep an eye on the traffic for that specific device. 

However, NIDS is set up for the entire network. It will keep track of all network traffic coming from all devices.

 

• Why Data Leakage Happens

 

Data leakage is the unintended or intentional disclosure of an organisation's data to outside users who are not authorised to access or read such data. Usually, it involves disclosing private data to unauthorised users.

 

• What types of cyberattacks are more prevalent?

 

Phishing, password attacks, malware, drive-by downloads, man-in-the-middle attacks, rogue software, and malvertising are frequent cyberattacks.

 

• Why do ports get scanned?

 

The process of locating open ports that use the host's services is known as port scanning.

 

• How may identity fraud be avoided?

 

Unique passwords, social media restrictions, online shopping from reputable websites, the installation of spyware and malware protection programmes, the use of specialised security solutions for financial data, and routine system and software updates can all help prevent identity theft.

 

• How frequently should you manage patches?

 

As soon as patches are issued, patch management must be implemented. A patch's goal is to fix a system's existing vulnerabilities. Any delays in applying the patch update would simply expose the system to dangers and threats.

 

• How does an ARP operate, and what is it?

 

An internet protocol address, or IP address, can be mapped to a physical machine address that is recognised within the Local Network via the Address Resolution Protocol, or ARP. An inbound packet for a host computer on a network will ask the ARP programme to locate the device's actual MAC address when it arrives at the gateway and matches the IP address.

 

• What distinguishes hashing and encryption from each other?

 

Reading data is transformed into an unreadable format using both hashing and encryption. The key distinction is that hashed data cannot be processed back to the original data, whereas encrypted data can be decrypted to return to the original data.

 

• What makes salting and hashing different from one another?

 

Data is converted to a fixed-length value using the one-way function of hashing, which is mostly used for authentication.

Salting is an additional stage in the hashing process that gives passwords that modify the generated hash value greater value.

 

• How does cognitive security work?

 

One of the uses of AI technology that is specifically utilised for recognising risks and safeguarding physical and digital systems based on human understanding processes is cognitive security.

Self-learning security systems use pattern recognition, natural language processing, and data mining to mimic how the human brain works.

 

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

 

Multiple-factor authentication, sometimes known as 2FA, is an added security measure. It employs the username and password, but it also requires unique data that should only be known by the user, such as the physical token itself.

Conclusion

Now that you are aware of the many concept-based cybersecurity production support engineer interview questions you can practice.

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