cyber security interview case study

• Trending Now
• Foundational Courses
• Data Science
• Practice Problem
• Machine Learning
• System Design
• DevOps Tutorial
• Cyber Security Salary in India

Cyber Security

• Cyber Security Tutorial
• What is Cyber Security? Types and Importance
• Difference between Network Security and Cyber Security
• Top 10 Cyber Security Specialist Skills in 2024

Cyber Security Interview Questions

• Software Developer Salary Per Month in India: Average Salary, Starting Salary
• Salary of a Data Scientist in India – For Freshers and Experienced
• Software Engineer Salary in India 2024: Freshers & Experienced
• Data Analyst Salary In India 2024
• Java Developer Salary In India - For Freshers & Experienced
• Average Web Developer Salary in India - For Freshers & Experienced
• Full Stack Developer Salary in India (2024)
• Project Manager Salary In India 2024
• UI/UX Designer Salary in India in 2023: Fresher to Experienced
• IPS Officer Salary 2024 - Basic Pay, Perks & Allowances
• IAS Officer Salary Structure, Per Month, Allowances & More (2024)
• Data Engineer Salary in India for Freshers & Experienced (2023)
• Product Manager Salary in India 2024
• Business Analyst Salary in India 2024: Fresher to Experienced

Cybersecurity is the act of protecting computer systems, networks, programs, and data from digital attacks, unauthorized access, damage, or theft. Cybersecurity is a critical aspect of modern technology, with its importance growing as digital systems become increasingly integrated into our daily lives. With threats ranging from data breaches to malicious software attacks, the need for skilled cybersecurity professionals is higher than ever. They typically aim to access, alter or destroy sensitive information, extort money from users, or disrupt normal business processes. 

Here, We covered the Top 60 cyber security interview questions with answers suitable for beginners and experienced professionals . It covers everything from basic cybersecurity to advanced cybersecurity concepts such as Threat Intelligence, Incident Response, Malware analysis penetration testing, red teaming and more.

Whether you are a fresher or an experienced cybersecurity architect, this article gives you all the confidence you need to ace your next cybersecurity interview.

Table of Content

Cyber Security Interview Questions for Freshers

Cyber security interview questions for intermediate, cyber security interview questions for experienced, 1. what are the common cyberattacks.

Some basic Cyber attacks are as follows:

• Phishing: Phishing is the fraudulent practice of sending spam emails by impersonating legitimate sources.
• Social Engineering Attacks: Social engineering attacks can take many forms and can be carried out anywhere human collaboration is required.
• Ransomware: Ransomware is documented encryption programming that uses special cryptographic calculations to encrypt records in a targeted framework.
• Cryptocurrency Hijacking: As digital currencies and mining become more popular, so do cybercriminals. They have found an evil advantage in cryptocurrency mining, which involves complex calculations to mine virtual currencies such as Bitcoin, Ethereum, Monero, and Litecoin.
• Botnet Attacks: Botnet attacks often target large organizations and entities that obtain vast amounts of information. This attack allows programmers to control countless devices in exchange for cunning intent.

For more details please refer to the article: Types of Cyber Attacks

2. What are the elements of cyber security?

There are various elements of cyber security as given below:

• Application Security: Application security is the most important core component of cyber security , adding security highlights to applications during the improvement period to defend against cyber attacks.
• Information Security: Information security is a component of cyber security that describes how information is protected against unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, alteration, or deletion.
• Network Security: Network security is the security provided to a network from unauthorized access and threats. It is the network administrator’s responsibility to take precautions to protect the network from potential security threats. Network security is another element of IT security, the method of defending and preventing unauthorized access to computer networks.
• Disaster Recovery Planning: A plan that describes the continuity of work after a disaster quickly and efficiently is known as a disaster recovery plan or business continuity plan. A disaster recovery methodology should start at the business level and identify applications that are generally critical to carrying out the association’s activities.
• Operational Security: In order to protect sensitive data from a variety of threats, the process of allowing administrators to see activity from a hacker’s perspective is called operational security (OPSEC)n or procedural security.
• End User Education: End-user training is the most important component of computer security. End users are becoming the number one security threat to any organization because they can happen at any time. One of the major errors that lead to information corruption is human error. Associations must prepare their employees for cyber security.

For more details please refer to the article: Elements of Cybersecurity

3. Define DNS?

The Domain Name System (DNS) translates domain names into IP addresses that browsers use to load web pages. Every device connected to the Internet has its own IP address , which other devices use to identify it in simple language, we can say that DNS Defines the Service of the network.

To know more please refer to the article: Domain Name System (DNS) in Application Layer

4. What is a Firewall?

A firewall is a hardware or software-based network security device that monitors all incoming and outgoing traffic and accepts, denies, or drops that particular traffic based on a defined set of security rules.

Please refer to the article: Introduction of Firewall to know more about this topic.

5. What is a VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. A virtual private network (VPN) is a technology that creates a secure, encrypted connection over an insecure network like the Internet. A virtual private network is a method of extending a private network using a public network such as the Internet. The name only indicates that it is a virtual “private network”. A user may be part of a local area network at a remote location. Create a secure connection using a tunnelling protocol.

Please refer to the article: Virtual Private Network (VPN) to learn more about this topic.

6. What are the different sources of malware?

The different sources of malware are given below:

• Worms: A worm is basically a type of malicious malware that spreads rapidly from one computer to another via email and file sharing. Worms do not require host software or code to execute.
• Spyware: Spyware is basically a type of malicious malware that runs in the background of your computer, steals all your sensitive data, and reports this data to remote attackers.
• Ransomware: Ransomware is used as malware to extort money from users for ransom by gaining unauthorized access to sensitive user information and demanding payment to delete or return that information from the user.
• Virus: A virus is a type of malicious malware that comes as an attachment with a file or program. Viruses usually spread from one program to another program, and they will run only when the host file gets executed. The virus can only cause damage to the computer until the host file runs.
• Trojan: Trojans are malicious, non-replicating malware that often degrades computer performance and efficiency. Trojans have the ability to leak sensitive user information and modify and delete this data.
• Adware: Adware is another type of malware that tracks the usage of various types of programs and files on your computer and displays personalized ad recommendations based on your usage history.

Please refer to the article: Different Sources of Malware to learn more about this topic.

7. How does email work?

When a sender uses an e-mail program to send an e-mail, it is redirected to a simple e-mail transfer protocol. In this protocol, the recipient’s email address belongs to a different domain name or the same domain name as the sender (Gmail, Outlook, etc.). After that, the e-mail will be stored on the server, and later he will send it using the POP or IMAP protocol. Then, if the recipient has a different domain name address, the SMTP protocol communicates with the DNS (Domain Name Server) for the different addresses that the recipient uses. Then the sender’s SMTP  communicates with the receiver’s SMTP, and the receiver’s SMTP performs the communication. This way the email is delivered to the recipient’s SMTP. If certain network traffic issues prevent both the sender’s SMTP  and the recipient’s SMTP from communicating with each other, outgoing emails will be queued at the recipient’s SMTP and finally to be received by the recipient. Also, if a message stays in the queue for too long due to terrible circumstances, the message will be returned to the sender as undelivered.  

Please refer to the article: Working of Email to learn more about this topic.

8. What is the difference between active and passive cyber attacks?

• Active Cyber Attack: An active attack is a type of attack in which the attacker modifies or attempts to modify the content of the message. Active attacks are a threat to integrity and availability. Active attacks can constantly corrupt the system and modify system resources. Most importantly, if there is an active attack, the victim is notified of the attack.
• Passive Cyber Attack: A passive attack is a type of attack in which the attacker observes the message content or copies the message content. Passive attacks are a threat to confidentiality. Since it is a  passive attack, there is no damage to the system. Most importantly, when attacking passively, the victim is not notified of the attack.

Please refer to the article: Difference between Active Attack and Passive Attack to know more about it.

9. What is a social engineering attack?

Social engineering is the act of manipulating individuals to take actions that may or may not be in the best interests of the “target”. This may include obtaining information, obtaining access, or obtaining a goal to perform a particular action. It has the ability to manipulate and deceive people. A phone call accompanied by a survey or a quick internet search can bring up dates of birthdays and anniversaries and arm you with that information. This information is enough to create a password attack list.

Please refer to the article: Social Engineering to know more.

10. Who are black hat hackers and white hat hackers?

• White Hat Hacker: A white hat hacker is a certified or certified hacker who works for governments and organizations by conducting penetration tests and identifying cybersecurity gaps. It also guarantees protection from malicious cybercrime.
• Black Hat Hackers: They are often called crackers. Black hat hackers can gain unauthorized access to your system and destroy your important data. The attack method uses common hacking techniques learned earlier. They are considered criminals and are easy to identify because of their malicious behavior.

Please refer to the article: Types of Hackers to know more.

11. Define encryption and decryption?

Encryption is the process of transforming an ordinary message (plaintext) into a meaningless message (ciphertext). Decryption is the process of transforming a meaningless message (ciphertext) into its original form (plaintext). The main difference between covert writing and covert writing is that it converts the message into a cryptic format that cannot be deciphered unless the message is decrypted. Covert writing, on the other hand, is reconstructing the original message from the encrypted information.

Please refer to the article: Difference between Encryption and Decryption to know more.

12. What is the difference between plaintext and cleartext?

The plaintext is not encrypted at all and cannot be considered encrypted and Clear text is a text sent or stored that has not been encrypted and was not intended to be encrypted. So you don’t need to decrypt to see the plaintext. In its simplest form.

Please refer to the article: Encryption and Decryption to know more.

13. What is a block cipher?

Block Cipher Converts plaintext to ciphertext using one block of plaintext at a time. Use 64-bit or 64-bit or greater. The complexity of block ciphers is simple. The algorithm modes used in block ciphers are ECB (Electronic Code Book) and CBC (Cipher Block Chaining).

Please refer to the article: Difference between Block Cipher and Stream Cipher to know more.

14. What is the CIA triangle?

When it comes to network security, the CIA Triad is one of the most important models developed to guide information security policy within an organization.  CIA stands for: 

• Confidentiality 
• availability

Please refer to the article: CIA Triad in Cryptography to know more.

15. What is the Three-way handshake?

TCP uses a three-way handshake to establish reliable connections. The connection is full-duplex, with synchronization (SYN) and acknowledgment (ACK) on both sides. The exchange of these four flags is done in three steps: SYN, SYN to ACK, and ACK.

Please refer to the article: TCP 3-Way Handshake to know more about it.

16. How can identity theft be prevented?

Steps to prevent identity theft:

• Use a strong password and don’t share her PIN with anyone on or off the phone. 
• Use two-factor notifications for email. Protect all your devices with one password.
• Do not install software from the Internet. Do not post confidential information on social media.
• When entering a password with a payment gateway, check its authenticity. 
• Limit the personal data you run. Get in the habit of changing your PIN and password regularly. 
• Do not give out your information over the phone.

Please refer to the article: Cyber Crime – Identity Theft to know more about it.

17. What are some common Hashing functions?

The hash function is a function that converts a specific numerical key or alphanumeric key into a small practical integer value. The mapped integer value is used as an index for hash tables. Simply put, a hash function maps any valid number or string to a small integer that can be used as an index into a hash table. The types of Hash functions are given below:

• Division Method.
• Mid Square Method.
• Folding Method.
• Multiplication Method.

Please refer to the article Hash Functions to know more about this topic.

18. What do you mean by two-factor authentication?

Two-factor authentication refers to using any two independent methods from a variety of authentication methods. Two-factor authentication is used to ensure users have access to secure systems and to enhance security. Two-factor authentication was first implemented for laptops due to the basic security needs of mobile computing. Two-factor authentication makes it more difficult for unauthorized users to use mobile devices to access secure data and systems.

Please refer to the article Two-factor Authentication to learn more about this topic.

19. What does XSS stand for? How can it be prevented?

Cross-site scripting (XSS) is a vulnerability in web applications that allows third parties to execute scripts on behalf of the web application in the user’s browser. Cross-site scripting is one of the most prevalent security vulnerabilities on the Internet today. Exploiting her XSS against users can have a variety of consequences, including Account compromise, account deletion, privilege escalation, malware infection, etc. Effective prevention of XSS vulnerabilities requires a combination of the following countermeasures: 

• Filter entrance on arrival. As user input comes in, filter expected or valid input as closely as possible. Encode the data on output. When user-controllable data is emitted in an HTTP response, encode the output so that it is not interpreted as active content. 
• Depending on the output context, it may be necessary to apply a combination of HTML, URL, JavaScript, and CSS encoding.  Use proper response headers. 
• To prevent XSS in HTTP responses that should not contain  HTML or JavaScript,  use the Content-Type and X-Content-Type-Options headers to force the browser to interpret the response as intended. Content Security Policy. As a last line of defence, a Content Security Policy (CSP) can be used to mitigate the severity of remaining XSS vulnerabilities.

Please refer to the article Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) to learn more about this topic.

20. What do you mean by Shoulder Surfing?

A shoulder surfing attack describes a situation in which an attacker can physically look at a device’s screen or keyboard and enter passwords to obtain personal information. Used to – access malware. Similar things can happen from nosy people, leading to an invasion of privacy.

Please refer to the article Shoulder Surfing to learn more about this topic.

21. What is the difference between hashing and encryption?

Please refer to the article Hashing and Encryption to learn more about this topic.

22. Differentiate between Information security and information assurance.

• Information Assurance: It can be described as the practice of protecting and managing risks associated with sensitive information throughout the process of data transmission, processing, and storage. Information assurance primarily focuses on protecting the integrity, availability, authenticity, non-repudiation, and confidentiality of data within a system. This includes physical technology as well as digital data protection.
• Information security: on the other hand, is the practice of protecting information by reducing information risk. The purpose is usually to reduce the possibility of unauthorized access or illegal use of the data. Also, destroy, detect, alter, examine, or record any Confidential Information. This includes taking steps to prevent such incidents. The main focus of information security is to provide balanced protection against cyber-attacks and hacking while maintaining data confidentiality, integrity, and availability.

Please refer to the article Information Assurance vs. Information Security to learn more about this topic.

23. Write a difference between HTTPS and SSL.

Please refer to the article SSL vs. HTTPS to learn more about this topic.

24. What do you mean by System Hardening?

The attack surface includes all flaws and vulnerabilities that a hacker could use to gain access to your system, such as default passwords, improperly configured firewalls, etc. The idea of ​​system hardening is to make a system more secure by reducing the attack surface present in the design of the system. System hardening is the process of reducing a system’s attack surface, thereby making it more robust and secure. This is an integral part of system security practices.

Please refer to the article System Hardening to learn more about this topic.

25. Differentiate between spear phishing and phishing.

• Phishing: This is a type of email attack in which an attacker fraudulently attempts to discover a user’s sensitive information through electronic communications, pretending to be from a relevant and trusted organization. The emails are carefully crafted by the attackers, targeted to specific groups, and clicking the links installs malicious code on your computer. 
• Spear phishing: Spear phishing is a type of email attack that targets specific individuals or organizations. In Spear, a phishing attacker tricks a target into clicking a malicious link and installing malicious code, allowing the attacker to obtain sensitive information from the target’s system or network.

Please refer to the article Phishing and Spear Phishing to learn more about this topic.

26. What do you mean by Perfect Forward Secrecy?

Perfect Forward Secrecy is a style of encryption that creates a temporary exchange of secret keys between the server and client. It is primarily used to call apps, websites, and messaging apps where user privacy is paramount. A new session key is generated each time the user performs an action. This keeps your data uncompromised and safe from attackers. This is separate from special keys. The basic idea behind  Perfect Forward Secrecy technology is to generate a new encryption key each time a user initiates a session. So, if only the encryption key is compromised, the conversation is leaked, and if the user’s unique key is compromised, the conversation will continue. Encryption keys generated by Perfect Forward Secrecy keep you safe from attackers. Essentially, it provides double protection from attackers.

Please refer to the article Perfect Forward Secrecy to learn more about this topic.

27. How to prevent MITM?

• Strong WEP/WAP Encryption on Access Points
• Strong Router Login Credentials Strong Router Login Credentials
• Use Virtual Private Network.

Please refer to the article How to Prevent Man In the Middle Attack? to learn more about this topic.

28. What is ransomware?

Ransomware is a type of malware that encrypts data to make it inaccessible to computer users. Cybercriminals use it to extort money from the individuals and organizations that hacked the data and hold the data hostage until a ransom is paid.

Please refer to the article: Ransomware to know more about this.

29. What is Public Key Infrastructure?

A Public Key Infrastructure, or PKI, is the governing authority behind the issuance of digital certificates. Protect sensitive data and give users and systems unique identities. Therefore, communication security is ensured. The public key infrastructure uses keys in public-private key pairs to provide security. Public keys are vulnerable to attacks, so maintaining public keys requires a healthy infrastructure.

Please refer to the article: Public Key Infrastructure to know more.

30. What is Spoofing?

Spoofing is a type of attack on computing devices in which an attacker attempts to steal the identity of a legitimate user and pretend to be someone else. This type of attack is performed to compromise system security or steal user information.

Types of Spoofing:

• IP Spoofing: IP is a network protocol that allows messages to be sent and received over the Internet. Her IP address of the sender is included in the message header of all emails sent to her messages (sender address).
• ARP Spoofing: ARP spoofing is a hacking technique that redirects network traffic to hackers . Spying on LAN addresses in both wired and wireless LAN networks is called ARP spoofing.
• Email Spoofing : Email spoofing is the most common form of identity theft on the Internet. Phishers use official logos and headers to send emails to many addresses impersonating bank, corporate, and law enforcement officials.

Please refer to the article: What is Spoofing? to know more.

31. What are the steps involved in hacking a server or network?

The following steps must be ensured in order to hack any server or network:

• Access your web server.  
• Use anonymous FTP to access this network to gather more information and scan ports.
• Pay attention to file sizes, open ports, and processes running on your system.  
• Run a few simple commands on your web server like “clear cache” or “delete all files” to highlight the data stored by the server behind these programs. This helps in obtaining more sensitive information that can be used in application-specific exploits.
• Connect to other sites on the same network, such as Facebook and Twitter, so that you can check the deleted data. Access the server using the conversion channel.
• Access internal network resources and data to gather more information. 
• Use Metasploit to gain remote access to these resources.

To know more about this topic please refer to the article: How to Hack a Web Server?

32. What are the various sniffing tools?

Lists of some main Networking Sniffing Tools:

• SolarWinds Network Packet Sniffer
• Paessler PRTG
• ManageEngine NetFlow Analyzer
• NetworkMiner

Please refer to the article: Sniffing Tools to learn more about sniffing tools in ethical hacking.

33. What is SQL injection?

SQL injection is a technique used to exploit user data through web page input by injecting SQL commands as statements. Essentially, these instructions can be used by a malicious user to manipulate her web server for your application. SQL injection is a code injection technique that can corrupt your database. Preventing SQL Injection is given below:

• Validation of user input by pre-defining user input length, type, input fields, and authentication.
• Restrict user access and determine how much data outsiders can access from your database. Basically, you shouldn’t give users permission to access everything in your database.
• Do not use system administrator accounts.

To know more about this topic, Please read the article: SQL Injection

34. What is a Distributed Denial of Service attack (DDoS)?

A denial of service (DoS) is a cyber attack against an individual computer or website aimed at denying service to intended users. Its purpose is to interfere with the organization’s network operations by denying her access. Denial of service is usually achieved by flooding the target machine or resource with excessive requests, overloading the system, and preventing some or all legitimate requests from being satisfied.

Please refer to the article: Denial of Service and Prevention to know more.

35. How to avoid ARP poisoning?

Following are the five ways of avoiding ARP Poisoning attacks:

• Static ARP Tables: If you can verify the correct mapping of MAC addresses to IP addresses, half the problem is solved. This is doable but very costly to administer. ARP tables to record all associations and each network change are manually updated in these tables. Currently, it is not practical for an organization to manually update its ARP table on every host.
• Switch Security: Most Ethernet switches have features that help mitigate ARP poisoning attacks. Also known as Dynamic ARP Inspection (DAI), these features help validate ARP messages and drop packets that indicate any kind of malicious activity.
• Physical Security: A very simple way to mitigate ARP poisoning attacks is to control the physical space of your organization. ARP messages are only routed within the local network. Therefore, an attacker may have physical proximity to the victim’s network.
• Network Isolation: A well-segmented network is better than a regular network because ARP messages have a range no wider than the local subnet. That way,  if an attack were to occur, only parts of the network would be affected and other parts would be safe. Attacks on one subnet do not affect devices on other subnets.
• Encryption: Encryption does not help prevent ARP poisoning, but it does help reduce the damage that could be done if an attack were to occur. Credentials are stolen from the network, similar to the MiTM attack.

Please refer to the article: How to Avoid ARP Poisoning? to know more.

36. What is a proxy firewall?

The proxy firewall monitors application-level information using a firewall proxy server. A proxy firewall server creates and runs a process on the firewall that mirrors the services as if they were running on the end host.  The application layer has several protocols such as HTTP (a protocol for sending and receiving web pages) and SMTP (a protocol for e-mail messages on the Internet). A proxy server like Web Proxy Server is like a process that mirrors the behavior of the HTTP service. Similarly, the FTP proxy server reflects how his FTP service works.

Please refer to the article: What is a Proxy Firewall? to know more.

37.  Explain SSL Encryption.

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) provides security for data transferred between web browsers and servers. SSL encrypts the connection between your web server and your browser, keeping all data sent between them private and immune to attack. Secure Socket Layer Protocols: SSL recording protocol.

Please refer to the article: Secure Socket Layer to know more about it.

38. What do you mean by penetration testing?

Penetration testing is done to find vulnerabilities, malicious content, flaws, and risks. It’s done to make the organization’s security system defend the IT infrastructure. It is an official procedure that can be deemed helpful and not a harmful attempt. It is part of an ethical hacking process that specifically focuses only on penetrating the information system.

Please refer to the article Penetration Testing to learn more about this topic.

39. What are the risks associated with public Wi-Fi?

•  Malware, Viruses, and Worms.
•  Rogue Networks. 
•  Unencrypted Connections
•  Network Snooping. 
•  Log-in Credential Vulnerability. 
•  System Update Alerts.
•  Session Hijacking.

Please refer to the article Risks Associated with Public Wi-Fi to learn more about this topic.

40. Explain the main difference between Diffie-Hellman and RSA.

• Diffie-Hellman (DH) algorithm: It is a key exchange protocol that allows two parties to communicate over a public channel and establish a shared secret without sending it over the Internet. DH allows two people to use their public key to encrypt and decrypt conversations or data using symmetric cryptography.
• RSA : It is a type of asymmetric encryption that uses two different linked keys. RSA encryption allows messages to be encrypted with both public and private keys. The opposite key used to encrypt the message is used to decrypt the message.

Please refer to the article to learn more about this topic.

41. Give some examples of asymmetric encryption algorithms.

Asymmetric key cryptography is based on public and private key cryptography. It uses two different keys to encrypt and decrypt messages. More secure than symmetric key cryptography, but much slower.

• You need two keys, a public key, and a private key. One for encryption and one for decryption. 
• The ciphertext size is equal to or larger than the original plaintext. 
• Slow encryption process. 
• Used to transfer small amounts of data. 
• Provides confidentiality, authenticity, and non-repudiation.

Please refer to the article Symmetric and Asymmetric Key Encryption to learn more about this topic.

42. Explain social engineering and its attacks.

Social engineering is a  hacking technique based on forging someone’s identity and using socialization skills to obtain details. There are techniques that combine psychological and marketing skills to influence targeted victims and manipulate them into obtaining sensitive information. The types of social engineering attacks are given below:

• Impersonation: This is a smart choice for attackers. This method impersonates organizations, police, banks, and tax authorities. Then they steal money or anything they want from the victim. And the same goes for organizations that obtain information about victims legally through other means. 
• Phishing: Phishing is like impersonating a well-known website such as Facebook and creating a fake girlfriend website to trick users into providing account credentials and personal information. Most phishing attacks are carried out through social media such as Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter.
• Vishing: Technically speaking, this is called “voice phishing”. In this phishing technique, attackers use their voice and speaking skills to trick users into providing personal information. In general, this is most often done by organizations to capture financial and customer data.
• Smithing: Smithing is a method of carrying out attacks, generally through messages. In this method, attackers use their fear and interest in a particular topic to reach out to victims through messages. These topics are linked to further the phishing process and obtaining sensitive information about the target.

Please refer to the article Social Engineering: The Attack on Human Brain and Trust to learn more about this topic.

43. State the difference between a virus and worm.

• Worms: Worms are similar to viruses, but do not modify the program. It replicates more and more to slow down your computer system. The worm can be controlled with a remote control. The main purpose of worms is to eat up system resources. The 2000 WannaCry ransomware worm exploits the resource-sharing protocol Windows Server Message Block (SMBv1).
• Virus: A virus is malicious executable code attached to another executable file that can be harmless or modify or delete data. When a computer program runs with a virus, it performs actions such as B. Delete the file from your computer system. Viruses cannot be controlled remotely. The ILOVEYOU virus spreads through email attachments.

Please refer to the article Difference between Worms and Virus to know more about this topic.

44. Explain the concept of session hijacking.

Session hijacking is a security attack on user sessions over a protected network. The most common method of session hijacking is called IP spoofing, where an attacker uses source-routed IP packets to inject commands into the active communication between two nodes on a network, allowing an authenticated impersonation of one of the users. This type of attack is possible because authentication usually only happens at the beginning of a TCP session. The types of session hijacking are given below:

• Packet Sniffing
• CSRF (Cross-site Request Forgery)
• Cross-site Scripting
• IP spoofing

Please refer to the article Session Hijacking to learn more about this topic.

45. Explain the honeypot and its types.

A honeypot is a networked system that acts as a trap for cyber attackers to detect and investigate hacker tactics and types of attacks. Acting as a potential target on the Internet, it notifies defenders of unauthorized access to information systems. Honeypots are classified based on their deployment and intruder involvement. Based on usage, honeypots are classified as follows: 

• Research honeypots: Used by researchers to analyze hacking attacks and find different ways to prevent them. 
• Production Honeypots: Production honeypots are deployed with servers on the production network. These honeypots act as a front-end trap for attackers composed of false information, giving administrators time to fix all vulnerabilities in real systems.

Please refer to the article What is Honeypot? to know more about this topic.

46. What do you mean by a Null Session?

Null session attacks have existed since Windows 2000 was widely used. However, system administrators do not consider this type of attack when implementing network security measures. This can have unimaginable consequences, as this type of attack allows hackers to obtain all the information they need to access your system remotely. This type of attack is more difficult to execute if the customer is using a newer version of the operating system, but Windows XP and Windows Server 2003 are still the most common. 

Please refer to the article Null Session to learn more about this topic.

47. What is IP blocklisting?

IP blacklisting is a method used to block unauthorized or malicious IP addresses from accessing your network. A blacklist is a list of ranges or individual IP addresses to block.

Please refer to the article What is IP blocklisting? to know more about this topic.

48. What are Polymorphic viruses?

“Poly” refers to many and “morphic” refers to the shape. Thus, polymorphic viruses, as the name suggests, are complex computer viruses that change shape as they spread in order to avoid detection by antivirus programs. This is a self-encrypting virus that combines a mutation engine with a self-propagating code. A polymorphic virus consists of:

• Encrypted virus body mutation engine that generates random decryption routines.
• A polymorphic virus has its mutation engine and virus body encrypted. When an infected program is run, a virus decryption routine takes control of the computer and decrypts the virus body and mutation engine.
• Control is then passed to the virus to detect new programs to infect. Since the body of the virus is encrypted and the decryption routine varies from infection to infection, virus scanners cannot look for a fixed signature or fixed decryption routine, making detection more difficult.

Please refer to the article Polymorphic Viruses to learn more about this topic.

49. What is a Botnet?

A botnet (short for “robot network”) is a network of malware-infected computers under the control of a single attacker known as a “bot herder”. An individual machine under the control of a bot herder is called a bot.

Please refer to the article Botnet in Computer Networks to learn more about this topic.

50. What is an Eavesdropping Attack?

Eavesdropping occurs when a hacker intercepts, deletes or modifies data sent between two devices. Eavesdropping, also known as sniffing or snooping, relies on unsecured network communications to access data sent between devices.

Please refer to the article Eavesdropping Attack to learn more about this topic.

51. What is the man-in-the-middle attack?

This is a type of cyber attack in which the attacker stays between the two to carry out their mission. The type of function it can perform is to modify the communication between two parties so that both parties feel like they are communicating over a secure network.

Please refer to the article: Man In the Middle Attack to learn more about this topic.

52. What is a traceroute? Why is it used?

Traceroute is a widely used command line tool available on almost all operating systems. A complete route to the destination address is displayed. It also shows the time  (or delay) between intermediate routers.

Uses of traceroute: 

• It enables us to locate where the data was unable to be sent along
• Traceroute helps provide a map of data on the internet from  source to  destination
• It works by sending ICMP (Internet Control Message Protocol) packets.
• You can do a visual traceroute to get a visual representation of each hop.

Please refer to the article: Traceroute in Network Layer to know more about it.

53. What is the difference between HIDS and NIDS?

• HIDS: This intrusion detection system sees the host itself as a whole world. It can be a computer (PC) or a server that can act as a standalone system and analyze and monitor its own internals. It works by looking at the files/data coming in and out of the host you’re working on. It works by taking existing file system snapshots from a previously taken file system and comparing them to each other. If they are the same, it means the host is safe and not under attack, but a change could indicate a potential attack.
• NIDS: This system is responsible for installation points across the network and can operate in mixed and hybrid environments. Alerts are triggered when something malicious or anomalous is detected in your network, cloud, or other mixed environments.

Please refer to the article:   Difference between HIDs and NIDs to know more about it.

54. What is the difference between VA (Vulnerability Assessment) and PT (Penetration Testing)?

• Penetration testing: This is performed to find vulnerabilities, malicious content, bugs, and risks. Used to set up an organization’s security system to protect its IT infrastructure. Penetration testing is also known as penetration testing. This is an official procedure that can be considered helpful, not a harmful attempt. This is part of an ethical hacking process that focuses solely on breaking into information systems.
• Vulnerability assessment: It is the technique of finding and measuring (scanning) security vulnerabilities in a particular environment. This is a location-comprehensive evaluation (result analysis) of information security. It is used to identify potential vulnerabilities and provide appropriate mitigations to eliminate them or reduce them below the risk level.

Please refer to the article: Differences between Penetration Testing and Vulnerability Assessments to know more.

55. What is RSA?

The RSA algorithm is an asymmetric encryption algorithm. Asymmetric means that it actually works with two different keys. H. Public and Private Keys. As the name suggests, the public key is shared with everyone and the private key remains secret.

Please refer to the article: RSA Algorithm in Cryptography to know more.

56. What is the Blowfish algorithm?

Blowfish is an encryption technique developed by Bruce Schneier in 1993 as an alternative to the DES encryption technique. It is considerably faster than DES and provides excellent encryption speed even though no effective cryptanalysis techniques have been discovered so far. It was one of the first secure block ciphers to be patent-free and therefore freely available to everyone. 

• Block size: 64 bits 
• keys:  variable size from 32-bit to 448-bit 
• Number of subkeys: 18 [P array] 
• Number of rounds: 16 
• Number of replacement boxes: 4 [each with 512 entries of 32 bits]

Please refer to the article: Blowfish Algorithm to know more.

57. What is the difference between a vulnerability and an exploit?

• Vulnerability: A vulnerability is an error in the design or implementation of a system that can be exploited to cause unexpected or undesirable behaviour. There are many ways a computer can become vulnerable to security threats. A common vulnerability is for attackers to exploit system security vulnerabilities to gain access to systems without proper authentication.
• Exploit: Exploits are tools that can be used to exploit vulnerabilities. They are created using vulnerabilities. Exploits are often patched by software vendors as soon as they are released. They take the form of software or code that helps control computers and steal network data.

Please refer to the article: Difference Between Vulnerability and Exploit to know more about it.

58.  What do you understand by Risk, Vulnerability and threat in a network?

• Cyber threats are malicious acts aimed at stealing or corrupting data or destroying digital networks and systems. A threat can also be defined as the possibility of a successful cyberattack to gain unethical access to sensitive data on a system.
• Vulnerabilities in cybersecurity are deficiencies in system designs, security procedures, internal controls, etc. that can be exploited by cybercriminals. In very rare cases, cyber vulnerabilities are the result of cyberattacks rather than network misconfigurations.
• Cyber ​​risk is the potential result of loss or damage to assets or data caused by cyber threats. You can’t eliminate risk completely, but you can manage it to a level that meets your organization’s risk tolerance. Therefore, our goal is not to build a system without risk but to keep the risk as low as possible.

Please refer to the article: Difference Between Threat, Vulnerability and Risk in Computer Networks to know more.

59. Explain Phishing and how to prevent it.

Phishing is a type of cyber attack. The name phishing comes from the word ‘phish’, which means fish. Placing bait to catch fish is a common phenomenon. Phishing works similarly. Tricking users or victims into clicking on malicious websites is an unethical practice.

Here’s how to protect your users from phishing attacks. 

• Download software only from authorized sources
•  Do not share personal information on unknown links. 
• Always check website URLs to prevent such attacks.
• If you receive an email from a known source, but the email seems suspicious,  contact the sender with a new email instead of using the reply option.
• Avoid posting personal information such as phone numbers, addresses, etc. on social media.
• Monitor compromised websites with malicious content using phishing detection tools. Try to avoid free Wi-Fi.

Please refer to the article Phishing to know more about this topic.

60. What do you mean by Forward Secrecy and how does it work?

Forward secrecy is a feature of some key agreement protocols that guarantees that the session keys will remain secure even if the server’s private key is compromised. Perfect forward secrecy, also known as PFS, is the term used to describe this. The “Diffie-Hellman key exchange” algorithm is employed to achieve this.

In summary, today, implementing effective cybersecurity measures is especially challenging due to the increasing number of devices relative to humans and the constant innovation by attackers. Therefore, cybersecurity professionals must employ various tools and techniques, including encryption, firewalls, antivirus software, anti-phishing measures, and vulnerability assessments, to proactively safeguard against and respond to cyber threats. As a result, the demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to remain high in the future. 

Wondering about the salary of a cyber security analyst? Take a look at our specialized article on Average Cyber Security Salary .

Frequently Asked Cyber Security Interview Questions

1. what is cryptography.

Cryptography is the practice of securing information and communications by transforming them into a form that cannot be easily understood by unauthorized parties. This can be done by using encryption algorithms to scramble the data, making it unreadable without the decryption key. Cryptography is used in a wide variety of applications, including secure communication, data storage, and digital signatures.

2. What is a traceroute? Mention its uses.

A traceroute is a diagnostic tool used to track the path that packets take from a source to a destination on the internet. It does this by sending packets with increasing time-to-live (TTL) values and recording the IP addresses of the routers that the packets pass through. Traceroute can be used to identify the location of network bottlenecks, troubleshoot connectivity problems, and map the topology of an internet network. Uses of traceroute: To identify the path that a packet takes from a source to a destination. To troubleshoot connectivity problems. To map the topology of an internet network. To identify the location of network bottlenecks. To test the performance of a network. To investigate denial-of-service attacks.

3. Define firewall, and why is it used?

A firewall is a network security device that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic. Firewalls can be used to block unauthorized access to a network, prevent malware from spreading, and protect sensitive data. There are two main types of firewalls: Packet-filtering firewalls: These firewalls examine the headers of network packets to determine whether they should be allowed to pass through. Application-level firewalls: These firewalls examine the content of network packets to determine whether they should be allowed to pass through.

4. Why is a firewall used?

Firewalls are used to protect networks from a variety of threats, including: Unauthorized access: Firewalls can block unauthorized users from accessing a network. Malware: Firewalls can prevent malware from spreading from one computer to another. Denial-of-service attacks: Firewalls can help to protect networks from denial-of-service attacks, which are attacks that attempt to overwhelm a network with traffic. Data leaks: Firewalls can help to protect sensitive data from being leaked from a network.

5. What is a three-way handshake?

A three-way handshake is a networking term for the process of establishing a connection between two hosts on a network. The three-way handshake is used in the Transmission Control Protocol (TCP), which is a reliable connection-oriented protocol. The three-way handshake consists of the following steps: The client sends a SYN packet to the server. The server sends a SYN-ACK packet to the client. The client sends an ACK packet to the server. Once the three-way handshake is complete, the two hosts have established a connection and can begin exchanging data.

6. What is a response code?

A response code is a three-digit number that is used to indicate the status of an HTTP request. Response codes are sent by web servers in response to requests from web browsers. The first digit of the response code indicates the class of response. The second and third digits indicate the specific status code. Here are some of the most common response codes: 200 OK: The request was successful. 400 Bad Request: The request was malformed. 401 Unauthorized: The request requires authentication. 403 Forbidden: The request is not allowed. 404 Not Found: The requested resource could not be found. 500 Internal Server Error: An error occurred on the server. 503 Service Unavailable: The server is temporarily unavailable

Please Login to comment...

Similar reads.

• Cyber-security
• interview-questions
• Ethical Hacking
• Interview Questions

Improve your Coding Skills with Practice

What kind of Experience do you want to share?

Type to search

Cybersecurity Case Studies and Real-World Examples

image courtesy pixabay.com

Table of Contents

In the ever-evolving landscape of cybersecurity, the battle between hackers and defenders continues to shape the digital domain. To understand the gravity of cybersecurity challenges, one need only examine real-world examples—breaches that have rocked industries, compromised sensitive data, and left organizations scrambling to shore up their defenses. In this exploration, we’ll dissect notable cybersecurity case studies, unravel the tactics employed by cybercriminals , and extract valuable lessons for strengthening digital defenses.

Equifax: The Breach that Shattered Trust

In 2017, Equifax, one of the largest credit reporting agencies, fell victim to a massive data breach that exposed the personal information of nearly 147 million individuals. The breach included sensitive data such as names, Social Security numbers, birthdates, and addresses, leaving millions vulnerable to identity theft and fraud.

Lessons Learned

1. Patch Management is Crucial:

The breach exploited a known vulnerability in the Apache Struts web application framework. Equifax failed to patch the vulnerability promptly, highlighting the critical importance of timely patch management. Organizations must prioritize staying current with security patches to prevent known vulnerabilities from being exploited.

2. Transparency Builds Trust:

Equifax faced severe backlash not only for the breach itself but also for its delayed and unclear communication with affected individuals. Transparency in communication is paramount during a cybersecurity incident. Organizations should proactively communicate the extent of the breach, steps taken to address it, and measures for affected individuals to protect themselves.

Target: A Cybersecurity Bullseye

In 2013, retail giant Target suffered a significant breach during the holiday shopping season. Hackers gained access to Target’s network through a third-party HVAC contractor, eventually compromising the credit card information of over 40 million customers and the personal information of 70 million individuals.

1. Third-Party Risks Require Vigilance:

Target’s breach underscored the risks associated with third-party vendors. Organizations must thoroughly vet and monitor the cybersecurity practices of vendors with access to their networks. Note that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link.

2. Advanced Threat Detection is Vital:

Target failed to detect the initial stages of the breach, allowing hackers to remain undetected for an extended period. Implementing robust advanced threat detection systems is crucial for identifying and mitigating breaches in their early stages.

WannaCry: A Global Ransomware Epidemic

In 2017, the WannaCry ransomware swept across the globe, infecting hundreds of thousands of computers in over 150 countries. Exploiting a vulnerability in Microsoft Windows, WannaCry encrypted users’ files and demanded ransom payments in Bitcoin for their release.

1. Regular System Updates are Non-Negotiable:

WannaCry leveraged a vulnerability that had been addressed by a Microsoft security update months before the outbreak. Organizations fell victim due to delayed or neglected updates. Regularly updating operating systems and software is fundamental to thwarting ransomware attacks .

2. Backup and Recovery Planning is Essential:

Organizations that had robust backup and recovery plans were able to restore their systems without succumbing to ransom demands. Implementing regular backup procedures and testing the restoration process can mitigate the impact of ransomware attacks.

Sony Pictures Hack: A Cyber Espionage Saga

In 2014, Sony Pictures Entertainment became the target of a devastating cyberattack that exposed an array of sensitive information, including unreleased films, executive emails, and employee records. The attackers, linked to North Korea, sought to retaliate against the film “The Interview,” which portrayed the fictional assassination of North Korea’s leader.

1. Diverse Attack Vectors:

The Sony hack demonstrated that cyber threats can come from unexpected sources and employ diverse attack vectors. Organizations must not only guard against common threats but also be prepared for unconventional methods employed by cyber adversaries .

2. Nation-State Threats:

The involvement of a nation-state in the attack highlighted the increasing role of geopolitical motivations in cyber incidents. Organizations should be aware of the potential for state-sponsored cyber threats and implement measures to defend against politically motivated attacks.

Marriott International: Prolonged Exposure and Ongoing Impact

In 2018, Marriott International disclosed a data breach that had persisted undetected for several years. The breach exposed personal information, including passport numbers, of approximately 500 million guests. The prolonged exposure raised concerns about the importance of timely detection and response.

1. Extended Dwell Time Matters:

Marriott’s breach highlighted the significance of dwell time—the duration a threat actor remains undetected within a network. Organizations should invest in advanced threat detection capabilities to minimize dwell time and swiftly identify and mitigate potential threats.

2. Post-Breach Communication:

Marriott faced criticism for the delayed communication of the breach to affected individuals. Prompt and transparent communication is vital in maintaining trust and allowing individuals to take necessary actions to protect themselves.

SolarWinds Supply Chain Attack: A Wake-Up Call

In late 2020, the SolarWinds supply chain attack sent shockwaves through the cybersecurity community. Sophisticated threat actors compromised SolarWinds’ software updates, enabling them to infiltrate thousands of organizations, including government agencies and major corporations.

1. Supply Chain Vulnerabilities:

The incident underscored the vulnerability of the software supply chain. Organizations must conduct thorough assessments of their suppliers’ cybersecurity practices and scrutinize the security of third-party software and services.

2. Continuous Monitoring is Essential:

The SolarWinds attack highlighted the importance of continuous monitoring and threat detection. Organizations should implement robust monitoring systems to identify anomalous behavior and potential indicators of compromise.

Notable Lessons and Ongoing Challenges

1. Human Element:

Many breaches involve human error, whether through clicking on phishing emails or neglecting cybersecurity best practices. Cybersecurity awareness training is a powerful tool in mitigating the human factor. Employees should be educated on identifying phishing attempts, using secure passwords, and understanding their role in maintaining a secure environment.

2. Zero Trust Architecture:

The concept of Zero Trust, where trust is never assumed, has gained prominence. Organizations should adopt a mindset that verifies every user, device, and network transaction, minimizing the attack surface and preventing lateral movement by potential intruders.

3. Cybersecurity Collaboration:

Cybersecurity is a collective effort. Information sharing within the cybersecurity community, between organizations, and with law enforcement agencies is crucial for staying ahead of emerging threats. Collaborative efforts can help identify patterns and vulnerabilities that may not be apparent to individual entities.

4. Regulatory Compliance:

The landscape of data protection and privacy regulations is evolving. Compliance with regulations such as GDPR, HIPAA, or CCPA is not only a legal requirement but also a cybersecurity best practice. Understanding and adhering to these regulations enhances data protection and builds trust with customers.

5. Encryption and Data Protection:

The importance of encryption and data protection cannot be overstated. In various breaches, including those of Equifax and Marriott, the compromised data was not adequately encrypted, making it easier for attackers to exploit sensitive information. Encrypting data at rest and in transit is a fundamental cybersecurity practice.

6. Agile Incident Response:

Cybersecurity incidents are inevitable, but a swift and agile incident response is crucial in minimizing damage. Organizations should regularly test and update their incident response plans to ensure they can respond effectively to evolving threats.

7. User Awareness and Training:

Human error remains a significant factor in many breaches. User awareness and training programs are essential for educating employees about cybersecurity risks , promoting responsible online behavior, and reducing the likelihood of falling victim to phishing or social engineering attacks.

8. Continuous Adaptation:

Cyber threats constantly evolve, necessitating a culture of continuous adaptation. Organizations should regularly reassess and update their cybersecurity strategies to address emerging threats and vulnerabilities.

Conclusion: Navigating the Cybersecurity Landscape

The world of cybersecurity is a battlefield where the landscape is ever-changing, and the adversaries are relentless. Real-world case studies serve as poignant reminders of the importance of proactive cybersecurity measures . As organizations adapt to emerging technologies, such as cloud computing, IoT, and AI, the need for robust cybersecurity practices becomes more pronounced. Real-world case studies offer invaluable insights into the tactics of cyber adversaries and the strategies employed by organizations to defend against evolving threats.

Prabhakar Pillai

I am a computer engineer from Pune University. Have a passion for technical/software blogging. Wrote blogs in the past on SaaS, Microservices, Cloud Computing, DevOps, IoT, Big Data & AI. Currently, I am blogging on Cybersecurity as a hobby.

Hi, I believe your website mmight be having browser compatibility problems. Whenever I lokok att your blog in Safari, it looks fine but when opening in Internet Explorer, it has some overlapping issues. I just wanted to provide you with a quick heads up! Other than that, excellent blog!

Consider opening in chrome or Microsoftedge. Thank you for the comments

Leave a Comment Cancel Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Top 15 Cybersecurity Interview Questions to Prepare for in 2022 (And How to Answer Them)

Here are some commonly asked questions to help you excel at a cybersecurity job interview in 2022.

The demand for cybersecurity professionals continues to skyrocket. This article lists 15 important interview questions that can help you ace interviews for jobs in the cybersecurity domain.

With the demand for cybersecurity professionals on the rise, there is naturally intense competition as well. Landing a well-paying cybersecurity job in a leading company would require you to be well-qualified, have the right experience and certifications , and finally ace the interview.

Considering the nature of the job, interviewers will mostly ask questions that will give them an insight into your level of competence. Candidates are often expected to possess excellent domain knowledge. Nevertheless, the difficulty of the questions can depend on the role and its seniority.

Remember that memorizing cybersecurity theory does not automatically guarantee a successful interview. A good candidate also needs to showcase a passion for continuous learning, an understanding of the true nature of the job, and a high level of competence, especially in stressful situations.

See More: Career Path in Cybersecurity: How to Enter, Key Skills, Salary, and Job Description

Cybersecurity Interview Questions to Prepare for in 2022

Here is a list of the top 15 questions candidates can expect when they show up for an interview for a cybersecurity role, along with the appropriate answers. 

First, let’s look at some subjective questions you may be asked. You might face these questions as the interviewer attempts to assess your general competence and suitability for the role you have applied for.

1. What do you find interesting about cybersecurity?

This simple question can identify strong candidates right off the bat. Frame your answer in a way that reflects your level of experience.

A beginner might get away with a simple answer, such as ‘I find technology interesting’ or ‘Detecting software bugs has always been something I enjoy’. However, experienced candidates need to be more specific. Try talking about what you find exciting at your job. Exhibiting a passion for the career path you want to take (or are already on), such as penetration testing or incident response, can get you a few brownie points too.

If you’re applying for a senior-level position, such as a chief information security officer (CISO), talk about the management skills that you’ve developed during your career. If you’re making a lateral shift from a different domain, talk about the common elements between cybersecurity and your current vertical. For instance, someone with a background in finance can speak about their proficiency in regulatory compliance, risk management, and attention to detail.

2. Why did you choose cybersecurity to build your career?

Through this question, the interviewer aims to gauge your priorities. Naturally, making money should not be your stated reason for choosing this career path. If that is indeed your reason, it needs to be phrased in a way that allows the interviewer to understand that financial gain is not the only motivator behind your interest in the role.

Talk about how cybersecurity is a grave issue in the post-pandemic corporate landscape and that you think you can make a positive difference by choosing this field. You can mention the shortage of strong candidates in the domain and how your skills can help protect the organization as well as give you hands-on experience and career growth.

3. Which qualities of yours make you a good candidate for a role in cybersecurity?

This question isn’t only about the qualities you possess; it is also about how you’ve exhibited these qualities in the past.

While the fact that you have always been passionate about technology and hacking since the age of ten is a good place to start, don’t dwell on it for more than a sentence or two. Instead, talk about the sought-after qualities in the cybersecurity domain, such as in-depth knowledge about cross-platform cybersecurity, a strong understanding of digital forensics, attention to detail, and problem-solving skills.

Regardless of your seniority, keep in mind that your interviewer is probably a seasoned cybersecurity professional as well. Talk about your top accomplishments and tie in a demonstration of your strongest qualities. Remember, even on-the-job anecdotes that showcase simple qualities such as curiosity and persistence can work here.

If you’re relatively new to the field, you can try demonstrating your qualities by talking about your home setup, the time when you discovered and fixed a glitch in a video game, or how you helped your aunt secure her email account. Try your best to ensure that these anecdotes are technically oriented and showcase the desirable qualities.

4. Do you think continuous learning is important in a cybersecurity career?

Your answer to any question related to ‘continuous learning’ should show a positive attitude toward it. Career-long learning is an essential trait for the cybersecurity domain, and showing that you are aware and accepting of this fact is bound to work in your favor. Your answer should convince the interviewer that you are interested in security and technology. Exhibit that you are willing to continuously improve the skills required to secure organizational systems effectively.

Mention how you have been learning continuously to reach where you are today. Bring up the certifications you have obtained and the ones you plan to acquire soon. Share an anecdote that demonstrates your learning and observation skills. You can also mention how you plan to make it big in cybersecurity.

5. How have you secured your home setup?

The mark of a passionate cybersecurity professional is a secure home setup. This question is a great chance for candidates with less experience to exhibit an understanding of the basic issues that any system can face.

Take this opportunity to talk about the following measures:

• Using a paid VPN service
• Changing default router and account passwords
• Enabling robust antivirus and anti-malware software
• Using two-factor authentication on whatever service allows it
• Relying on a reputable password manager
• Creating secure backups often

6. You receive a ‘Happy Birthday’ e-card from a friend as an email attachment on your birthday. What would you do?

Scenario-based questions are an easy way for interviewers to understand your critical thinking and problem-solving skills. If a specific scenario is unfamiliar, fall back on the basics and don’t hesitate to talk about doing your research and asking for help.

To answer this scenario-based question, mention that many risks need to be considered, such as:

• Opening a malicious email is a risk in itself. Consider not opening the email and deleting it immediately.
• If you use antivirus software or an email client with a high-security rating, leverage its features to scan the email and the attachment for viruses and other risks.
• Email addresses are easy to spoof. Just because the email is marked from a friend does not mean it actually is. Consider checking with your friend over a call or text before proceeding.

Now, let’s look at some objective questions that may be asked.

The interviewer might field these questions to gauge your domain-specific knowledge. Naturally, this is not an exhaustive list: brush up on your theory while keeping the specific role that you are applying for in mind.

Pro tip: If a particular term or scenario seems unfamiliar, don’t try to bluff your way out of the situation. Instead, talk about the importance of continuous learning in cybersecurity and politely tell the interviewer that you will learn more about this term.

7. What is the primary goal of cybersecurity?

Securing organizational data is the primary goal of cybersecurity. This goal can be achieved by keeping in mind the three basic, interconnected principles of cybersecurity: confidentiality, integrity, and availability, commonly shortened to CIA. The ‘CIA model’ helps organizations make decisions regarding cybersecurity. If any of these principles are violated, the likelihood of a security breach increases.

• Confidentiality is the prevention of unauthorized access to enterprise data. Upholding this principle means ensuring that data is only accessed by the parties that are authorized to use it. When executed correctly, critical information remains safe from threats such as hacking.
• Integrity is the assurance that information being accessed is correct and secure from any form of unauthorized access or alteration — intentional or otherwise. Changes, if any, should not lead to corruption or loss. Measures to reverse the effects of any undesirable incidents should be implemented.
• Availability ensures that data is constantly accessible by authorized parties, even in the case of natural or human-made disasters.

8. What are the various sub-domains of cybersecurity?

Today, companies rely heavily on technology for almost every business process. Each workflow relies on a different system, and securing these varying IT architectures calls for specialized sub-domains of cybersecurity, such as:

• Application security: Protects enterprise hardware and software against hackers, viruses, and other threats. 
• Cloud security: Safeguards data digitally stored in cloud environments such as AWS, Google Cloud, and Azure.
• Data security: Creates robust systems that ensure data integrity during both transit and storage.
• Network security: Protects enterprise networks against unauthorized access and other forms of disruption through measures such as VPN and firewall.
• Identity management: Secures all employee- and vendor-facing systems by setting a specific access level for each individual and logging system activity.

9. What security issues have cybersecurity teams had to deal with due to remote work post-pandemic?

The post-pandemic security landscape is an interesting case study for cybersecurity professionals across the board. ‘Work from home’ suddenly went from being an exception to becoming the norm. As a result, cybersecurity teams had to work overtime to figure out secure BYOD protocols, VPN access , remote desktop protocol (RDP) issues, and a host of other problems.

Many companies were unable to keep up with the queries and requests from employees who were not tech-savvy beyond what they needed for their daily tasks. This led to chinks in the security posture of organizations across the world, and attacks on systems subsequently rose. A February 2021 report by Atlas VPN pegs the global cost due to cybercrime at over $1 trillion in 2020 alone, with $945 billion lost due to security incidents and $45 billion spent on protective measures.

10. Can you talk about a few commonly encountered cybersecurity attacks?

You could explain some of the following attacks:

• Malware: Malicious programs are designed to damage organizational systems, such as viruses, Trojans, spyware, worms, ransomware, and adware. These are easily mitigated through robust anti-malware and antivirus software and commonsense security best practices.
• Denial-of-service (DoS): These attacks exploit systems or networks and prevent end-users from accessing them. In some cases, the target is overwhelmed with malicious traffic, while sometimes, a program is used to trigger a crash. While typical DoS attacks may not result in data theft, they can lead to significant losses due to unplanned downtime that needs to be addressed by IT professionals.
• Domain name system (DNS) attacks: These attacks target the domain name system. Most attacks manipulate the DNS to prevent end-users from accessing websites. Weaknesses in DNS can also be exploited to redirect end users to spoofed, malicious pages. Finally, DNS protocol can be leveraged to steal sensitive data, i.e., DNS tunneling.
• Cross-site scripting (XSS): This attack compromises applications and enables attackers to assume the target’s identity. The attacker then carries out actions that only the user should execute and accesses sensitive data and functions.
• Phishing: Disguised emails trick the target into downloading malicious attachments, sharing sensitive information, or clicking on dangerous links.
• Man-in-the-middle: Attackers insert themselves into an existing data transfer, allowing them to intercept sensitive information coming from either side.
• Brute force: Attackers use programs or guesswork to determine the right combination of credentials and access sensitive data.
• SQL injection: Attackers exploit vulnerabilities in web security to hijack queries made to a database by an application. The attacker can then view, steal, or delete this data and even modify it to influence application performance.
• Session hijacking: Attackers target users and cause them to lose control of an ongoing online session to steal data.

11. How could we, as a company, improve internal cybersecurity?

A few measures that can improve the internal cybersecurity of an organization include:

• Mandatory training: Teach web best practices to each employee and explain common cybersecurity threats and ways to spot them. Training tailored to the needs of specific teams is much more effective. For instance, social engineering scams are more likely to be used when attackers target higher management and finance teams. Naturally, the IT department needs the highest level of training possible.
• Onboarding training: New employees, especially those joining remotely in the post-pandemic era, need to understand how the organization works to recognize when something is amiss. They should be encouraged to verify any sensitive requests before processing them, at least until they have a hang of day-to-day operations.
• Hands-on training: Quiz answers don’t necessarily indicate how employees would actually behave during a cybersecurity event. Training initiatives designed to simulate real-life attack attempts (such as phishing emails sent by the cybersecurity team) can help both employees and the IT team prepare for the real deal.

Note: Before the interview, it is always a good idea to research the cybersecurity posture and recent developments of the specific company/industry that you are applying to.

12. Why is it essential to have a VPN connection for employees?

Virtual private networks (VPNs) establish encrypted connections between the company’s network and the employee’s device. When an employee connects to a VPN, the data from their device is transferred to the starting point of the ‘VPN tunnel’, where it is encrypted. It is then transmitted to the end of the tunnel, usually, the company’s network, where the data is decrypted. The tunnel is similarly activated when the organizational network responds to the employee’s request for data.

VPNs are important because they help ensure the secure transfer of data between employees and the company and prevent illegitimate parties from intercepting sensitive communication.

13. What is the difference between penetration testing and vulnerability assessment?

Both penetration testing and vulnerability assessment help secure organizational networks.

Penetration testing , also known as pen-testing or ethical hacking, is the process of identifying vulnerabilities in an application, network, or other enterprise systems using the same methodology that an attacker would. The tester is also expected to fix these vulnerabilities before being exploited.

Vulnerability assessments analyze enterprise systems, applications, and networks at a higher level to define, detect, and prioritize vulnerabilities. Consultants also share recommendations for correcting the spotted vulnerabilities.

Think of vulnerability assessment as checking whether a safe is locked correctly. Penetration testing goes a step further and tries to crack open the safe the same way a thief would attempt to.

14. What is a botnet?

A botnet is an illegitimately created network of devices, where each device is hijacked to run bots. Threat actors use these networks to carry out various types of attacks without the knowledge or consent of the device owners. The creation of a botnet normally indicates the beginning of a larger attack that aims to take down systems, steal sensitive data, or distribute malware.

15. What is the difference between IDS and IPS solutions?

Intrusion detection systems , commonly known as IDS, monitor the traffic passing through organizational networks to detect signs that an attack is underway. IDS can give advanced signals that threat actors are trying to steal sensitive information or otherwise infiltrate the network using known attack vectors. An IDS system detects activities such as malware attacks, security policy violations, and port scanners by comparing the suspicious activity against familiar threat footprints.

Conversely, intrusion prevention systems , often shortened to IPS, are placed between the enterprise network and the internet at large, much like a firewall. If an approaching packet contains a known threat, the IPS will intercept and block it.

IDS is a monitoring system that does not modify network packets in any form. On the other hand, IPS is a control system that will block the delivery of malicious packets depending on their contents. 

See More: Making It in InfoSec: 7 Skills To Keep Up-to-Date in 2021

At the most fundamental level, interviews for cybersecurity jobs are no different from any other interview. You just need to show up and be ready to talk about the importance of cybersecurity and why you’re the right person for the job.

Newer candidates shouldn’t be afraid of not knowing more advanced terms and scenarios. Just gain a general understanding of how the field operates and make sure your basics are strong. However, experienced professionals should come prepared to showcase a proven track record and a portfolio of certifications relevant to the role they are applying for.

As with an interview for any other role, soft skills such as strong communication and thinking outside the box can help you score brownie points. Naturally, a candidate who understands the practicalities of a job in the cybersecurity field will be better placed than someone solely with theoretical knowledge.

Finally, don’t forget the basics: show up on time, be well-groomed, talk about yourself confidently, and make sure your body language works in your favor.

Did this article help you crack an interview for a cybersecurity job? We’d love to know. Tell us on LinkedIn Opens a new window , Twitter Opens a new window , or Facebook Opens a new window !  

MORE ON SECURITY CAREERS AND SKILLS

• Top 10 Cybersecurity Colleges in the U.S. in 202 2
• Career Path in Cybersecurity: How to Enter, Key Skills, Salary, and Job Description
• Cyber Threat Analyst: Key Job Skills and Expected Salary
• Top 10 Online Cybersecurity Courses and Certifications in 2022
• Cyber Security Degrees: Types, Comparisons, and Best Practices for Selection
• Cybersecurity Analyst: Key Skill Requirements and Salary Expectations

Share This Article:

Technical Writer

Recommended Reads

Creating a Resilient Talent Ecosystem in the Reskilling Era

Data Download: Changing Jobs Easiest Way to Increase Salary, But not Happiness

Word of Advice From Techies, This International Women in Engineering Day

Optimizing Performance Assessments for Developers with Data-driven Technology

Advice From Those Who Have Made It: A CTO’s Guide for Graduates to Become One

If You Think Your Job as a Developer Is To Write Code, You Are Mistaken

• Internships
• Career Advice

Cybersecurity Interview Questions and Prep

Published: Apr 18, 2024

Cybersecurity careers are exciting, challenging, constantly evolving—and booming. Today, small businesses, Fortune 500 companies, nonprofits, and government agencies are all in need of cybersecurity professionals. And demand for cybersecurity professionals is expected to grow by 32 percent in the next decade. Which means it’s a great time to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

If you do decide to make the leap into cybersecurity, it’s essential to understand the interviewing process that’s specific to the field. After all, while your resume gets you the interview, your interview performance lands you the job. So, below, we highlight the typical cybersecurity interview format, types of questions to expect, and advice top cybersecurity employers have on how to prep for your interviews.

Interview Formats

Interview formats vary somewhat by cybersecurity employer. For example, at Cloudflare , the interview process begins with an initial conversation with a recruiter, followed by team interviews with other candidates and meetings with various Cloudflare team members. At Mimecast , candidates first meet with a member of the company’s talent acquisition team to learn more about the job, then they meet with the hiring manager to discuss career aspirations, and after that they meet with an interview panel and undergo a skills, culture, and values assessment.

The National Security Agency (NSA) conducts most of its cybersecurity interviews virtually, using the virtual interviewing platform HireVue, which allows applicants to complete live or pre-recorded interviews. And at the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), initial interviews involve a multi-phase assessment process that can include online tests, in-person tests at an assessment center, and scenario-based interviews, conducted virtually or in-person at a DHS office.

Behavioral Interviews

Many employers in the cybersecurity industry now use behavioral interviews to learn about how you acted in certain situations in previous jobs, internships, and school projects. The logic behind these interviews is that past performance predicts future performance. Behavioral interview questions are more probing than general interview questions.

Some common behavioral questions asked in cybersecurity interviews include: 1) Tell me about a time you had to relay bad news to a client or colleague. 2) Give an example of a time you used teamwork to accomplish a task. 3) How did you handle explaining technical issues to non-tech members of your team? 4) Have you ever had to handle sensitive information in a previous role? If so, how did you go about it?

Preparing strong answers to these questions and others like them will demonstrate that you have top-notch communication skills, meet deadlines, are a good problem solver, and possess other admirable traits that companies seek in their employees. To practice for behavioral interviews, many people prepare responses in the form of “short stories” that present your actions in these situations in a positive light. The STAR interviewing response technique is a popular strategy when answering behavioral-interview questions. STAR is an acronym for Situation, Task, Action, Result. It gives you a reminder about how to respond to behavioral questions. You can learn more about the steps in a STAR response here .

Case Study Interviews

In a cybersecurity case study interview, you or a group of fellow job seekers will receive a cybersecurity problem or other challenge and be asked to analyze the situation and identify potential solutions. This interview format is most commonly used for cybersecurity consulting and managerial positions, but it may be used for other positions.

If you’re asked to participate in a case study interview, you’ll typically receive 15 to 20 minutes to devise a solution. You can ask the interviewer questions to help solve the problem. If you’re part of a group case study interview, your team works together to solve the problem, and the hiring managers observe how effectively you communicate and work with others. Hiring managers also use case studies to evaluate your problem-solving skills, analytical ability, common sense, creativity, brainstorming ability, and strategic and logical thinking.

There may be more than one answer to a case interview question. And some participants are not able to provide a solution in the limited response time. But this is less important than being able to clearly convey your thought process, remain calm under pressure, work well with others (if you’re in a group setting), and demonstrate that you possess all the other aforementioned skills.

Technical Interviews

Technical interviews focus on determining if you have the expertise to do the job. If you’re applying for an entry-level position, these questions aim to gauge your level of understanding of cybersecurity and the quality of your postsecondary training. Technical questions vary by position, but here are some questions that you might encounter during an interview. Practice answering these and other questions until you feel confident that you understand each concept or cybersecurity scenario. You should also use your network and other sources to learn about typical questions for your target career.

• What is cryptography?
• What is a virtual private network?
• How do you prevent identity theft?
• When you’re building a firewall, do you prefer filtered or closed ports, and why?
• If you were a cybercriminal, how would you try to gain access to secure data?
• What is a brute force attack? What steps can you take to prevent it?
• What is cross-site scripting?
• Please take us through your understanding of risk, vulnerability, and threat within a network.
• What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?
• What is CryptoAPI?
• What is a three-way handshake?

Interview Advice from Cybersecurity Employers

Here’s some general advice on interviewing from some well-known cybersecurity employers.

Check Point : “Review the job description and do a bit of research on the product, team, and our company. Help us to get to know you by explaining how your prior experience and successes have prepared you for the role you’re pursuing at Check Point. Come with a few examples in mind that demonstrate your strengths, and any questions you have about the position. It’s always a good idea to get a good sleep and breakfast, too. Make sure your resume is up-to-date and tailored to the role you’re applying for. Feel confident and showcase your skills and past achievements. Be proactive. Be prepared. Be yourself.”

Cisco : “The process helps us get to know you, and for you to learn about our people, culture, and business. We’ll evaluate your skills and experience against our current business needs. We’ll ask you about your academic and work experience, and you can ask questions, too. Be prepared to tell about your achievements and the value you could bring to Cisco.”

Kaspersky : “Ask a friend to help you prepare for [the interview] by talking to them about your skills and prepare a short story about why you’re applying for the role. Let your friend ask standard questions like, ‘What are your goals for the next five years?’”

This post was excerpted from the new Vault Career Guide to Cybersecurity .

Top 100+ Cyber Security Interview Questions and Answers

Cyber Security Interview Questions and Answers for Freshers

1) what is cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity refers to the protection of hardware, software, and data from attackers. The primary purpose of cyber security is to protect against cyberattacks like accessing, changing, or destroying sensitive information.

2) What are the elements of cybersecurity?

Major elements of cybersecurity are:

• Information security
• Network security
• Operational security
• Application security
• End-user education
• Business continuity planning

3) What are the advantages of cyber security?

Benefits of cyber security are as follows:

• It protects the business against ransomware, malware, social engineering, and phishing.
• It protects end-users.
• It gives good protection for both data as well as networks.
• Increase recovery time after a breach.
• Cybersecurity prevents unauthorized users.

4) Define Cryptography.

It is a technique used to protect information from third parties called adversaries. Cryptography allows the sender and recipient of a message to read its details.

5) Differentiate between IDS and IPS.

Intrusion Detection System (IDS) detects intrusions. The administrator has to be careful while preventing the intrusion. In the Intrusion Prevention System (IPS), the system finds the intrusion and prevent it.

6) What is CIA?

Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability (CIA) is a popular model which is designed to develop a security policy. CIA model consists of three concepts:

• Confidentiality: Ensure the sensitive data is accessed only by an authorized user.
• Integrity: Integrity means the information is in the right format.
• Availability: Ensure the data and resources are available for users who need them.

7) What is a Firewall?

It is a security system designed for the network. A firewall is set on the boundaries of any system or network which monitors and controls network traffic. Firewalls are mostly used to protect the system or network from malware, worms, and viruses. Firewalls can also prevent content filtering and remote access.

8) Explain Traceroute

It is a tool that shows the packet path. It lists all the points that the packet passes through. Traceroute is used mostly when the packet does not reach the destination. Traceroute is used to check where the connection breaks or stops or to identify the failure.

9) Differentiate between HIDS and NIDS.

10) Explain SSL

SSL stands for Secure Sockets Layer. It is a technology creating encrypted connections between a web server and a web browser. It is used to protect the information in online transactions and digital payments to maintain data privacy.

11) What do you mean by data leakage?

Data leakage is an unauthorized transfer of data to the outside world. Data leakage occurs via email, optical media, laptops, and USB keys.

12) Explain the brute force attack. How to prevent it?

It is a trial-and-error method to find out the right password or PIN. Hackers repetitively try all the combinations of credentials. In many cases, brute force attacks are automated where the software automatically works to login with credentials. There are ways to prevent Brute Force attacks. They are:

• Setting password length.
• Increase password complexity.
• Set limit on login failures.

13) What is port scanning?

It is the technique for identifying open ports and service available on a specific host. Hackers use port scanning technique to find information for malicious purposes.

14) Name the different layers of the OSI model.

Seven different layers of OSI models are as follows:

• Physical Layer
• Data Link Layer
• Network Layer
• Transport Layer
• Session Layer
• Presentation Layer
• Application Layer

15) What is a VPN?

VPN stands for Virtual Private Network. It is a network connection method for creating an encrypted and safe connection. This method protects data from interference, snooping, censorship.

16) What are black hat hackers?

Black hat hackers are people who have a good knowledge of breaching network security. These hackers can generate malware for personal financial gain or other malicious reasons. They break into a secure network to modify, steal, or destroy data so that the network can not be used by authorized network users.

17) What are white hat hackers?

White hat hackers or security specialist are specialized in Penetration testing . They protect the information system of an organization.

18) What are grey hat hackers?

Grey hat hackers are computer hacker who sometimes violate ethical standards, but they do not have malicious intent.

19) How to reset a password-protected BIOS configuration?

There are various ways to reset BIOS password. Some of them are as follows:

• Remove CMOS battery.
• By utilizing the software.
• By utilizing a motherboard jumper.
• By utilizing MS-DOS.

20) What is MITM attack?

A MITM or Man-in-the-Middle is a type of attack where an attacker intercepts communication between two persons. The main intention of MITM is to access confidential information.

21) Define ARP and its working process.

It is a protocol used for finding MAC address associated with IPv4 address. This protocol work as an interface between the OSI network and OSI link layer.

22) Explain botnet.

It’s a number of internet-connected devices like servers, mobile devices, IoT devices, and PCs that are infected and controlled by malware.

23) What is the main difference between SSL and TLS?

The main difference between these two is that SSL verifies the identity of the sender. SSL helps you to track the person you are communicating to. TLS offers a secure channel between two clients.

24) What is the abbreviation of CSRF?

CSRF stands for Cross-Site Request Forgery.

25) What is 2FA? How to implement it for a public website?

TFA stands for Two Factor Authentication. It is a security process to identify the person who is accessing an online account. The user is granted access only after presenting evidence to the authentication device.

Cyber Security Interview Questions and Answers for Experienced

26) explain the difference between asymmetric and symmetric encryption..

Symmetric encryption requires the same key for encryption and decryption. On the other hand, asymmetric encryption needs different keys for encryption and decryption.

27) What is the full form of XSS?

XSS stands for cross-site scripting.

28) Explain WAF

29) what is hacking.

Hacking is a process of finding weakness in computer or private networks to exploit its weaknesses and gain access.

For example, using password cracking technique to gain access to a system.

30) Who are hackers?

A Hacker is a person who finds and exploits the weakness in computer systems, smartphones, tablets, or networks to gain access. Hackers are well experienced computer programmers with knowledge of computer security.

31) What is network sniffing?

Network sniffing is a tool used for analyzing data packets sent over a network. This can be done by the specialized software program or hardware equipment. Sniffing can be used to:

• Capture sensitive data such as password.
• Eavesdrop on chat messages
• Monitor data package over a network

32) What is the importance of DNS monitoring?

Yong domains are easily infected with malicious software. You need to use DNS monitoring tools to identify malware.

33) Define the process of salting. What is the use of salting?

Salting is that process to extend the length of passwords by using special characters. To use salting, it is very important to know the entire mechanism of salting. The use of salting is to safeguard passwords. It also prevents attackers testing known words across the system.

For example, Hash(“QxLUF1bgIAdeQX”) is added to each and every password to protect your password. It is called as salt.

34) What is SSH?

SSH stands for Secure Socket Shell or Secure Shell. It is a utility suite that provides system administrators secure way to access the data on a network.

35) Is SSL protocol enough for network security?

SSL verifies the sender’s identity, but it does not provide security once the data is transferred to the server. It is good to use server-side encryption and hashing to protect the server against a data breach.

36) What is black box testing and white box testing?

• Black box testing: It is a software testing method in which the internal structure or program code is hidden.
• White box testing: A software testing method in which internal structure or program is known by tester.

37) Explain vulnerabilities in network security.

Vulnerabilities refer to the weak point in software code which can be exploited by a threat actor. They are most commonly found in an application like SaaS (Software as a service) software.

38) Explain TCP Three-way handshake.

It is a process used in a network to make a connection between a local host and server. This method requires the client and server to negotiate synchronization and acknowledgment packets before starting communication.

39) Define the term residual risk. What are three ways to deal with risk?

It is a threat that balances risk exposure after finding and eliminating threats.

Three ways to deal with risk are:

40) Define Exfiltration.

41) what is exploit in network security.

An exploit is a method utilized by hackers to access data in an unauthorized way. It is incorporated into malware.

42) What do you mean by penetration testing?

It is the process of checking exploitable vulnerabilities on the target. In web security, it is used to augment the web application firewall.

43) List out some of the common cyber-attack.

Following are the common cyber-attacks which can be used by hackers to damage network:

• Password attacks
• Man in the middle
• Drive-by downloads
• Malvertising
• Rogue software

44) How to make the user authentication process more secure?

In order to authenticate users, they have to provide their identity. The ID and Key can be used to confirm the user’s identity. This is an ideal way how the system should authorize the user.

45) Explain the concept of cross-site scripting.

Cross-site scripting refers to a network security vulnerability in which malicious scripts are injected into websites. This attack occurs when attackers allow an untrusted source to inject code into a web application.

46) Name the protocol that broadcast the information across all the devices.

Internet Group Management Protocol or IGMP is a communication protocol that is used in game or video streaming. It facilitates routers and other communication devices to send packets.

47) How to protect email messages?

Use cipher algorithm to protect email, credit card information, and corporate data.

48) What are the risks associated with public Wi-Fi?

Public Wi-Fi has many security issues. Wi-Fi attacks include karma attack, sniffing, war-driving, brute force attack, etc.

Public Wi-Fi may identify data that is passed through a network device like emails, browsing history, passwords, and credit card data.

49) What is Data Encryption? Why it is important in network security?

Data encryption is a technique in which the sender converts the message into a code. It allows only authorized user to gain access.

50) Explain the main difference between Diffie-Hellman and RSA.

Diffie-Hellman is a protocol used while exchanging key between two parties while RSA is an algorithm that works on the basis two keys called private and public key.

51) What is a remote desktop protocol?

Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) is developed by Microsoft, which provides GUI to connect two devices over a network.

The user uses RDP client software to serve this purpose while other device must run RDP server software. This protocol is specifically designed for remote management and to access virtual PCs, applications, and terminal server.

52) Define Forward Secrecy.

Forward Secrecy is a security measure that ensures the integrity of unique session key in event that long term key is compromised.

53) Explain the concept of IV in encryption.

IV stands for the initial vector is an arbitrary number that is used to ensures that identical text encrypted to different ciphertexts. Encryption program uses this number only once per session.

54) Explain the difference between stream cipher and block cipher.

55) Give some examples of a symmetric encryption algorithm.

Following are some examples of symmetric encryption algorithm.

• Rijndael (AES)

56) What is the abbreviation of ECB and CBC?

The full form of ECB is Electronic Codebook, and the full form of CBC is Cipher Block Chaining.

57) Explain a buffer overflow attack.

Buffer overflow attack is an attack that takes advantage of a process that attempts to write more data to a fixed-length memory block.

58) Define Spyware.

Spyware is a malware that aims to steal data about the organization or person. This malware can damage the organization’s computer system.

59) What is impersonation?

It is a mechanism of assigning the user account to an unknown user.

60) What do you mean by SRM?

SRM stands for Security Reference Monitor provides routines for computer drivers to grant access rights to object.

61) What is a computer virus?

A virus is a malicious software that is executed without the user’s consent. Viruses can consume computer resources, such as CPU time and memory. Sometimes, the virus makes changes in other computer programs and insert its own code to harm the computer system.

A computer virus may be used to:

• Access private data like user id and passwords
• Display annoying messages to the user
• Corrupt data in your computer
• Log the user’s keystrokes

62) What do you mean by Authenticode?

Authenticode is a technology that identifies the publisher of Authenticode sign software. It allows users to ensure that the software is genuine and not contain any malicious program.

63) Define CryptoAPI

CryptoAPI is a collection of encryption APIs which allows developers to create a project on a secure network.

64) Explain steps to secure web server.

Follow the following steps to secure your web server:

• Update ownership of file.
• Keep your webserver updated.
• Disable extra modules in the webserver.
• Delete default scripts.

65) What is Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer?

Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer or MBSA is a graphical and command-line interface that provides a method to find missing security updates and misconfigurations.

66) What is Ethical hacking?

Ethical hacking is a method to improve the security of a network. In this method, hackers fix vulnerabilities and weakness of computer or network. Ethical hackers use software tools to secure the system.

67) Explain social engineering and its attacks.

Social engineering is the term used to convince people to reveal confidential information.

There are mainly three types of social engineering attacks: 1) Human-based, 2) Mobile-based, and 3) Computer-based.

• Human-based attack: They may pretend like a genuine user who requests higher authority to reveal private and confidential information of the organization.
• Computer-based attack: In this attack, attackers send fake emails to harm the computer. They ask people to forward such email.
• Mobile-based attack: Attacker may send SMS to others and collect important information. If any user downloads a malicious app, then it can be misused to access authentication information.

68) What is IP and MAC Addresses?

IP Address is the acronym for Internet Protocol address. An internet protocol address is used to uniquely identify a computer or device such as printers, storage disks on a computer network.

MAC Address is the acronym for Media Access Control address. MAC addresses are used to uniquely identify network interfaces for communication at the physical layer of the network.

69) What do you mean by a worm?

A Worm is a type of malware which replicates from one computer to another.

70) State the difference between virus and worm

71) Name some tools used for packet sniffing.

Following are some tools used for packet sniffing.

• NetworkMiner

72) Explain anti-virus sensor systems

Antivirus is software tool that is used to identify, prevent, or remove the viruses present in the computer. They perform system checks and increase the security of the computer regularly.

73) List out the types of sniffing attacks.

Various types of sniffing attacks are:

• Protocol Sniffing
• Web password sniffing
• Application-level sniffing
• TCP Session stealing
• LAN Sniffing
• ARP Sniffing

74) What is a distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS)?

It is an attack in which multiple computers attack website, server, or any network resource.

75) Explain the concept of session hijacking.

TCP session hijacking is the misuse of a valid computer session. IP spoofing is the most common method of session hijacking. In this method, attackers use IP packets to insert a command between two nodes of the network.

76) List out various methods of session hijacking.

Various methods of session hijacking are:

• Using packet Sniffers
• Cross-Site Scripting (XSS Attack)
• IP Spoofing
• Blind Attack

77) What are Hacking Tools?

Hacking Tools are computer programs and scripts that help you find and exploit weaknesses in computer systems, web applications, servers, and networks. There are varieties of such tools available on the market. Some of them are open source, while others are a commercial solution.

78) Explain honeypot and its Types.

Honeypot is a decoy computer system which records all the transactions, interactions, and actions with users.

Honeypot is classified into two categories: 1) Production honeypot and 2) Research honeypot.

• Production honeypot: It is designed to capture real information for the administrator to access vulnerabilities. They are generally placed inside production networks to increase their security.
• Research Honeypot: It is used by educational institutions and organizations for the sole purpose of researching the motives and tactics of the back-hat community for targeting different networks.

79) Name common encryption tools.

Tools available for encryptions are as follows:

80) What is Backdoor?

It is a malware type in which security mechanism is bypassed to access a system.

81) Is it right to send login credentials through email?

It is not right to send login credentials through email because if you send someone userid and password in the mail, chances of email attacks are high.

82) Explain the 80/20 rule of networking?

This rule is based on the percentage of network traffic, in which 80% of all network traffic should remain local while the rest of the traffic should be routed towards a permanent VPN.

83) Define WEP cracking.

It is a method used for a security breach in wireless networks. There are two types of WEP cracking: 1) Active cracking and 2) Passive cracking.

84) What are various WEP cracking tools?

Well known WEP cracking tools are:

85) What is a security auditing?

Security auditing is an internal inspection of applications and operating systems for security flaws. An audit can also be done via line by line inspection of code.

86) Explain phishing.

It is a technique used to obtain a username, password, and credit card details from other users.

87) What is Nano-scale encryption?

Nano encryption is a research area which provides robust security to computers and prevents them from hacking.

88) Define Security Testing?

Security Testing is defined as a type of Software Testing that ensures software systems and applications are free from any vulnerabilities, threats, risks that may cause a big loss.

89) Explain Security Scanning.

Security scanning involves identifying network and system weaknesses and later provides solutions for reducing these risks. This scanning can be performed for both Manual as well as Automated scanning.

90) Name the available hacking tools.

Following is a list of useful hacking tools.

• Angry IP scanner:

91) What is the importance of penetration testing in an enterprise?

Here are two common application of Penetration testing.

• Financial sectors like stock trading exchanges, investment banking, want their data to be secured, and penetration testing is essential to ensure security.
• In case if the software system is already hacked and the organization would like to determine whether any threats are still present in the system to avoid future hacks.

92) What are the disadvantages of penetration testing?

Disadvantages of penetration testing are:

• Penetration testing cannot find all vulnerabilities in the system.
• There are limitations of time, budget, scope, skills of penetration testers.
• Data loss and corruption
• Down Time is high which increase costs

93) Explain security threat

Security threat is defined as a risk which can steal confidential data and harm computer systems as well as organization.

94) What are physical threats?

A physical threat is a potential cause of an incident that may result in loss or physical damage to the computer systems.

95) Give examples of non-physical threats

Following are some examples of non-physical threat:

• Loss of sensitive information
• Loss or corruption of system data
• Cyber security Breaches
• Disrupt business operations that rely on computer systems
• Illegal monitoring of activities on computer systems

96) What is Trojan virus?

Trojan is a malware employed by hackers and cyber-thieves to gain access to any computer. Here attackers use social engineering techniques to execute the trojan on the system.

97) Define SQL Injection

It is an attack that poisons malicious SQL statements to database. It helps you to take benefit of the design flaws in poorly designed web applications to exploit SQL statements to execute malicious SQL code. In many situations, an attacker can escalate SQL injection attack in order to perform other attack, i.e. denial-of-service attack.

98) List security vulnerabilities as per Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP).

Security vulnerabilities as per open web application security project are as follows:

• SQL Injection
• Cross-site request forgery
• Insecure cryptographic storage
• Broken authentication and session management
• Insufficient transport layer protection
• Unvalidated redirects and forwards
• Failure to restrict URL access

99) Define an access token.

An access token is a credential which is used by the system to check whether the API should be granted to a particular object or not.

100) Explain ARP Poisoning

ARP (Address Resolution Protocol) Poisoning is a type of cyber-attack which is used to convert IP address to physical addresses on a network device. The host sends an ARP broadcast on the network, and the recipient computer responds back with its physical address.

ARP poisoning is sending fake addresses to the switch so that it can associate the fake addresses with the IP address of a genuine computer on a network and hijack the traffic.

101) Name common types of non-physical threats.

Following are various types of non-physical threats:

• Denial of Service Attacks
• Distributed Denial of Service Attacks
• Key loggers
• Unauthorized access to computer systems resources

102) Explain the sequence of a TCP connection.

The sequence of a TCP connection is SYN-SYN ACK-ACK.

103) Define hybrid attacks.

Hybrid attack is a blend of dictionary method and brute force attack. This attack is used to crack passwords by making a change of a dictionary word with symbols and numbers.

104) What is Nmap?

Nmap is a tool which is used for finding networks and in security auditing.

105) What is the use of EtterPeak tool?

EtterPeak is a network analysis tool that is used for sniffing packets of network traffic.

106) What are the types of cyber-attacks?

There are two types of cyberattacks: 1) Web-based attacks, 2) System based attacks.

107) List out web-based attacks

Some web-based attacks are: 1) SQL Injection attacks, 2) Phishing, 3) Brute Force, 4) DNS Spoofing, 4) Denial of Service , and 5) Dictionary attacks.

108) Give examples of System-based attacks

Examples of system-based attacks are:

109) List out the types of cyber attackers

There are four types of cyber attackers. They are: 1) cybercriminals, 2) hacktivists, 3) insider threats, 4) state-sponsored attackers.

110) Define accidental threats

They are threats that are accidently done by organization employees. In these threats, an employee unintentionally deletes any file or share confidential data with outsiders or a business partner going beyond the policy of the company.

These interview questions will also help in your viva(orals)

• What is Digital Forensics? History, Process, Types, Challenges
• What is Cybercrime? Types, Tools, Examples
• CompTIA Certification Tutorial: Career Path & Study Material
• 10 Best FREE DDoS Attack Online Tool & Websites (2024)
• Top 25 Ethical Hacking Interview Questions and Answers (2024)
• 10 BEST Operating System (OS) for Hacking in 2024
• Deep Web vs Dark Web – Difference Between Them
• PoW vs PoS – Difference Between Proof of Work & Stake

Career Stories

30 cybersecurity interview questions and answers (beginner-advanced)

Ace your next cybersecurity interview or identify the right cyber talent with these 30 cybersecurity interview questions and answers (sourced from experienced infosec pros).

ltnbob , Oct 17 2023

Table of Contents

1. what is penetration testing, and can you explain the difference between vulnerability scanning and pentesting, 2. can you describe the different phases of a typical penetration testing engagement, 3. how would you handle sensitive data or information you come across during a penetration test, 4. how do you stay up-to-date with the latest security vulnerabilities and attack techniques , 5. do you have a home lab if so, tell me about it., 6. what is your rank on htb or other platforms, and do you prefer to participate in ctfs with a team or by yourself, 7. do you volunteer at security conferences or local infosec meetups, 8. what is your favorite linux distribution and why.

• 9. Explain to me <random, obscure="" cve="" vuln="" i="" don’t="" expect="" them="" to="" know="" about=""> and how you would go about exploiting it? </random,>

Ken’s career advice for job seekers

11. what are your top 3 must-have tools for an ad-centric pentest and why, 12. how would you perform internal network discovery during a black box internal pentest, 13. what is lsass, 14. how could you gain a foothold in ad by targeting a printer, 15. how could you confirm a blind command injection or blind stored xss, 16. how would you handle a client dispute of one of your findings, 17. describe various ways that a remote internal penetration test can be performed (from an infrastructure/setup standpoint), 18. describe your note taking/documentation process during a penetration test, 19. what is union-based sql injection, 20. what is xxe and what can it be used for, 21. what is an idor vulnerability, 22. describe your phishing methodology, 23. how do you prioritize what findings to report, 24. how do you assign risk to a finding, 25. what would you do if you discovered illegal activity in a client’s network during an internal penetration test, mrb3n’s advice for hiring managers and job seekers, 26. describe an xss vulnerability in high-level terms. ideally, as if you were explaining it to someone with only high-level technical knowledge., 27. you are on your last day of an internal penetration test. you just discovered that you can exploit a development testing server and gain domain admin privileges. the exploit has a probability of 8% to crash the server. what do you do, 28. you are performing a red team assessment. from the information-gathering phase, you discovered an external company that seems to be white-listed in their defense system. how can you exploit this , 29. you are performing an internal penetration test. you discovered that a mac filtering system prevents you from gaining access to system a. system b can successfully access system a. any idea of how to compromise system a, 30. your goal is to get access to an administrator’s private vpn keys. you finally got access to the administrator workstation. from firefox dump, you get a lot of credentials, and you also read some messenger messages indicating that he has sent the vpn keys to his gmail account. what would you do, acing cybersecurity job interviews, keep your skills sharp .

The cybersecurity industry is similar to a professional sports league: heavily skills-based and highly competitive. 

As security professionals, this requires us to be smarter, faster, and more skilled than criminals at their own game.  If you’re seeking work in the industry, this means acquiring up-to-date skills and then proving to organizations that you have what it takes to help protect them. 

If you’re hiring talent , this means knowing how to attract, discover, assess, and grow valuable employees. Interviewing potential candidates is a key part of this cybersecurity recruitment process. 

In this guide, we provide the following to assist both interviewees and recruiters: 

Insights on the cybersecurity job interview processes informed by the personal experiences of industry professionals (who have decades of experience).

A list of 30 modern cybersecurity interview questions and answers to assist hiring managers and job seekers. 

Example answers that can help candidates understand what employers are looking for.

Ideas on communicating your cybersecurity skills (even if you have never officially worked in the industry).  

10 junior cybersecurity interview questions and answers

👉The first 10 questions were provided by Ken Nevers , CSO/Lead Tester at Red Seer Security and Managing Partner of Hack Red Con. The answers were provided by the author of this post Robert “ltnbob” Theisen. 

💡Interviewers ask this question to see if the candidate understands what a pentester does and can see the bigger picture of why organizations undergo them. 

Answer: 

“A penetration test is an organized, targeted, and authorized attack that tests the security posture and defensive capabilities of IT infrastructure. 

Normally, there’s a specific agreed-upon time frame that a penetration test will span, rules of engagement, and a clearly defined scope. 

In the end, the expected deliverable is a detailed penetration test report that security teams can use to mitigate any vulnerabilities that were discovered.

Penetration tests are important because they are a great way to check if your security controls and processes are actually working. Without conducting penetration tests, I believe organizations can have a false sense of security. 

A simple comparison I keep in mind is that pentesting is like checking if the door to your home is actually locked and the alarm is armed. 

I may think “Did I actually lock my door and arm the alarm?” I can turn around and check by trying to open the door. 

A penetration test takes this a step further and emulates a malicious attacker without all the destructive elements. 

It makes sure the security controls are doing what they are expected to do. Or even identifies the need for security controls where there are none.

The main focus of a vulnerability assessment is to identify and categorize risk associated with vulnerabilities discovered in IT assets. Typically they are conducted using automated scanning tools like Nessus or OpenVAS. 

They are commonly conducted as completely different assessments than penetration tests and do not focus on penetrating further into the network environment through the active use of exploits and attack chaining. 

Organizations often have a vulnerability assessment done because they are required to for compliance reasons. 

PCI-DSS (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard) is one example, they require an internal and external vulnerability scan quarterly as outlined on page 23 of the PCI DSS v3.2.1 Quick Reference Guide . 

That said, a vulnerability assessment is not as comprehensive as a penetration test.”  

Hack The Box content to help you answer this question in an interview:  

Penetration Tester Job Role Path : 

Penetration Testing Process

Vulnerability Assessment

How to learn hacking

Interested in landing a job as a SOC analyst? Brush up on these SOC analyst interview questions ! 

💡Interviewers typically ask this interview question to see if the candidate understands how a penetration tester typically approaches an engagement. 

“The phases and the order in which they are done can differ depending on who you talk to. In general, these are the phases of a penetration test , many of which will be repeated as the test progresses: 

Pre-engagement

Information gathering

Vulnerability assessment (as a phase built-in to the pentest)

Exploitation 

Post-exploitation 

Lateral movement

Post-engagement

During the pre-engagement phase, all of the important work (not as exciting) is done to ensure all relevant parties understand and document the details and expectations of the test. 

At the information-gathering phase, the test and fun begins. This is where I start doing open source intelligence (OSINT) and enumerating hosts, the network, and any reachable services. 

I will be documenting any promising findings that the client should know about, like: 

Unexpected services and IP subnets that are reachable.

Secrets found in public-facing GitHub repos, AWS S3 buckets, and other cloud storage technologies. 

Social media activity from employees that may reveal what technologies are used at the company (commonly found on job descriptions).

A visual network diagram to assist me in enumeration and discovery throughout the engagement. 

At the vulnerability assessment stage, I start using the information we gathered to determine if there are any vulnerabilities present that can be exploited.

I might start looking up known vulnerabilities based on service and software versions, noting any CVEs, finding proof of concept exploits (PoCs), and carefully planning the attack attempts. 

At the exploitation phase, I’ll perform the attack and/or series of planned attacks to attempt to exploit any vulnerabilities. 

If I have been brought on to test an environment externally and internally, I will be attempting to exploit a vulnerable public-facing system to see if the vulnerability will allow me to pivot from that external-facing system onto internal IT infrastructure. 

There are some companies that still host their own websites on-prem in a DMZ, but it is more common for companies to use 3rd party website hosting services or cloud providers for website or web application hosting. 

If the engagement calls for me to test from the internal perspective, my contact will provide me with remote access via virtual private network (VPN) or even use an attack VM that gets spun up somewhere on their internal network environment. 

Regardless, I will document each attack I attempt (successful and unsuccessful), including the date and time for full transparency.

In the post-exploitation phase, I will check to see what kind of privileges the account I landed on has. If it is a Windows system I’ll run a series of commands to live off the land, discover interesting files, and find potential pathways for privilege escalation, including but not limited to: 

whoami /priv

ipconfig /all

netstat -antp

wmic qfe get Caption, Description, HotFixID, InstalledOn

I’ll also look for any interesting files on the system using a series of search-centric commands and scripts (example: WinPEAS ) that are configured to look in common directories using keywords that may find files containing sensitive information. 

Depending on how secure the environment is, I may choose not to run any type of pre-made scripts to attempt to avoid any potential detections. That said, I understand that it isn’t always bad to get detected as a tester. 

It helps the organization see what they are doing right as well, I just wouldn’t want the engagement to end too soon 😊. 

At the lateral movement phase, I will use information gathered from what I did in post-exploitation to determine if I can—and how I should—try to move laterally to another system on the network. 

Lateral movement and post-exploitation are very closely related, as are all the phases. This may mean that I discover the Windows system I land on is part of a Windows domain, and I try to harvest domain user credentials that I could use to remotely access another system on the network through WinRM.

During the post-engagement phase, the report will be prepped to be delivered to the client. I would, of course, use whatever template our company uses to remain in line with our quality standards, operational practices, and style. 

As a team, we may come together to discuss the scoring of each vulnerability to communicate impact and prioritize mitigation based on severity. 

We would also work with the client to schedule a time when we can discuss our findings with all the relevant stakeholders.”

Hack The Box content to help you answer this question in an interview: 

All Hack The Box Academy modules in the Penetration Tester Job Role Path  

OSINT: Corporate Recon

💡Interviewers may ask this cybersecurity interview question to see if candidates understand the ethical implications and responsibilities that come with being a penetration tester. 

Answer:  

“Every vulnerability discovered on a client’s network can technically be considered sensitive data or information. Our job as a pentesting team is to help our clients improve security and teach them how they can do so. 

As we document our findings, we must be careful and responsible with client data as we’re trusted to do right by them. Suppose we are doing a test for a healthcare provider. It is not my job as a tester to go poking around a database of protected health information (PHI) out of curiosity. 

It is my job to discover the vulnerability in the system and understand the impact and potential risk it poses for the client. 

Then, document this in a report and deliver it to the client. Some information will be redacted, but we, as a pentesting firm, will likely be keeping a copy of that report on our own company-owned systems. 

(We will want to ensure reports are stored on encrypted drives and when moved around over the network, that protocols and message systems use the strongest encryption possible.) 

It is also possible that a tester can come across certain information on a system that may be considered illegal content. If this happened to me I would immediately stop the test and consult with my supervisor. 

We would likely then communicate the details of what was found and we may even consult with our own legal counsel on how and if we should proceed.”

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see their continuous learning strategy. 

“I use a mixture of passive and active learning to stay updated. Of course, I’m on social media sites like LinkedIn, Twitter and YouTube. I’m intentional about following people who post IT and cybersecurity-focused content. 

I also subscribe to newsletters like SANs NewsBites . I’ve found this method is faster than waiting on traditional news and media outlets. It is also fun as I may be sitting on the couch or relaxing while learning. 

My favorite resources to follow are: 

Hack The Box’s Blog  

The DFIR Report

Daniel Miessler’s Unsupervised Learning

0xdf hacks stuff

SANs NewsBites

HackTheBox’s Podcast

Darknet Diaries Podcast

I also like active learning using sites like Hack The Box because this helps me realize the impact and reality of what is mentioned in the news. 

The Academy modules and Boxes that get released are often inspired by recent vulnerabilities that have been discovered in the industry. 

Often I may come across a post on Twitter that links to a GitHub repo with a PoC exploit for a vulnerability found in Active Directory or something, and I'll try that PoC in my own home lab. I did this with NoPac when it was first announced. 

As soon as I saw it work on my lab domain controller, I immediately started notifying my friends and contacts who lead security teams so they could mitigate.” 

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see if candidates practice at home. Many IT and cybersecurity professionals have home labs and build relevant experience through personal projects. 

“I absolutely do have a home lab. Would you like to see a picture? 

Forgive the messiness. On top of my rack are some switches, routers, and four older Dell PowerEdge servers I got from a friend. This was set up for a video I created to teach people how routing and VLANs work in real life. 

Part of my approach to building my home lab is to mimic the real world as much as possible. This not only keeps my skill set sharp but also helps others do the same through various forms of content creation. 

I use the server hardware to experiment with virtualizing IT infrastructure through the use of tools like VMware ESXI, XCP-NG, KVM, and others. 

Oftentimes I read about a new vulnerability, exploit, and/or attack technique, then try it out on one of the Windows or Linux VMs running on the servers. My home lab is always evolving based on what I want and need to learn next.

Aside from learning outside of work hours, having a home lab is also a great tool during an assessment. If I come across a vulnerability that is tricky to exploit or could potentially cause system instability, I could build a replica of the host in the target environment and attempt exploitation in a safe and controlled manner. 

This would give me more information to contact the client about whether or not they would like me to try the exploit in their environment or just document it and move on.”

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to assess a candidate's independent learning activities and gain insight into how they might or might not fit in with a testing team.

“My rank on HTB is currently Hacker.

I spend a lot of time working on retired machines because HTB allows players to make content based on retired machines. 

One of my favorite ways to learn new things is through live streaming, writing, and/or making instructional video content. 

When I am feeling competitive and want to rank up, I'll work on active HTB content to earn points.

I personally prefer to approach CTF competitions as part of a team. I love bouncing ideas off of other creative thinkers to solve technical challenges. My first love was basketball, and it instilled in me a competitive drive that I still apply to this day in IT and cybersecurity. 

That said, I can approach CTFs or tasks as an individual as well. But I firmly believe in most cases a good team can accomplish far more than any lone individual.”

💡Interviewers may ask a candidate this cybersecurity interview question to demonstrate the organization’s prioritization of outreach and giving back to the community as a whole. 

Answer : 

“Yes, I do have experience volunteering at conferences. More recently, I gave a talk and training at a conference held at Kennedy Space Center called HackSpaceCon. 

I gave a talk on the state of IT and cybersecurity education and conducted training on the fundamentals of computer networking. 

Conferences are my favorite way to learn because you network with other people from different walks of life and perspectives that can introduce you to TTPs, concepts, and trends that may not be formally documented anywhere yet. 

Plus, you can give back to the community in a major way.”

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see if they have hands-on keyboard experience using Linux. (Unfortunately, a lot of collegiate-level programs are graduating “cybersecurity majors” without any Linux knowledge whatsoever. Also, their answer can provide insight into their personality.)

“This may be an unexpected answer but Linux Mint is my favorite Linux distribution and I'll tell you why. It helped me overcome my intimidation of learning Linux. I laugh at myself thinking that at one time I was intimidated by learning an OS. 

A good friend of mine named Rob (known online as rwxrob) helped me get started with learning Linux through using Linux Mint. He encouraged me to try Linux Mint because it looks similar to Windows with the start menu and other Windows-esque visual elements. 

I figured out a way to run it on a Surface laptop and just used Linux Mint as my daily driver OS for 6 months. Most of my IT background is in Windows administration and for much of my career, I didn’t really need to know Linux for the networks I was administering and securing. I don’t use Linux Mint much anymore. 

I’ve moved on to mainly using Parrot OS, Kali, or Ubuntu but am pretty comfortable on any distro given the task at hand. I also do not get too tribal about Linux distros and remain open-minded to learning new things all the time. Even if it is from Arch Linux loyalists :). As long as VIM is installed over Nano :).”

9. Explain to me <random, obscure CVE/vuln I don’t expect them to know about> and how you would go about exploiting it? 

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this cybersecurity interview question to gauge a couple of things:

Their willingness to admit that they don’t know the answer.

How they would go about researching and learning something they don’t understand.

How they think on their feet and react to unexpected events.

“I am not familiar with that <CVE/VULN>. I’ll have to do some research and get back to you on that. If you have some good leads, links, or ideas on it, would you mind sharing?”

CVE-2022-30199 explained

CVE-2022-34362 explained

CVE-2022-22965 explained (Spring4Shell)

10. What do you do for fun when you aren’t in front of a computer?

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to get a glimpse of your character, what you are passionate about besides hacking, or what team or manager you fit in with. 

“I find great joy in learning and doing various things on the computer, including but not limited to home labbing, Hack The Box, and video games. When I am not at the computer I enjoy traveling to scenic places with my family. 

Recently I’ve been drawn to the mountains because I find the views inspiring. Spending time with family is essential on these scenic trips. I also like taking my son to the park to play basketball. 

He is getting to the point where he can dribble the ball, and I’m excited to see him start to shoot threes on his own. I listen to a lot of podcasts and music as well.”  

Force yourself to be extroverted if you aren’t naturally . Speak in front of others, and interact with people outside of the internet. At the end of the day, pentesting is a customer service role. It requires you to befriend and communicate effectively both in spoken and written forms with your customers, coworkers, etc. 

Volunteer at conferences . Seriously, this will get you rubbing shoulders with industry leaders, give you job referrals, and improve your communication skills. It’s a whole lot easier to get that interview when referred to HR by the CEO of the company that you formed a relationship with at a con, than via a recruiter from LinkedIn. 

Are you a security leader prepping for an interview? Check out the answers to the top CISO interview questions (from real CISOs).

Go after hands-on certifications . Passing a practical certification exam (emphasis on “practical”) demonstrates your ability to actually do different aspects of the job: learn new skills, perform under pressure, and write real-world reports. 

15 Intermediate cybersecurity interview questions and answers

👉 The 15 intermediate cybersecurity interview questions were provided by Ben Rollin , Hack The Box’s Head of Security and one of the lead visionaries behind HTB Academy. The answers were provided by the author of this post Robert “ltnbob” Theisen.

💡 Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see how well candidates understand Active Directory pentesting . 

“My top 3 AD-centric tools are: 

BloodHound because it is a comprehensive AD enumeration tool that creates a nice visual map to quickly visualize relations between AD objects, domain, trusts, group policies, group permissions, and more. It quite literally helps me see different attack vectors. 

PowerShell because it is already built-in to Windows clients and servers. I like to live off the land whenever possible. Most IT admin teams are already using PowerShell for administrative tasks and many of those same tasks can be useful for pentesters during a pentest. 

One example of this would be the ActiveDirectory PowerShell module. This allows admins to interact with AD through the PowerShell command line on a Windows host. 

If I was able to find my way to an IT admin’s desktop I may just be able to use their system to gain remote access to the domain controller. Especially if they are using the AD PowerShell module in their daily work. 

PowerView.ps1 which is part of the PowerSploit project because it has so many useful tools for enumerating AD objects, discovering shares, and even harvesting TGS tickets to attempt a Kerberoasting attack.”

Hack The Box content I recommend you use to help you answer this question in an interview: 

Introduction to Active Directory

Windows Privilege Escalation

Active Directory Enumeration & Attacks

Active Directory PowerView

Active Directory BloodHound

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see how they would approach discovering a network having been provided very little information about the network. 

“How I would proceed would depend on whether I was starting from one of the organization's devices or my own attack system. 

If I did not have a network connection already, I would see if I could find an open network drop somewhere in the building or a wireless network to connect to. 

In general, I would begin by trying to discover all the hosts on the network using a tool like an advanced IP scanner, angry IP scanner, Nmap and even just running a ping sweep script (PowerShell or Bash-based). 

If the wireless networks are in scope I may even use a mobile phone or tablet with an app like Fing to attempt to discover hosts on the network. 

I’d immediately begin documenting discovered hosts in order to start building a topology for myself to start understanding what the network security looked like and where critical systems may be. 

I would also keep it simple and use built-in OS commands like ipconfig/all traceroute, and ip add to identify default gateways (routers), DHCP servers, and DNS servers (DNS servers are normally Domain Controllers in Windows-based environments).”

If I am starting from a Linux testing box or my laptop inside their network, I would run Wireshark or tcpdump for 20 minutes or so and then analyze the data. This would most likely give me some information I can use to start mapping the internal network. 

If the testing box I am on has working DNS I could do an “nslookup acme.local” (nslookup against the client’s AD domain) and see what Domain Controllers/DNS servers come back. 

If I see, say, eight results all in different subnets I could proceed with additional discovery against the /24 networks that those domain controllers sit in and even include a network 1 third octet up and 1 down for each discovered subnet. (i.e., if a domain controller is at 172.16.2.3 I could include 172.16.2.0/24. 172.16.3.0/24, and 172.16.4.0/24 in my target list for further enumeration.)

Another way to discover hosts would be doing a List Scan using the Nmap -sL flag against subnets around the one my host sits in or even against all private IP ranges. 

This will perform reverse DNS lookups without sending any packets to the individual hosts. It can be a stealthier way to map the network, but will likely come back with plenty of hosts that exist in DNS but are no longer “live” on the network.

Network traffic analysis

Network Enumeration with Nmap

Pivoting, Tunneling and Port Forwarding 

Pro Lab: Dante

Pro Lab: Offshore

💡 Interviewers may ask candidates this cybersecurity interview question to gauge their understanding of one of the ways Windows handles credentials. 

“LSASS is the Local Security Authority Subsystem Service in Windows operating systems that enforces security policy. 

On an engagement, if I have successfully compromised a Windows system, one of the first things I will try to do is dump LSASS memory. 

Inside LSASS memory, there is information that may help with lateral movement and privilege escalation. This includes: 

Password 

Password hashes (NT & LM)

Kerberos Tickets

After obtaining one of these I could attempt to Pass The Hash (PtH) and/or try to crack one of the hashes. If it is an older or misconfigured system, I may also get lucky and get the clear text password for an admin-level user.”

Password Attacks

Login Brute Force Attacks Course  

💡 I nterviewers may ask candidates this question to see if they are familiar with unique ways to test the security of Active Directory. 

“Organizations that have one or multiple physical locations will most certainly use printers in their environments. Some employees will have different printing needs, and usually, this functionality is controlled and accounted for by enforcing authentication through Active Directory. 

Essentially, before users can actually complete a print job they will need to have a Domain User account that is authorized to print. This said, the web-based configuration interface of the printer itself is often forgotten and left at default settings. 

This may allow for login using default credentials. I would navigate to the IP address of the printer using a browser and attempt default credentials. If I could log in to the printer I would look for configurations that tell the printer to point to Active Directory for authentication. 

There have been known vulnerabilities in certain printer models that allowed one to configure the LDAP settings to point to an attack system instead of an LDAP server or AD. 

If this were the case, I would change the IP in the LDAP settings to my own attack system and start a listener to see if I could capture any domain credentials that I could use to gain a foothold in AD.” 

Windows Privilege Escalation 

Attacking Common Applications

Active Directory LDAP

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to gauge their understanding of common web-based attacks. 

“Assuming I have already discovered the vulnerable parameter or form that is vulnerable in the web application, I will try to confirm a blind command injection through the use of commands that would generate network traffic or a call back to my attack system. 

I would do this because with blind command injection the output of the injected command would not likely be returned to the browser anywhere on the web page, hence why it would be blind. 

The simplest first command to send is a ping against my own attack system: ping <ipAddressofAttackSystem> 

On my attack system I will have started a packet analyzer like Wireshark or tcpdump and I'll look for any ICMP requests coming from the target. 

If I see ICMP requests coming from the target then the blind command injection vulnerability has been confirmed, and I would know that the web server was executing my injected command. 

A failed ping will not always mean that command injection is not possible due to potential network configurations that may disallow pinging our attack host from a  target machine. Nonetheless, it's a great first step.”

Introduction to Web Applications

Intro to Network Traffic Analysis

Using Web Proxies

Command Injections

Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)

Web Attacks

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question in order to understand how the candidate handles client relations. 

“This would depend on the exact finding a client is disputing. Penetration testers can make mistakes, like anyone else, and we may have reported a false positive or need more context from the client regarding their environment to incorporate mitigating controls into the finding writeup. 

In general, I would like to meet with them via a virtual or in-person session (if that is what they prefer) so I may clearly understand their concerns and disputes. It could be the case that they need assistance to better understand the finding or perhaps I made a mistake that needs correcting. 

If they were claiming that one of my findings isn’t true I would provide further evidence such as screenshots, logs, or even demonstrate to them live. 

Either way, I would take their concerns and dispute seriously then proceed accordingly to ensure they are happy with the service provided. I would keep my manager in the loop throughout the process. 

If I was not able to handle the dispute directly I would work with my manager to escalate it to the leadership level.”

Penetration Tester Job Role Path

Bug Bounty Hunter Job Role Path

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see if they understand how remote pentesting is conducted in practice:

“There are a variety of ways we could do remote internal pentesting. We could set up our own virtual machine with all of the tools we will need for the assessment, then provide the client’s IT/security team with the instructions on how to download it and set it up on a hypervisor connected to their internal network. 

Our VM would have our remote access software pre-installed so that the tester, or team of testers, can have access from their home or our offices. 

We could also ship the client an appliance (pentester in a box) that we have preconfigured with all our tools. We would provide them with instructions on how to set up and connect the appliance for the tester or team of testers to remotely conduct the test. 

Most remote access tools use hyper text transfer protocol secure (HTTPS) to connect to the client, so we may be good to go as soon as the client connects the appliance to the network. 

With either the VM or appliance approach, it may be best to also request the client provide us with temporary VPN access for the duration of the test to add an additional layer of encryption on top of the encryption used by our remote access tools.”

HTB Hacking Labs

HTB Pro Labs

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to get a good understanding of how they will take notes and put together a report. 

“I will take notes and screenshots throughout the duration of a test. For each enumeration and attack attempt, I will document and log for CYA (Cover Your Anatomy) purposes.

If the pentesting company is standardizing on a single note-taking tool, then I will be sure to use that. However, I default to CherryTree, Typora, or other offline note-taking tools. 

Any major findings or key information that should be in the report I will put into the pentesting report template the company uses. I’ll paste it in and perfect it at the end of the test, but will be sure to capture the most important output, screenshots, and findings as soon as I find them. 

There are many details that can be encountered during a test that can get lost if they aren’t documented immediately. Human memory can be unreliable, that is why we have computers.

I also keep a separate knowledge base of notes where I keep links to different new resources I may come across. It is a playbook that may assist me in applying those TTPs in other engagements I may be on or practice on Hack The Box content. 

I add to this playbook as I study and learn on Hack The Box as well. I do not include any client information in this playbook, only TTPs and links to public resources (blog posts, YouTube videos, etc.).”

Documentation & Reporting

Pentesting report 

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to gauge a candidate’s understanding of different types of SQL injection attacks. 

“The term ‘union’ in Union-based SQL injection refers to the SQL UNION operator, which combines the results of two or more SELECT queries into a single result set. 

In a Union-based SQL injection attack, an attacker appends a crafted UNION SELECT statement to the original query to force the application to return additional data that was not intended to be disclosed.

During a penetration test, I would attempt to identify Union-based SQL Injection vulnerabilities by carefully examining how user inputs are handled in the application. I'd look for potential points of entry where untrusted data is used in SQL queries without proper validation or parameterization.”

SQL Injection Fundamentals

SQLMap Essentials

Blind SQL Injection

Advanced SQL Injections

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this cybersecurity interview question to gauge a candidate’s understanding of XML external entity injection attacks.

“XXE occurs when an attacker can inject malicious XML data into an application's input fields, which is then processed by the server. When the server parses the XML, it may include external entities defined within the XML data, leading to unintended consequences. 

My focus would be to identify and exploit XXE vulnerabilities in web applications to demonstrate their impact and potential risks to the organization. 

I would use a combination of manual and automated testing techniques to detect and verify these issues. This includes fuzzing, payload injection, and examining application behavior in response to different XML inputs. A wide range of critical actions and information can be gathered through this kind of attack, including but not limited to: 

Information Disclosure : Attackers can read files from the server's filesystem by specifying external entities that point to local files. This can reveal sensitive information like passwords, configuration files, or system data.

Denial of Service (DoS) : Attackers can trigger resource-intensive processing by defining large external entities, causing the server to consume excessive CPU and memory resources and potentially leading to a denial of service.

Server-side request forgery (SSRF) : Attackers can abuse XXE to make the server perform unintended HTTP requests to internal or external resources, leading to further attacks like scanning internal systems or accessing sensitive APIs.

Port scanning : An attacker can use XXE to scan ports of internal systems, potentially identifying other vulnerable services.”

Hack The Box content to help you answer this question in a cybersecurity interview:  

File Upload Attacks

Server-side Attacks

Web Service & API Attacks

💡Interviewers may ask interviewees this question to gauge their understanding of common web-based vulnerabilities. 

“An indirect object reference vulnerability (IDOR) is a vulnerability commonly found in web applications that would allow an attacker to reference a file or object in a database that is intended to be accessed by authorized individuals. 

One example of this would be if a web application was hosting a publicly accessible PDF. When the users click the link to the PDF, the object reference in the HTTP request may look like:

?filename=file_1.pdf

An attacker may notice this and attempt to increment file_1.pdf to file_2.pdf and access information that may not be intended to be public. 

This could lead to sensitive data exposure and/or indicate weak access control on the backend of the web application.” 

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to understand a candidate's approach to social engineering. 

“Business email compromise (BEC) is one of the most common ways that attackers will target and breach individuals and organizations. It collectively costs businesses billions of dollars in losses a year. 

Because of this, I believe phishing methodology should be built around interacting with users through email messaging. This can be targeted through OSINT research on social media and/or more generally, through the use of automated tooling that provides IT teams and security firms with analytics that show what emails and links are getting clicked. 

Social engineering and phishing are useless without education attached. I have a strong background in education and I enjoy teaching. In using phishing emails and tracking who clicked what, I will connect users to an education program where I will then meet with the user to conduct security awareness training.

My views may differ on this from many testers and researchers in that I do not think social engineering attacks are useful to people unless we teach them what they did wrong in effective ways. 

If we aren’t careful and strategic about connecting our engagements with education, social engineering engagements may inspire more of a culture of fear and discourage people from reading emails and/or picking up the phone altogether.

It is not about outsmarting people to brag about how smart we are. It's about empowering people with tools to have the security mindset required to intuitively avoid being fooled by malicious attackers.”

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see if they understand how to communicate impact through the report.

“I was able to inject a command through the web application that allowed me to get a reverse shell back to my attack system. 

I then escalated privileges on that Linux-based web server because it was vulnerable to CVE-2016-5195 (Dirty Cow), and I got root on the box. It was awesome, you guys need to fix that.”

💡 Note : Most business decision-makers will likely not understand such a technical answer, and as a result, the information is not very useful in helping them make good decisions. 

Improved answer : 

“It is my belief that we have to be good enough communicators to speak technical, risk, and business language in verbal and written form. 

In the report, we should prioritize findings based on the most critical security issues. This doesn’t always mean prioritizing based on the coolest attacks and techniques we were able to pull off. 

We have to understand the business impact. Suppose we were able to get domain administrator credentials via phishing and business email compromise. 

We were also able to get a foothold and root on that Linux-based web server, but the web server was in the DMZ and just hosted how-to docs showing the company's users how to use their products. 

I would personally prioritize the finding that allowed us to get domain admin credentials over the web server, even though it is less technical. 

The potential impact on the business is greater if an attacker got those domain credentials compared to if they got root on that web server. The client should fix both but we would consider the domain credentials one a higher finding in our report. “

Documentation and Reporting

Attacking Enterprise Networks

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to gauge the candidate's understanding of risk within the context of penetration testing. 

“When evaluating a finding, I would typically follow this line of thinking to assign risk:

Impact assessment : I would analyze the potential impact the finding could have on the organization's assets, data, and operations. This involves considering factors such as data sensitivity, business criticality, and the potential for financial loss or reputational damage.

Likelihood evaluation : Next, I would assess the likelihood of the finding being exploited by a real-world attacker. This includes understanding the complexity of the attack, the skill level required to exploit the vulnerability, and whether there are any existing mitigations in place.

Contextual analysis : It's essential to consider the specific context of the organization and its security controls. For example, a vulnerability might be more critical for an organization that deals with highly sensitive customer data compared to a company that doesn't handle sensitive information.

CVSS scoring : I would use the Common Vulnerability Scoring System (CVSS) to provide an objective and standardized score to the finding. CVSS takes into account various factors like exploitability, impact, and ease of mitigation.

Communication with stakeholders : Once the risk is assessed, it's crucial to communicate the findings and their potential impact to the relevant stakeholders, such as IT teams, management, or system administrators.

Remediation recommendations : I would provide actionable recommendations for mitigating the identified risks. These might include patching systems, updating configurations, implementing security controls, or conducting user awareness training.

Risk classification : Based on the overall assessment, I would classify the finding into risk categories (e.g., high, medium, low) to help prioritize remediation efforts.

Continual monitoring : Finally, I would emphasize the importance of ongoing monitoring and reevaluation to ensure that the risk landscape remains up-to-date and that new vulnerabilities are promptly addressed.

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this cybersecurity interview question to see how they perform in high-risk situations.

“I would immediately stop the engagement and document exactly what was discovered, including screenshots (being careful not to screenshot anything illegal or illicit), command output, system information, date, and time. 

Then I would notify my direct manager of the exact details of what was discovered. I would not proceed with the engagement until I receive instructions from leadership. It is likely that leadership would need to consult with legal counsel on how best to proceed with further interactions.” 

If you do not yet have real-world experience, be ready to talk about your blog, GitHub, Hack The Box experience, or any relevant courses/certifications.

Focus on what practical knowledge you gained, any tools you have created or contributed PRs to, and any CTF/vulnerable box write-ups you have done.

If you have CVEs, you could talk about the entire process you followed—from discovery to reporting, acceptance, and assignment of the CVE. 

If you have a home lab, be ready to talk about how it's set up, the challenges you faced, and how you use it to learn/practice and stay sharp. You could even screen share and show your own note-taking setup for a retired HTB box or similar. 

Another optional but good way to showcase your skills would be to create a sample penetration testing report of a purposefully vulnerable environment. 

This could be an Academy module that has a small AD lab or a lab you built. 

It doesn't have to be anything massive, but being able to show 1-2 of each type of vulnerability (web, network, AD) and across all risk ratings (high, medium, low, best practice recommendation) will give the hiring manager a great look at your technical skills and how you present your work. 

Make sure to spend time getting the Executive Summary solid and ensure that the grammar, spelling, punctuation, and formatting are neat and professional. 

This should be a document that would be ready for a quick QA before being delivered to the customer.

To assist you with this process, review the Documentation and Reporting module on HTB Academy, and feel free to utilize the sample penetration test report template we provide!

For hiring managers: The ideas above may help you formulate your questions and get more insight into how a candidate works. While not having any of these shouldn't necessarily disqualify a highly proficient candidate, it can give a window into their skill set and work ethic and help set them apart. 

For interviewees : We don't need to live and breathe cybersecurity/pentesting, but since the field constantly changes and evolves, it is imperative to stay on top of the latest and greatest tools and techniques. 

If your knowledge and experience are five years removed from the current state of Active Directory pentesting, for example, then you will likely miss high-risk issues in a client environment and be able to add less value than a candidate who is familiar with and has hands-on experience practicing these tools and tactics.

Recommended read: Active directory pentesting cheatsheet

5 Advanced cybersecurity interview questions and answers

👉 The five advanced cybersecurity interview questions below were provided by Hack The Box’s Senior Director of Labs, Manos Gavriil (aka Arkanoid). The answers were provided by the author of this post Robert “ltnbob” Theisen. 

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to grasp a candidate's ability to communicate complex technical information in an easy-to-understand manner. 

“A cross-site scripting (XSS) vulnerability is a type of security issue that occurs when malicious code is injected (e.g., malicious SQL statements) into a website or web application, allowing attackers to execute their code on the browsers of unsuspecting users.

Imagine your website as a house with different rooms for various functionalities. Such as login, messaging, or user profiles. 

XSS is like an intruder who finds a way to slip a harmful message or piece of code inside one of these rooms. When an unsuspecting visitor enters that room (opens a specific page or clicks a link), the intruder's code executes in the visitor's browser.

This can have several negative consequences, including but not limited to:

Data theft : The attacker can steal sensitive user information, such as login credentials, personal details, or payment card data.

Session hijacking : By exploiting XSS, the attacker could hijack an authenticated user's session, gain unauthorized user access to their account and perform actions on their behalf.

Malicious actions : Attackers might use the vulnerability to trick users into unknowingly performing harmful actions, such as changing account settings or making unauthorized transactions.

Phishing attacks : XSS can be used to present fake login forms, leading users to believe they are entering their credentials on a legitimate website, but in reality, they are providing the information to the attacker.

To protect against XSS, it's essential to follow secure coding practices, validate and sanitize user input, and implement security mechanisms that restrict the execution of untrusted code on the website.”

Whitebox Attacks

Injection Attacks

HTTP Attacks

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to see how they will make decisions considering their client's best interest. 

“I really enjoy seeing exploits work on an engagement and/or in a lab environment like on Hack The Box; however, there are many different factors to seriously consider the impact on the availability of critical business systems. 

When testing the security of a system that is in use by a company, it is important to remember why we are doing testing in the first place. 

The end goal is to provide the client with security recommendations, raise awareness, and to help them—not to do damage and cause problems because we want to hack. 

Knowing that the exploit may bring the server down would deter me from running the exploit at all, especially when it is the last day of the test. 

I would document my findings, and share what could have potentially been done and why I did not proceed with attempting the exploit. 

I’d share this in the report and in the debriefing meeting with the client. 

If the client insisted that we attempt to penetrate because they really want to see the impact and could withstand a temporary outage, then I would get that in writing from an authorized stakeholder and proceed; however, this would be at the client’s discretion.”

💡An interviewer may ask a candidate this question to gauge their understanding of how to proceed with testing according to a scope and what the client has authorized. 

“If I discover an external company that appears to be white-listed to the defense system, it could present an interesting opportunity for lateral movement or bypassing security controls.

However, it's crucial to emphasize that any action taken during a red team assessment must be conducted with the organization's explicit authorization and within the agreed-upon scope of the engagement. 

Unauthorized or unapproved actions can have serious legal and ethical implications.

Keeping that in mind, my approach would be as follows:

Assessment scope review : I would carefully review the scope of the red team assessment to ensure that any potential actions involving the external company fall within the authorized boundaries of the engagement.

Client communication : I would communicate my findings to the client's security team and discuss the potential implications of the white-listed company's access. This would also be an opportunity to understand if this access is intentional or a misconfiguration.

Authorization for further testing : If the client agrees and provides authorization, I might proceed with targeted testing against the white-listed company's systems to understand the extent of the access and its potential impact on the organization's security.

Lateral movement simulation : I would simulate potential lateral movement scenarios to determine if access to the white-listed company could be exploited to gain unauthorized access to other critical systems or data within the organization.

Documentation and reporting : Throughout the process, I would document my actions, findings, and the steps taken during the assessment. This documentation is essential for the client's understanding and for creating a comprehensive final report.

Risk analysis and recommendations : In the final report, I would provide a detailed risk analysis, outlining the potential risks and impact of the white-listed company's access. I would also offer actionable recommendations to strengthen the organization's security posture.”

💡 Interviewers may ask candidates this question to understand the candidate's approach to defense evasion. 

“I would attempt to discover the MAC address of system A and try to spoof it on my attack system to see if the MAC filtering system would allow me to communicate to system B from my attack system. 

One way I could do this is by pinging system A from my attack system to ensure traffic is generated from my attack system to system A. I know when this happens ARP also has to run to populate the ARP cache (IP address to MAC address mapping). I'd then use the ARP -a command on my attack system to discover the MAC address associated with system A. 

Once I have the MAC address of system A, I will attempt to spoof the MAC address using a tool like macchanger to see if I can get past the MAC filtering system.” 

A note from Monos💡: Technically, spoofing is the solution. But this question hides a trap and really wants to check the experience and professionalism of the penetration tester. By spoofing the MAC address it’s possible to create Denial Of Service conditions by having MAC conflict. Thus, before actually performing this attack, it would be wise to ask about permissions. 

Introduction to Networking

Cybernetics Pro Lab

APTLabs Pro Lab

💡Interviewers may ask candidates this question to assess their decision-making process when in a situation where ethics and scope may need to be strongly considered before proceeding.  

“I would proceed with caution. In most cases, people’s personal social media accounts and email accounts are not in scope for ethical and legal reasons. That said, I would not proceed with attempting to access any of their personal accounts. 

I would instead move on to seeing if I could access their work email account to see if I could get access to the virtual private network keys via their Sent mailbox. This could be done via the browser or looking for a locally installed email client application like Outlook, Thunderbird and/or Mail that is likely already signed in.

I would include all this in the report and suggest that this employee refrain from accessing personal accounts from company-owned computers or using their personal accounts to handle sensitive business-critical data.”

The ultimate purpose of a cybersecurity job interview is to find the right candidate who can meet an organization's current needs, future goals, and expectations. 

Typically, you’ll go through multiple rounds of interviews, sometimes conducted by a team. This approach is common as it helps bring diverse perspectives to the hiring process and ensures the best person is chosen for the job.

The interview panel can consist of non-technical individuals familiar with HR processes and organizational culture, as well as subject matter experts (SMEs) who understand the technical aspects of the role. You should be prepared to communicate with both types of interviewers to make a strong impression.

Remember that your answers don't need to be perfect. It’s not about knowing it all. In fact, I’d suggest refraining from trying to convince interviewers that you know everything, as honesty and self-awareness are valuable traits during the interview process (and in general). 

Hiring teams are more interested in finding someone they can enjoy working with, and who has relevant skills, knowledge, and experience to get started quickly in the role. 

Finally, practice mock interviews with friends and family to exercise your communication skills and improve your ability to present under pressure. 

Please know these are just some of the cybersecurity interview questions you may come across during an interview. As you prepare for your next interview, be sure that you are actively working towards keeping your skillset sharp. 

You don’t have to know everything, but you should be able to know at least what to do next. For the topics you do know, be sure to provide as much detail as possible to show the interviewer your thinking process, approach, knowledge, and methodology.

The team at Hack The Box will always be here to support you along your journey. Until next time, keep learning!

Latest News

Red Teaming

Dissecting Cuttlefish Malware (Attack Anatomy)

5 common web attacks: How to exploit and defend against them

Blue Teaming

Kerberoasting attack detection

CyberJunkie & g4rg4m3l , Jun 20, 2024

The latest news and updates, direct from Hack The Box

Individuals

8 cyber security interview questions to practice

• Share article on Twitter
• Share article on Facebook
• Share article on LinkedIn

Cyber security is a lucrative field, with millions of cyber security jobs available globally. But how do you make sure you land the one you want?

The interview is an important step, and while it may seem intimidating, it’s also an opportunity. You get to show not just your knowledge but how you can use it to bring tangible value to the position for which you’re applying. We’ve rounded up some of the different types of questions you may be asked to answer during your cyber security interview — along with tips for to answer them.

How do I prepare for a cyber security interview?

There’ll be two basic categories of questions: those designed to get to know you better and those aiming to test your cyber security knowledge and how you can put it to work.

Getting-to-know-you questions

These cyber security interview questions are designed to help the company understand things about you that your resume, certifications, and education can’t tell them. You should feel free to connect your answers to what makes you feel passionate about cyber security, as well as your enthusiasm for strengthening an organization with your skills.

What are your strengths, and what is something you’re proud of?

It’s important to think of this question from the interviewer’s perspective: They want to see what you bring to the company. Your answers should not only connect back to your cyber security skills but also to personal philosophies and living and working habits that make you an effective teammate.

What are your weaknesses or significant failures?

Always be ready to talk about your weaknesses. This is your chance to show the interviewer that you know how to admit to mistakes and learn from them. You may choose to construct your answer using an 80/20 ratio: 80% of your answer talks about how you learned from the mistake, and 20% outlines the error itself.

If possible, you’ll want to focus on a cyber security-related error. If you’re brand new to the arena, you can choose something that happened during your studies. You can also discuss a problem you or an associate had that stemmed from a cyber security breach and the mistakes you made that caused or worsened the situation. Regardless of how you begin your answer, quickly focus on what you learned from the experience.

Cyber security questions

The questions about cyber security are — similar to the getting-to-know-you questions — opportunities for you to make your value tangible for the organization. Answering them is a two-step process:

• Answer the question succinctly and accurately. The interviewer wants to hear a direct answer. They may need to ensure you have the basic knowledge so they can support your application when talking to the CIO or CEO.
• Connect your answer to the value you can bring to the organization. This may involve touching on:
• Challenges the organization or its clients face. Learning what these are will require research.
• The kinds of projects the company takes on. For example, if they provide remote SIEM (security information and event management) services, you can discuss how the question impacts SIEM challenges such as compliance, Internet of Things (IoT) security, and preventing insider threats.

Here are some sample questions and how you may want to approach answering them.

Questions about addressing security incidents

Mitigating security issues is central to the work of a cyber security professional. Try to answer cyber security interview questions like the ones below to show you understand that the steps you take protect the company’s profits and operability. Therefore, instead of merely asking, “How do I prepare for a cyber security interview?” take it a step further and connect your answers to the business’ challenges.

How do you secure a server?

To answer this question, familiarize yourself with the different types of server security options. Securing a server depends on the kind of server and where it is in the IT architecture. For example, securing a web server, which is where you host your website, would involve different firewalls than a data server used to store and manage data. Also, if the server is in the cloud, the security will be different than if it’s on-premise.

What kinds of anomalies may indicate the system has been compromised?

As you answer this question, you have a chance to show you know how to find and evaluate anomalies. You can make a diagram of the company’s intrusion prevention or intrusion detection system (IPS or IDS) and its other defenses, such as specific firewalls. Then you could categorize the alerts and events based on where they occur within the environment and how they impacted specific systems or computers.

What is a vishing attack?

Vishing is when an attacker tries to get sensitive information through a voice call. This is a seemingly easy question, but you should see it as your chance to talk about all the phishing-related threats — vishing, phishing (email), whale phishing (targeting executives), and spear phishing (targeting a specific person). Specifically, discuss ways to defend against them. Feel free to talk about a combination of technologies, such as web application firewalls (WAFs) and educational initiatives like ensuring all employees and stakeholders know how to recognize and avoid these threats.

What are the most serious virus-related threats on the landscape?

Granted, the most serious virus is the one that can exploit your organization’s vulnerabilities, but you should go a little deeper. Discuss polymorphic viruses, which can change to avoid detection. This is also your chance to show you know the differences between viruses, malware, and Trojans.

Questions about network architecture

Similar to doctors, lawyers, and scientists, cyber security professionals need to demonstrate knowledge specific to their craft. Therefore, some of the questions might feel like they’re trying to test you. However, this doesn’t mean you should just rattle off accurate answers. Try to always make a connection between the cyber security interview questions asked and how to provide cyber security.

If an organization wants full control over the applications and data they have in the cloud, what kind of architecture should they choose?

The answer is a private cloud, which a company has if they are paying for the exclusive use of cloud space. But you should also take this as an opportunity to show you know the value of the hybrid cloud, public cloud, and community cloud architectures.

How would you approach defending a cloud-based architecture as compared to an on-premise architecture?

As you answer this question, show that you understand the challenges unique to the cloud and on-prem environments. Focus on the differences.

For cloud architecture, you may discuss the importance of compartmentalizing the environment and then using principles of least privilege, which involves access on a “need-to-know” basis. For on-prem, you can add in some physical security measures, such as biometric credentials and physical points of access.

The key is to prepare ahead of time by researching the company you’re applying to join, the services it provides, and some of its top clients and their challenges. You also have to ensure you have a solid background in cyber security. With Codecademy, you can gain the cyber security knowledge you need and learn how to apply it in real-world scenarios.

Related articles

What Soft Skills Are & How to Showcase Them

Soft skills don’t receive as much attention as hard skills, but they’re just as important. Learn how to showcase your soft skills during the hiring process.

The Most Important Soft Skill for Developers & How to Get Better at It

Try these problem-solving strategies the next time you’re feeling stuck.

The Interpersonal Skills That You Need in Tech Careers

Work is more than just contributing code — these people skills make you stand out.

6 Phrases That Make You a Better Communicator

Techniques and tips for your communication skill set. 

The 10 Highest-Paying Industries For IT Professionals

From aerospace to music, the Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary survey found these are the top-paying industries for IT professionals.

The Highest-Paying IT Jobs of 2023 & How to Get Hired

The Skillsoft IT Skills and Salary survey found these are the IT jobs with the highest salaries.

How I Went From Lyft Driver to Pentester in 13 Months

Today’s story is from Mario Roman, a 25-year old Pentester living in Oakland, California.

• Digital Marketing
• Facebook Marketing
• Instagram Marketing
• Ecommerce Marketing
• Content Marketing
• Data Science Certification
• Machine Learning
• Artificial Intelligence
• Data Analytics
• Graphic Design
• Adobe Illustrator
• Web Designing
• UX UI Design
• Interior Design
• Front End Development
• Back End Development Courses
• Business Analytics
• Entrepreneurship
• Supply Chain
• Financial Modeling
• Corporate Finance
• Project Finance
• Harvard University
• Stanford University
• Yale University
• Princeton University
• Duke University
• UC Berkeley
• Harvard University Executive Programs
• MIT Executive Programs
• Stanford University Executive Programs
• Oxford University Executive Programs
• Cambridge University Executive Programs
• Yale University Executive Programs
• Kellog Executive Programs
• CMU Executive Programs
• 45000+ Free Courses
• Free Certification Courses
• Free DigitalDefynd Certificate
• Free Harvard University Courses
• Free MIT Courses
• Free Excel Courses
• Free Google Courses
• Free Finance Courses
• Free Coding Courses
• Free Digital Marketing Courses

15 Cybersecurity Case Studies [Deep Analysis][2024]

In our digital world, robust cybersecurity is critical. Each of the 15 case studies in this collection explores the challenges, strategies, and results of securing digital assets against cyber threats. Covering real-world scenarios from various organizations, these case studies offer insights into innovative security solutions and underscore the necessity of protecting information from increasingly sophisticated cybercriminals.

15 Cybersecurity Case Studies  

Case study 1: enhancing network security with predictive analytics (cisco)  .

Challenge:  Cisco encountered difficulties in protecting its extensive network infrastructure from complex cyber threats, aiming to enhance security by predicting breaches before they happen.  

Solution:  Cisco created a predictive analytics tool using machine learning to evaluate network traffic patterns and spot anomalies signaling potential threats. Integrated with their current security protocols, this system allows for dynamic defense adjustments and real-time alerts to system administrators about possible vulnerabilities.  

Overall Impact:

1. Improved Security Posture:  The predictive system enabled proactive responses to potential threats, significantly reducing the incidence of successful cyber attacks.

2. Enhanced Operational Efficiency: Automating threat detection and response processes allowed Cisco to manage network security more efficiently, with fewer resources dedicated to manual monitoring.  

Key Takeaways:

1. Proactive Security Measures:  Employing predictive cybersecurity analytics helps organizations avoid potential threats.

2. Integration of Machine Learning:  Machine learning is crucial for effectively detecting patterns and anomalies that human analysts might overlook, leading to stronger security measures.

Case Study 2: Strengthening Endpoint Security through Advanced Encryption (Microsoft)  

Challenge:  Microsoft faced difficulties securing many global devices, particularly protecting sensitive data across diverse platforms susceptible to advanced cyber-attacks.

Solution:  Microsoft deployed an advanced encryption system enhanced with multi-factor authentication to secure data, whether stored or in transit. This solution integrates smoothly with Microsoft’s existing security frameworks, employs robust encryption algorithms, and adapts continuously to emerging security threats.

1. Robust Data Protection:  By encrypting data on all endpoints, Microsoft significantly minimized the risk of data breaches, ensuring that sensitive information remains inaccessible to unauthorized parties.

2. Increased User Confidence: The enhanced security measures fostered greater trust among users, encouraging the adoption of Microsoft products and services in environments requiring stringent security protocols.  

1. Essential Role of Encryption:  Encryption remains a critical tool in protecting data across devices, serving as a fundamental component of comprehensive cybersecurity strategies.

2. Adaptive Security Systems: Implementing flexible, adaptive security solutions is essential to effectively address the dynamic nature of cyber threats, ensuring ongoing protection against potential vulnerabilities.

Case Study 3: Implementing Zero Trust Architecture for Enhanced Data Security (IBM)  

Challenge:  With the increase in remote work, IBM needed to bolster its data security strategy to protect against vulnerabilities in its internal networks and ensure that only verified users and devices accessed specific network segments.  

Solution:  IBM implemented a Zero Trust security model requiring rigorous verification for every access attempt across its network. This model employs strict identity checks, network micro-segmentation, and least privilege access controls, coupled with real-time threat detection and response to enhance security dynamically.

1. Enhanced Security Compliance:  The implementation of Zero Trust architecture helped IBM meet stringent compliance requirements and protect sensitive data effectively.

2. Reduced Data Breach Incidents:  By enforcing strict access controls and continuous verification, IBM significantly lowered the risk of data breaches.

1. Necessity of Zero Trust:  Adopting a Zero Trust approach is crucial for organizations looking to protect critical data in increasingly complex IT environments.

2. Continuous Verification:  Regular and comprehensive verification processes are essential for maintaining security integrity in a dynamic threat landscape.

Related: Cybersecurity Interview Questions

Case Study 4: Revolutionizing Threat Detection with AI-Powered Security Systems (Palo Alto Networks)

  Challenge:  Palo Alto Networks struggled to manage the large volumes of security data and keep pace with rapidly evolving cyber threats, as traditional methods faltered against advanced threats and sophisticated malware.

Solution:  Palo Alto Networks introduced an AI-powered security platform that uses developed machine learning algorithms to analyze extensive network data. This system automates threat detection by identifying subtle patterns indicative of cyber threats, allowing quicker and more precise responses.

1. Improved Threat Detection Rates:  The AI-driven system significantly improved identifying and responding to threats, decreasing the time from detection to resolution.

2. Scalable Security Solutions:  The automation and scalability of the AI system allowed Palo Alto Networks to offer more robust security solutions to a larger client base without compromising efficiency or effectiveness.

1. Leveraging Artificial Intelligence:  AI is transforming the field of cybersecurity by enabling the analysis of complex data sets and the identification of threats that human analysts would miss.

2. Automation in Cyber Defense:  Embracing automation in cybersecurity operations is crucial for organizations to efficiently manage the increasing number of threats and reduce human error.

Case Study 5: Enhancing Phishing Defense with Real-Time User Education (Google)

  Challenge: With its vast ecosystem and user base, Google was highly susceptible to sophisticated phishing attacks that traditional security measures couldn’t adequately counter.

Solution:  Google introduced a real-time user education program within its email services. This system flags suspicious emails and offers users contextual information and tips on recognizing phishing attempts, supported by machine learning algorithms that continuously adapt to new phishing strategies.

1. Increased User Awareness:  By educating users at the moment of potential danger, Google has significantly increased awareness and prevention of phishing attacks among its user base.

2. Reduced Successful Phishing Attacks: The proactive educational approach has led to a noticeable decrease in successful phishing attacks, enhancing overall user security.  

1. Importance of User Education:  Continuous user education is vital in combating phishing and other forms of social engineering.

2. Adaptive Learning Systems:  Utilizing adaptive learning systems that evolve with changing attack vectors is crucial for effective cybersecurity.

Case Study 6: Securing IoT Devices with Blockchain Technology (Samsung)

Challenge:  As a prominent IoT device manufacturer, Samsung encountered difficulties in protecting its devices from escalating cyber threats, hindered by IoT networks’ decentralized and diverse nature.  

Solution:  Samsung innovated by using blockchain technology to secure its IoT devices, establishing a decentralized ledger for each device that transparently and securely records all transactions and data exchanges, thwarting unauthorized tampering. This blockchain system seamlessly integrates with Samsung’s existing security protocols, enhancing the overall security of its IoT devices.  

1. Enhanced Device Integrity:  The blockchain technology ensured the integrity of device communications and data exchanges, significantly decreasing the risk of tampering and unauthorized access.

2. Increased Trust in IoT Devices: The robust security features blockchain technology provides have increased consumer trust in Samsung’s IoT products, fostering greater adoption.  

1. Blockchain as a Security Enhancer:  Blockchain technology can enhance security for IoT and other decentralized networks.

2. Holistic Security Approaches:  Adopting comprehensive, multi-layered security strategies is essential for protecting complex and interconnected device ecosystems.

Related: How to Move from Sales to a Cybersecurity Career?

Case Study 7: Implementing Secure Biometric Authentication for Mobile Banking (HSBC)

Challenge:  With the rise in mobile banking, HSBC faced growing security threats, such as identity theft and unauthorized account access, as traditional password-based methods fell short.

Solution:  HSBC introduced a secure biometric authentication system across its mobile banking platforms, employing fingerprint scanning and facial recognition technologies enhanced by AI. This integration improved accuracy and reduced false positives, bolstering security while streamlining user access to banking services.

1. Strengthened Account Security:  Introducing biometric authentication significantly minimized the risk of illegal access, providing a more secure banking experience.

2. Improved User Satisfaction:  Customers appreciated the ease of use and increased security, leading to higher adoption rates of mobile banking services.

1. Biometric Security:  Biometrics offer a powerful alternative to traditional security measures, providing enhanced security and user convenience.

4. Adaptation to User Needs: Security measures that align with user convenience can drive higher engagement and adoption rates, benefiting both users and service providers.

Case Study 8: Advanced Threat Intelligence Sharing in the Financial Sector (JPMorgan Chase)  

Challenge:  JPMorgan Chase faced escalating cyber threats targeting the financial sector, with traditional defense strategies proving inadequate against these threats’ dynamic and sophisticated nature.  

Solution:  JPMorgan Chase initiated a threat intelligence sharing platform among leading financial institutions, enabling the real-time exchange of cyber threat information. This collaboration enhances predictive capabilities and attack mitigation, leveraging advanced technologies and collective expertise to fortify cybersecurity defenses.

1. Enhanced Predictive Capabilities:  The collaborative platform significantly improved the predictive capabilities of each member institution, allowing for more proactive security measures.

2. Strengthened Sector-Wide Security: The shared intelligence contributed to a stronger, more unified defense posture across the financial sector, reducing the overall incidence of successful cyber attacks.  

1. Collaboration is Key:  Sharing threat intelligence across organizations can significantly enhance the collective ability to counteract cyber threats.

2. Sector-Wide Security Approaches: Developing industry-wide security strategies is crucial in sectors where collaborative defense can provide a competitive advantage and enhance overall security.

Case Study 9: Reducing Ransomware Impact Through Advanced Backup Strategies (Adobe)  

Challenge:  Adobe faced heightened ransomware threats, risking data encryption and operational disruptions, compounded by the complexity and size of its extensive data repositories.  

Solution:  Adobe deployed a comprehensive data backup and recovery strategy featuring real-time data replication and off-site storage. This approach maintains multiple backups in varied locations, minimizing ransomware impact. Additionally, machine learning algorithms monitor for ransomware indicators, triggering immediate backup actions to prevent significant data encryption.  

1. Minimized Downtime:  The proactive backup strategy allowed Adobe to quickly restore services after a ransomware attack, minimizing downtime and operational disruptions.

2. Enhanced Data Protection: By securing backups in separate locations and continuously updating them, Adobe strengthened its resilience against data loss due to ransomware.  

1. Proactive Backup Measures:  Advanced, proactive backup strategies are essential in mitigating the effect of ransomware attacks.

2. Machine Learning in Data Protection:  Leveraging machine learning for early detection and response can significantly enhance data security measures.

Related: Cybersecurity Manager Interview Questions

Case Study 10: Enhancing Cloud Security with Automated Compliance Tools (Amazon Web Services)

Challenge:  As cloud computing became essential for businesses globally, Amazon Web Services (AWS) must ensure compliance with diverse international security standards to protect customer data and sustain trust.

Solution:  AWS introduced automated compliance tools into its cloud platform, continuously monitoring and auditing AWS services against global standards. These tools, enhanced with AI for data analysis, swiftly detect and correct compliance deviations, upholding stringent security compliance across all customer data.

1. Streamlined Compliance Processes:  Automating compliance checks significantly streamlined the process, reducing the manual workload and enhancing efficiency.

2. Consistent Security Standards:  The consistent monitoring and quick resolution of compliance issues helped AWS maintain high-security standards, boosting customer confidence in cloud security.  

1. Importance of Compliance Automation:  Automation in compliance monitoring is crucial for maintaining high-security standards in cloud environments.

2. AI and Security Compliance:  AI plays a vital role in analyzing vast amounts of compliance data, ensuring that cloud services adhere to stringent security protocols.

Case Study 11: Implementing Multi-Factor Authentication for Global Remote Workforce (Deloitte)  

Challenge:  With a shift to remote work, Deloitte faced increased security risks, particularly unauthorized access to sensitive data, as traditional single-factor authentication proved inadequate for their global team.  

Solution:  Deloitte implemented a robust multi-factor authentication (MFA) system across its operations, requiring employees to use multiple verification methods to access company networks. This system includes biometric options like fingerprint and facial recognition alongside traditional methods such as SMS codes and apps, enhancing security while providing flexibility.  

1. Enhanced Security Posture:  The introduction of MFA greatly strengthened Deloitte’s defense against unauthorized access, particularly in a remote working environment.

2. Increased Employee Compliance:  The user-friendly nature of the MFA system ensured high levels of employee compliance and minimal disruption to workflow.

1. Necessity of Multi-Factor Authentication:  MFA is a critical security measure for organizations with remote or hybrid work models to protect against unauthorized access.

2. Balancing Security and Usability:  It’s crucial to implement safety measures that are both effective and user-friendly to ensure high adoption and compliance rates among employees.

Case Study 12: Fortifying Financial Transactions with Real-Time Fraud Detection Systems (Mastercard)

Challenge:  Mastercard dealt with the continuous challenge of fraudulent transactions, which affected their customers’ trust and led to significant financial losses. The evolving sophistication of fraud techniques required a more dynamic and predictive approach to detection and prevention.

Solution:  Mastercard developed a real-time fraud detection system powered by advanced analytics and machine learning. This system analyzes transaction data across millions of transactions globally to identify unusual patterns and potential fraud. It operates in real-time, providing instant decisions to block or flag suspicious transactions, significantly enhancing financial operations’ security.

1. Reduced Incidence of Fraud:  The real-time detection system has markedly decreased the number of fraudulent transactions, protecting customers and merchants.

2. Enhanced Customer Trust:  With strengthened security measures, customers feel more secure when using Mastercard, leading to increased loyalty and usage.

1. Real-Time Analytics in Fraud Detection:  Real-time analytics is essential for detecting and preventing fraud in the fast-paced world of financial transactions.

2. Leveraging Machine Learning:  Machine learning is invaluable in recognizing and adapting to new fraudulent tactics maintaining a high level of security as threats evolve.

Related: Ways Manufacturing Sector Can Mitigate Cybersecurity Risks

Case Study 13: Cyber Resilience in the Energy Sector Through Advanced Network Segmentation (BP)

Challenge:  BP, a global energy company, faced significant cyber threats to disrupt its operations and compromise sensitive data. The interconnected nature of its global infrastructure posed particular vulnerabilities, especially in an industry frequently targeted by sophisticated cyber-attacks.

Solution:  BP implemented advanced network segmentation as a key strategy to enhance its cyber resilience. This approach divides the network into distinct zones, each with security controls, effectively isolating critical infrastructure from less sensitive areas. This segmentation is reinforced with stringent access controls and real-time monitoring systems that detect and respond to threats before they can propagate across the network.

1. Strengthened Infrastructure Security:  Network segmentation significantly reduced the potential effect of a breach by limiting the movement of a threat within isolated network segments.

2. Improved Incident Response: The clear division of network zones allowed faster identification and isolation of security incidents, enhancing BP’s overall response capabilities.  

1. Importance of Network Segmentation:  Effective segmentation is critical in protecting essential services and sensitive data in large, interconnected networks.

2. Proactive Defense Strategy:  A proactive approach to network security, including segmentation and real-time monitoring, is essential for high-risk industries like energy.

Case Study 14: Protecting Healthcare Data with End-to-End Encryption (Mayo Clinic)

Challenge:  The Mayo Clinic, a leading healthcare organization, faced the dual challenges of protecting patient privacy and complying with stringent healthcare regulations such as HIPAA. The risk of data leaks and illegal access to sensitivehealth information was a constant concern.

Solution:  The Mayo Clinic addressed these challenges by implementing end-to-end encryption across all its digital communication channels and data storage systems. This encryption ensures that patient data is secure from the point of origin to the point of destination, making it inaccessible to unauthorized users, even if intercepted during transmission.  

1. Enhanced Patient Data Protection:  End-to-end encryption significantly bolstered the security of patient information, virtually eliminating the risk of interception by unauthorized parties.

2. Regulatory Compliance Assurance: This robust security measure helped the Mayo Clinic maintain compliance with healthcare regulations, reducing legal risks and enhancing patient trust.  

1. Critical Role of Encryption in Healthcare:  End-to-end encryption is indispensable for protecting sensitive health information and ensuring compliance with healthcare regulations.

2. Building Patient Trust: Strengthening data security measures is essential in healthcare to maintain patient confidence and trust in the confidentiality of their health records.

Case Study 15: Implementing AI-Driven Security Operations Center (SOC) for Real-Time Threat Management (Sony)

Challenge:  Sony, a global conglomerate with diverse business units, faced complex security challenges across its vast digital assets and technology infrastructure. Managing these risks required a more sophisticated approach than traditional security operations centers could offer.

Solution:  Sony enhanced its security operations by implementing an AI-driven Security Operations Center (SOC). Utilizing machine learning and artificial intelligence, this system monitors and analyzes threats in real-time. It automatically detects patterns of cyber threats and initiates responses to potential security incidents without human intervention.  

1. Elevated Threat Detection and Response:  The AI-driven SOC enabled Sony to detect and respond to threats more quickly and accurately, significantly enhancing the effectiveness of its cybersecurity efforts.

2. Reduced Operational Costs:  Automating routine monitoring and response tasks reduced the workload on human analysts, allowing Sony to allocate resources more efficiently and reduce operational costs.  

1. Advantages of AI in Cybersecurity:  Utilizing AI technologies in security operations centers can greatly enhance threat detection and response speed and accuracy.

2. Operational Efficiency:  Integrating AI into cybersecurity operations helps streamline processes and reduce the dependence on manual intervention, leading to cost savings and improved security management.

Related: Predictions About the Future of Cybersecurity

Navigating through these 15 cybersecurity case studies underscores a vital reality: as cyber threats evolve, so must our defenses. These stories highlight organizational resilience and creativity in combating digital threats, offering valuable lessons in proactive and reactive security measures. As technology progresses, staying ahead of potential threats is paramount. These case studies are guides toward building more secure and resilient digital environments.

• 20 Manufacturing Case Studies [2024]
• 20 Free Adobe Photoshop Courses [2024]

Team DigitalDefynd

We help you find the best courses, certifications, and tutorials online. Hundreds of experts come together to handpick these recommendations based on decades of collective experience. So far we have served 4 Million+ satisfied learners and counting.

How should a Startup plan its Cybersecurity Budget? [2024]

10 ways Manufacturing Sector can mitigate Cybersecurity Threats [2024]

Career in Cybersecurity vs Data Science: Which Is Better? [2024]

Role of Chief Information Officer in Cyber Security [2024]

How to Start a Cybersecurity Business? [2024]

What Cyber Security Jobs Are Safe from AI and Automation? [2024]

Cybersecurity Consultant Interview Questions

The most important interview questions for Cybersecurity Consultants, and how to answer them

Getting Started as a Cybersecurity Consultant

• What is a Cybersecurity Consultant
• How to Become
• Certifications
• Tools & Software
• LinkedIn Guide
• Interview Questions
• Work-Life Balance
• Professional Goals
• Resume Examples
• Cover Letter Examples

Interviewing as a Cybersecurity Consultant

Types of questions to expect in a cybersecurity consultant interview, technical proficiency questions, behavioral questions, scenario-based and problem-solving questions, communication and consultative skills questions, compliance and regulatory knowledge questions, preparing for a cybersecurity consultant interview, how to prepare for a cybersecurity consultant interview.

• Research the Company's Security Posture: Gain an understanding of the company's current cybersecurity measures, recent security incidents, and overall security strategy. This will help you to tailor your responses and suggest improvements that could be made within their existing framework.
• Refresh Your Cybersecurity Knowledge: Ensure that you are up-to-date with the latest security trends, threats, and technologies. Familiarize yourself with common security frameworks (like NIST, ISO 27001), regulations (such as GDPR, HIPAA), and best practices in the industry.
• Review Your Past Projects and Experiences: Be ready to discuss your previous work, particularly how you've assessed risks, responded to incidents, and implemented security measures. Highlight your successes and the value you brought to your past roles.
• Understand the Role's Requirements: Look at the job description to understand the specific skills and experiences the employer is seeking. Be prepared to explain how your background aligns with these requirements.
• Prepare for Technical and Behavioral Questions: Anticipate questions that assess your technical expertise, such as how you would handle a specific security scenario, as well as behavioral questions that explore your soft skills and decision-making processes.
• Develop a Portfolio of Your Work: If possible, create a portfolio that showcases your previous work, such as security assessments, incident reports, or awareness training you've conducted. This can be a powerful way to demonstrate your capabilities.
• Prepare Thoughtful Questions: Formulate questions that show your interest in the company's security challenges and your desire to contribute to their cybersecurity efforts. This demonstrates your proactive thinking and engagement with the role.
• Engage in Mock Interviews: Practice with a mentor, colleague, or through a professional service to refine your answers, receive feedback, and improve your delivery. This can also help alleviate interview anxiety.

Stay Organized with Interview Tracking

Cybersecurity Consultant Interview Questions and Answers

"how do you stay up-to-date with current cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities", how to answer it, example answer, "can you describe a cybersecurity framework you have implemented and how it benefited an organization", "how do you approach a security assessment for a new client", "what experience do you have with incident response and how would you handle a data breach", "can you explain the importance of a security awareness program and how you would implement one", "how do you balance business objectives with cybersecurity requirements", "what is your experience with cloud security, and how do you ensure cloud environments are secure", "how do you evaluate the effectiveness of a cybersecurity program", which questions should you ask in a cybersecurity consultant interview, good questions to ask the interviewer, "can you outline the primary cybersecurity challenges the organization is currently facing", "how does the company stay abreast of the rapidly evolving threat landscape and regulatory changes in cybersecurity", "what is the company's incident response plan, and how often is it tested and updated", "can you describe the cybersecurity team's culture and how consultants collaborate with other departments in the organization", what does a good cybersecurity consultant candidate look like, technical expertise and continuous learning, strategic risk management, problem-solving and analytical skills, communication and interpersonal skills, adaptability and crisis management, understanding of legal and regulatory requirements, interview faqs for cybersecurity consultants, what is the most common interview question for cybersecurity consultants, what's the best way to discuss past failures or challenges in a cybersecurity consultant interview, how can i effectively showcase problem-solving skills in a cybersecurity consultant interview.

Cybersecurity Consultant Job Title Guide

Related Interview Guides

Safeguarding digital assets, ensuring network integrity in a world of evolving threats

Designing robust network infrastructures, ensuring seamless data flow and connectivity

Driving tech solutions, ensuring smooth operations and security in the digital realm

Leading tech strategy and innovation, ensuring information systems drive business success

Optimizing business processes and systems, bridging the gap between technology and users

Driving tech efficiency, ensuring seamless IT operations and infrastructure stability

Start Your Cybersecurity Consultant Career with Teal

30+ Cybersecurity Interview Questions to Ace Your Next Interview in 2024

• The Philomath
• January 7, 2024

By 2024, there will be nearly 3 million unfilled cybersecurity positions, making it vital that you stand out from the crowd when you go to your next interview. In order to give yourself the best chance of impressing your future employer with your knowledge and expertise, you’ll need to prepare ahead of time by learning these 30+ Cybersecurity Interview Questions . Practice answering them during mock interviews and get ready to impress during the real interview!

In order to prepare for Cyber Security Jobs, let’s break this blog up into three parts: Beginner Questions, Intermediate Questions, and Advanced Questions. We will start with an introduction to cybersecurity.

Introduction

In the past few years, there has been an exponential increase in cyber attacks. In 2017, for example, 2 billion data records were stolen from US companies alone. This is only going to get worse as more and more people use the internet every day and everything from credit cards to personal emails is increasingly at risk of being hacked. With this increasing demand for Cybersecurity Professionals and higher-than-ever stakes for success, it’s more important than ever that you ace your next interview.

10 Cybersecurity Interview Questions and Answers for Beginners

Is this your first interview for a cybersecurity position? Then you should prepare and be prepared for the interview process. You can get in there by answering these 10 Beginner Questions (Entry Level).

Question 1: What do you mean by Cybersecurity?

Answer: Cybersecurity is the act of protecting networks, data, and devices from cyber criminals. The US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) defines cybersecurity as the collection and analysis of information about actual or potential attacks or intrusions on computer systems and networks.

Cybersecurity can be viewed as a combination of people, processes, and technology used to protect valuable digital assets.

Question 2:What is the primary goal of Cybersecurity?

Answer:  A primary goal of cybersecurity is to prevent unauthorized access, use, disclosure, disruption, modification, or destruction of information. It also includes preventing improper authorized access to information systems that could result in physical harm to people.

Question 3:Define threat in cybersecurity.

Answer: A threat is anything that could potentially damage your company’s information and data. Threats can range from sabotage to theft, or even a natural disaster. There are countless types of threats that companies face every day. It’s important for cybersecurity professionals to be aware of the most common ones and how they can protect their company from them.

Question 4:What is vulnerability in Cybersecurity?

Answer: A vulnerability is a weakness that may be exposed by a system’s design, implementation, operation, or management. Some vulnerabilities are known and documented, while others are not. Vulnerabilities can also exist because of human error or other contingencies.

Build Your Career as a Cyber Security Specialist

• Live Projects
• Resume / Interview Preparation

Question 5:What is Risk in Cybersecurity?

Answer: Cybersecurity is a multifaceted field that requires you to be aware of the risks, threats, and vulnerabilities that come with the territory.

Risk = Likelihood of a threat * Vulnerability Impact

The most common types of risk are privacy, denial of service, and information leakage.

Privacy is a risk when users’ private data may be exposed or used without their knowledge. Denial-of-service is a risk when hackers cause systems or networks to crash by overloading them with fake traffic. Information leakage occurs when sensitive data is revealed unintentionally, such as passwords being posted publicly on social media sites.

All three of these can lead to disastrous consequences for those involved, so it’s important to do everything possible to minimize those risks before they occur!

Question 6: What is SSL?

Question 7:what is xss, question 8:what does rdp stand for, question 9:what is a firewall, question 10: what is a phishing attack, and how can it be prevented, 10 cybersecurity interview questions and answers for intermediates, question 1:explain cryptography in cybersecurity., question 2:what is traceroute in cybersecurity, question 3: what is cross-site scripting and how it can be prevented.

To prevent XSS, developers need to verify any input they receive and make sure it doesn’t come from an untrusted source. This requires developers to validate the data before displaying it on their site. You could also use browser plugins like NoScript or Disconnect to block JavaScript execution in all third party pages.

Question 4: Name the elements of CyberSecurity.

• Information security
• Network security
• Operational security
• Application security
• End-user education
• Business continuity planning

Question 5:What is Cyber Crime? Name some common Cyber Crimes.

Answer: Cybercrime is any crime that is committed using a computer or any other electronic device. Common forms of cybercrime include hacking, phishing, and malware.

You can protect yourself from these crimes by using strong passwords, installing antivirus software, not clicking on suspicious links, and being cautious with your personal information.

Below are some common Cyber Crimes:

• Identity Theft
• Online Predators
• Hacking of sensitive information from the Internet
• BEC (“Business Email Compromise”)
• Stealing intellectual property

Question 6:What is the difference between Symmetric and Asymmetric Encryption in Cyber security?

• The first difference is that symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, whereas asymmetric encryption uses a different key for each of those functions.
• The second difference is that symmetric encryption is faster than asymmetric encryption, but it can only be used to encrypt data of a set size. Asymmetric encryption can be used on any size of data. In addition, as mentioned before, asymmetric encryption uses two keys instead of one which adds another layer of security.
• Finally, asymmetric encryption offers more flexibility since one key cannot decrypt the other’s encoded message; thus if one key gets compromised there is still protection for all messages using the other key.

Boost your earning potential with Cyber Security expertise. Explore our certified Cyber Security courses for a high-paying career

• Explore  certified information security manager

Question 7:What are some examples of malware?

Answer: Malware is a term that encompasses a variety of malicious software. This includes viruses, trojan horses, worms, and ransomware. Malware is typically found on computers and other devices connected to the internet. Some examples of malware include:

Question 8:How can you protect yourself from malware?

Answer:  Malware comes in many forms and can be hard to detect, but here are some ways you can protect yourself:

Question 9:What is the CIA triad?

Question 10:Define VPN.

10 cybersecurity interview questions and answers for experts (senior-level).

We will discuss some common questions and answers for Cybersecurity interviews in this section.

Question 1:What is the difference between IDS and IPS?

Answer:  An IDS (Intrusion Detection System) monitors the network for anomalies, while an IPS (Intrusion Prevention System) protects the system by preventing attacks. In other words, an IDS is reactive and an IPS is proactive. Both have their strengths and weaknesses. For example, an IDS has a better detection rate than an IPS but can’t prevent attacks like the IPS can. Conversely, the IPS can identify malicious traffic before it reaches its target but isn’t as accurate as an IDS. As such, many companies rely on a mix of both systems to cover any potential gaps in protection.

The key takeaway here is that you need both types of systems and then decide which one should be your primary focus depending on your company’s specific needs.

Question 2:What is the difference between hashing, encoding, and encrypting?

Answer: Hashing, encoding, and encrypting are all methods for securing data.

• Encoding is the process of converting raw data into a form that can be transmitted over a network or stored on a disk.
• Encrypting is the process of transforming encoded data into a form that can be read only by those with access to the appropriate key.
• Hashing is a one-way encryption method used for verifying input integrity, but not secrecy. A message digest is generated from an input string (e.g., hello) using a hashing algorithm (e.g., MD5). If the same string is entered again, it should produce the same hash value as before. The two strings should also have identical hash values if they’re identical copies of each other (e.g., hello = hello). However, if one character changes in either string (e.g., hello = hellp), then their hashes will be different.

Question 3:Who are Black Hat, White Hat and Grey Hat Hackers?

Question 4:how would you keep a server and network secure.

• A strong firewall is the first line of defense against cyber security threats. If you have a weak firewall, hackers can easily access your data and steal it. This is why it’s important to make sure that your firewall software is up-to-date and configured properly.
• You should also install antivirus software on all of your devices, including laptops and smartphones, as this will provide added protection for any data leaks or malware.
• Another thing you need to do is create different passwords for each device so if one gets compromised, other devices are still secure.
• And finally, you should turn off wireless connections when they’re not in use to avoid them being hacked.

Question 5:What is two-factor authentication and how it can be implemented for public websites?

Answer: Two-factor authentication is a method of confirming the identity of a person through two means. One factor would be something they know, such as their password. The second factor is something they have, such as their mobile phone.

In this case, if someone tried to log into your account from an unknown location (a public computer or network), you would receive a text message with an access code that needs to be entered before you can log in and use your account. Even though this system seems simple, it has helped thwart many hacking attempts because it requires attackers to steal both parts of the security puzzle— something they know (your password) and something they have (your mobile device).

How does encryption work?: Encryption is a process used for securing data by converting readable information into unreadable form using cryptographic techniques. It helps in protecting confidential information like personal data, credit card numbers etc., from unauthorized persons.

Question 6:What is data leakage?

Answer: Data leakage is a cyber-security term that refers to the unauthorized transfer of data from one system, device, or network to another. The data could be anything from an email containing sensitive information, a confidential file on your laptop, or a customer’s credit card number.

• It can happen through hacking, social engineering techniques like phishing and keylogging, or by simply losing your phone.
• When you create passwords for your accounts, it is important to use complex passwords (letters, numbers) and change them regularly.
• You should also never click links in emails from unfamiliar sources or open attachments from people you don’t know as this could lead to malware infections or credential theft.

Question 7:What are the Types of data leakage?

Question 8: explain brute force attacks and the ways to prevent it..

Answer: Brute force attacks are a type of hacking that involves systematically guessing passwords and other key data by testing every possible combination. This technique can be used for both breaking into networks and gaining access to individual user accounts. To prevent brute force attacks from happening, a strong password should be created that is at least 8 characters long, with a mix of upper-case letters, lower-case letters, numbers, and symbols. It’s also important to keep your password private; don’t write it down or store it on your computer.

Question 9: What Anomalies Do You Typically Look for When a System Becomes Compromised?

Answer: This is a difficult question. Interviewers want to know if they can think creatively and outside the box when there are no answers readily available. A good answer might be When a system becomes compromised, I typically look for any evidence of user or administrator access that should not be present. If anything looks out of place, it would be worth looking more closely into. I also look for any changes in file permissions on system files or directories as well as evidence of changes in firewall rules, host-based intrusion prevention systems (HIPS), or other protections put in place by the system’s administrators.

• Define an anomaly.
• Discuss why it’s important to catch anomalies in a compromised system.
• Describe a time when you identified an anomaly. What did you do?

Question 10: How Would You Monitor and Log Cyber Security Events?

Answer: It’s important to show your Interviewer that you can keep track of security events when answering Cybersecurity Interview Questions . Your detail-oriented nature can be demonstrated here, which is a great opportunity.

When answering this question, be sure to explain the following:

• The tools and methods you use to monitor computer systems.
• The process you use for logging events.
• How logging cyber security events helps you understand them.

Final Thoughts:

The cybersecurity industry is booming and it’s not only for the people who have years of experience under their belt. The industry needs smart, young minds to keep up with the ever-changing threats. If you’re looking for a career change, this is a great place to start.

Quick Take Away

Thinkcloudly offers the best structured Programmes on Cloud Computing and Management. Cyber Security is very important in the IT sector. I can say that It is very important for any one in the IT sector, to have the basic knowledge about Cyber Security and for the Companies and Govt Sectors to Invest immensely in Cyber Security, so as to ensure that all sensitive information and Data belonging to them are well protected against all forms of negative Cyber compromise. Enrol Today.

Add a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

Interview Preparation Questions

Category : quiz.

• Cyber Security Quiz

Need a Free Career Counselling ?

Book your personalized session today.

Popular Courses

• CBAP Certification
• Azure DevOps Certification
• DevOps Online Training
• SQL Certification Training
• Safe Agilist Certification
• RPA Certification
• SOC Analyst Training
• Uipath Training
• Terraform Certification
• Python Certification Course

Popular Blogs

• DevOps training and placement
• AWS Certification vs Azure Certification
• Best Certification for SOC Analyst
• What does a Cloud Practitioner do
• Solutions Architect Projects
• Cloud Computing Opportunities

Recent Posts

How to create an ebs volume with easy steps, azure key vault | to secure keys and certificates, block legacy authentication using conditional access policy, follow us on.

Expert Guidenace?

Job Support

Ready to go download our app.

Download Thinkcloudly App today for  enhanced experience on the go!

Scan QR Code to Download

Upskill for your Dream Job

• Batch Of 5 Students
• Brainstorming Sessions
• Career Oriented Training

Trusted By Employees Of

• Call For Support : +1 725 710 9949

Boost your It career preparation

Download free ebooks.

Introduction To Cybersecurity

• What is Cybersecurity? - A Beginner's Guide to Cybersecurity World
• Cybersecurity Fundamentals – Introduction to Cybersecurity
• Firewall in Computer Security – Types, How Does it Work?

Cybersecurity Threats and State of Our Digital Privacy

Hacking vs ethical hacking: what sets them apart, cybersecurity concepts.

• What is Cryptography? – An Introduction to Cryptographic Algorithms
• Steganography Tutorial – A Complete Guide For Beginners

Application Security: All You Need To Know

• What is Computer Security and Its Types? Introduction to Computer Security
• Penetration Testing – Methodologies and Tools

What is Network Security: An introduction to Network Security

Ethical hacking basics.

• What is Ethical Hacking – A Complete Guide
• Ethical Hacking Tutorial - A beginner's Guide
• Footprinting- The Understructure of Ethical Hacking
• What is Network Scanning – How It Works, Types, Tools To Use

Tool Guides

• Cybersecurity Tools You Must Know – Tools for Cyber Threats
• Best 35+ Ethical Hacking Tools and Software For IT Professionals
• A Beginner's Guide To Cybersecurity Framework
• A Complete Guide to Nmap – Nmap Tutorial

Proxychains, Anonsurf and MacChanger- Enhance your Anonymity!

Cyberattacks 101.

• What Are SQL Injection Attacks And How To Prevent Them?
• Everything You Need to Know about DDOS

Kali Linux Deep Dive

• ParrotOS vs Kali Linux: How to choose the Best?

How To Install Kali Linux? All You Need To Know

• Ethical Hacking with Kali Linux: With Beginner & Advanced Techniques

Ethical Hacking and Python

• Learn Ethical Hacking With Python – Beginners Guide With Examples

Advantages & Disadvantages of Learning Ethical Hacking

Macchanger with python- your first step to ethical hacking.

• ARP Spoofing – Automating Ethical Hacking with Python

Cybersecurity Interview Questions

Top 50 cyber security interview questions and answers 2024, career guidance, top 10 reasons why to learn cyber security.

• How to become an Ethical Hacker?
• Ethical Hacking Career: A Career Guideline For Ethical Hacker

Cyber Security

Cyber Security is the only domain in IT which has not faced a recession yet. With demand, there is also competition, and to get a job in Cybersecurity, you need to be one of the best. While having the necessary Cybersecurity skills is half job done, cracking the interview is another chapter altogether. To help you crack the Cyber security interview, we’ve compiled this list of top Cyber Security interview questions and answers.

Skills matter and so does Certification! Check out this Cyber Security Course .

Cybersecurity Interview Questions and Answers | CyberSecurity Interview Tips | Edureka

This Edureka Cybersecurity Interview Questions and Answers will help you in preparation for your interviews.

Top Cyber Security Interview Questions

• What is Cryptography?
• What is the difference between Symmetric and Asymmetric encryption?
• What is the difference between IDS and IPS?
• Explain CIA triad.
• How is Encryption different from Hashing?
• What is a Firewall and why is it used?
• What is the difference between VA(Vulnerability Assessment) and PT(Penetration Testing)?
• What is a three-way handshake?
• What are the response codes that can be received from a Web Application?
• What is traceroute? Why is it used?

This Cybersecurity Interview Questions blog is divided into two parts:  Part A – Theoretical   Cybersecurity Interview Questions and Part B – Scenario Based  Cybersecurity Interview Questions .

Ready to take your career in cybersecurity to the next level? CISSP Certification is the way!

Let’s get started with

Part A-Theoretical Cyber Security Interview Questions

1. what is cryptography.

Cryptography is the practice and study of techniques for securing information and communication mainly to protect the data from third parties that the data is not intended for.

2. What is the difference between Symmetric and Asymmetric encryption?

3. What is the difference between IDS and IPS?

IDS  is  Intrusion Detection System and it only detects intrusions and the administrator has to take care of preventing the intrusion. Whereas, in IPS  i.e.,  Intrusion Prevention System , the system detects the intrusion and also takes actions to prevent the intrusion.

Upskill for Higher Salary with Cyber Security Courses

4. Explain CIA triad.

CIA  stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. CIA  is a model that is designed to guide policies for Information Security. It is one of the most popular models used by organizations.

Confidentiality

The information should be accessible and readable only to authorized personnel. It should not be accessible by unauthorized personnel. The information should be strongly encrypted just in case someone uses hacking to access the data so that even if the data is accessed, it is not readable or understandable.

Making sure the data has not been modified by an unauthorized entity. Integrity ensures that data is not corrupted or modified by unauthorized personnel. If an authorized individual/system is trying to modify the data and the modification wasn’t successful, then the data should be reversed back and should not be corrupted.

Availability

The data should be available to the user whenever the user requires it. Maintaining of Hardware, upgrading regularly, Data Backups and Recovery, Network Bottlenecks should be taken care of.

Find out our Cyber Security Training in Top Cities/Countries

5. How is Encryption different from Hashing?

Both Encryption and Hashing are used to convert readable data into an unreadable format. The difference is that the encrypted data can be converted back to original data by the process of decryption but the hashed data cannot be converted back to original data.

6. What is a Firewall and why is it used?

A Firewall is a network security system set on the boundaries of the system/network that monitors and controls network traffic. Firewalls are mainly used to protect the system/network from viruses, worms, malware, etc. Firewalls can also be to prevent remote access and content filtering.

7. What is the difference between VA(Vulnerability Assessment) and PT(Penetration Testing)?

Vulnerability Assessment is the process of finding flaws on the target. Here, the organization knows that their system/network has flaws or weaknesses and want to find these flaws and prioritize the flaws for fixing.

Penetration Testing is the process of finding vulnerabilities on the target. In this case, the organization would have set up all the security measures they could think of and would want to test if there is any other way that their system/network can be hacked.

8. What is a three-way handshake?

A three-way handshake is a method used in a TCP/IP network to create a connection between a host and a client. It’s called a  three-way handshake  because it is a three-step method in which the client and server exchanges packets. The three steps are as follows:

• The client sends a SYN(Synchronize) packet to the server check if the server is up or has open ports
• The server sends SYN-ACK packet to the client if it has open ports
• The client acknowledges this and sends an ACK(Acknowledgment) packet back to the server

9. What are the response codes that can be received from a Web Application?

1xx – Informational responses 2xx – Success 3xx – Redirection 4xx – Client-side error 5xx – Server-side error

Let us now go ahead and take a look at some of the other Cybersecurity Interview Questions

10. What is traceroute? Why is it used?

Traceroute is a tool that shows the path of a packet. It lists all the points (mainly routers) that the packet passes through. This is used mostly when the packet is not reaching its destination. Traceroute is used to check where the connection stops or breaks to identify the point of failure.

11. What is the difference between HIDS and NIDS?

HIDS(Host IDS) and NIDS(Network IDS) are both Intrusion Detection System and work for the same purpose i.e., to detect the intrusions. The only difference is that the HIDS is set up on a particular host/device. It monitors the traffic of a particular device and suspicious system activities. On the other hand, NIDS  is set up on a network. It monitors traffic of all device of the network.

12. What are the steps to set up a firewall?

Following are the steps to set up a firewall:

• Username/password:  modify the default password for a firewall device
• Remote administration:  Disable the feature of the remote administration
• Port forwarding:  Configure appropriate port forwarding for certain applications to work properly, such as a web server or FTP server
• DHCP server:  Installing a firewall on a network with an existing DHCP server will cause conflict unless the firewall’s DHCP is disabled
• Logging:  To troubleshoot firewall issues or potential attacks, ensure that logging is enabled and understand how to view logs
• Policies:  You should have solid security policies in place and make sure that the firewall is configured to enforce those policies.

13. Explain SSL Encryption

SSL(Secure Sockets Layer)  is the industry-standard security technology creating encrypted connections between Web Server and a Browser. This is used to maintain data privacy and to protect the information in online transactions. The steps for establishing an SSL connection is as follows:

• A browser tries to connect to the webserver secured with SSL
• The browser sends a copy of its SSL certificate to the browser
• The browser checks if the SSL certificate is trustworthy or not. If it is trustworthy, then the browser sends a message to the web server requesting to establish an encrypted connection
• The web server sends an acknowledgment to start an SSL encrypted connection
• SSL encrypted communication takes place between the browser and the web server

14. What steps will you take to secure a server?

Secure servers use the Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) protocol for data encryption and decryption to protect data from unauthorized interception.

Here are four simple ways to secure server:

Step 1:  Make sure you have a secure password for your root and administrator users

S tep  2:  The next thing you need to do is make new users on your system. These will be the users you use to manage the system

S tep  3:  Remove remote access from the default root/administrator accounts

S tep  4:  The next step is to configure your firewall rules for remote access

15. Explain Data Leakage

Data Leakage is an intentional or unintentional transmission of data from within the organization to an external unauthorized destination. It is the disclosure of confidential information to an unauthorized entity. Data Leakage can be divided into 3 categories based on how it happens:

• Accidental Breach : An entity unintentionally send data to an unauthorized person due to a fault or a blunder
• Intentional Breach : The authorized entity sends data to an unauthorized entity on purpose
• System Hack : Hacking techniques are used to cause data leakage

Data Leakage can be prevented by using tools, software, and strategies known as DLP(Data Leakage Prevention) Tools.

16. What are some of the common Cyberattacks?

Following are some common cyber attacks that could adversely affect your system.

• Password Attacks
• Man in the Middle
• Drive-By Downloads
• Malvertising
• Rogue Software

17. What is a Brute Force Attack? How can you prevent it?

Brute Force is a way of finding out the right credentials by repetitively trying all the permutations and combinations of possible credentials. In most cases, brute force attacks are automated where the tool/software automatically tries to login with a list of credentials. There are various ways to prevent Brute Force attacks. Some of them are:

• Password Length : You can set a minimum length for password. The lengthier the password, the harder it is to find.
• Password Complexity : Including different formats of characters in the password makes brute force attacks harder. Using alpha-numeric passwords along with special characters, and upper and lower case characters increase the password complexity making it difficult to be cracked.
• Limiting Login Attempts : Set a limit on login failures. For example, you can set the limit on login failures as 3. So, when there are 3 consecutive login failures, restrict the user from logging in for some time, or send an Email or OTP to use to log in the next time. Because brute force is an automated process, limiting login attempts will break the brute force process.

18. What is Port Scanning?

Port Scanning is the technique used to identify open ports and service available on a host. Hackers use port scanning to find information that can be helpful to exploit vulnerabilities. Administrators use Port Scanning to verify the security policies of the network. Some of the common Port Scanning Techniques are:

• TCP Half-Open
• TCP Connect
• Stealth Scanning

Enroll in a prestigious Cyber Security Internship program to kickstart your career.

19. What are the different layers of the OSI model?

An OSI model is a reference model for how applications communicate over a network. The purpose of an OSI reference is to guide vendors and developers so the digital communication products and software programs can interoperate.

Physical Layer: Responsible for transmission of digital data from sender to receiver through the communication media,

Data Link Layer: Handles the movement of data to and from the physical link. It is also responsible for encoding and decoding of data bits.

Network Layer: Responsible for packet forwarding and providing routing paths for network communication.

Transport Layer:  Responsible for end-to-end communication over the network. It splits the data from the above layer and passes it to the Network Layer and then ensures that all the data has successfully reached at the receiver’s end.

Session Layer: Controls connection between the sender and the receiver. It is responsible for starting, ending, and managing the session and establishing, maintaining and synchronizing interaction between the sender and the receiver.

Presentation Layer:  It deals with presenting the data in a proper format and data structure instead of sending raw datagrams or packets.

Application Layer: It provides an interface between the application and the network. It focuses on process-to-process communication and provides a communication interface.

20. What is a VPN?

Almost all Cybersecurity Interview Questions will have this question included. VPN stands for  Virtual Private Network . It is used to create a safe and encrypted connection. When you use a VPN, the data from the client is sent to a point in the VPN where it is encrypted and then sent through the internet to another point. At this point, the data is decrypted and sent to the server. When the server sends a response, the response is sent to a point in the VPN where it is encrypted and this encrypted data is sent to another point in the VPN where it is decrypted. And finally, the decrypted data is sent to the client. The whole point of using a VPN is to ensure encrypted data transfer.

21. What do you understand by Risk, Vulnerability & Threat in a network?

Threat : Someone with the potential to harm a system or an organization Vulnerability : Weakness in a system that can be exploited by a potential hacker Risk : Potential for loss or damage when threat exploits a vulnerability

22.  How can identity theft be prevented?

Here’s what you can do to prevent identity theft:

• Ensure strong and unique password
• Avoid sharing confidential information online, especially on social media
• 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
• Always update your system and the software
• Protect your SSN (Social Security Number)

23.  What are black hat, white hat and grey hat hackers?

Black hat hackers  are known for having vast knowledge about breaking into computer networks. They can write malware which can be used to gain access to these systems. This type of hackers misuse their skills to steal information or use the hacked system for malicious purpose. 

White hat hackers use their powers for good deeds and so they are also called Ethical Hackers. They are hired by companies to identify and fix vulnerabilities in systems to improve security. Check out our CEH (v12)- Certified Ethical Hacker program to learn more about ethical hacking.

Anonymity is just a simple thing in Ethical Hacking & CyberSecurity. If you are interested in this domain, check Edureka’s CompTIA Security+ Certification Training.

Grey hat hackers  are an amalgamation of a white hat and black hat hacker. They look for system vulnerabilities without the owner’s permission. If they find any vulnerabilities, they report it to the owner. Unlike Black hat hackers, they do not exploit the vulnerabilities found. 

24.  How often should you perform Patch management?

Patch management should be done as soon as it is released. For windows, once the patch is released it should be applied to all machines, not later than one month. Same goes for network devices, patch it as soon as it is released. Proper patch management should be followed.

25.  How would you reset a password-protected BIOS configuration?

Since BIOS is a pre-boot system it has its own storage mechanism for settings and preferences. A simple way to reset is by popping out the CMOS battery so that the memory storing the settings lose its power supply and as a result, it will lose its setting.

26. Explain MITM attack and how to prevent it?

A MITM(Man-in-the-Middle)  attack is a type of attack where the hacker places himself in between the communication of two parties and steal the information. Suppose there are two parties  A  and  B having a communication. Then the hacker joins this communication. He impersonates as party  B to  A  and impersonates as party  A  in front of B.  The data from both the parties are sent to the hacker and the hacker redirects the data to the destination party after stealing the data required. While the two parties think that they are communicating with each other, in reality, they are communicating with the hacker.

You can prevent MITM attack by using the following practices:

• Use strong WEP/WPA encryption
• Use Intrusion Detection Systems
• Force HTTPS
• Public Key Pair Based Authentication

27. Explain DDOS attack and how to prevent it?

This again is an important Cybersecurity Interview Question. A DDOS(Distributed Denial of Service) attack is a cyberattack that causes the servers to refuse to provide services to genuine clients. DDOS attack can be classified into two types:

• Flooding attacks : In this type, the hacker sends a huge amount of traffic to the server which the server can not handle. And hence, the server stops functioning. This type of attack is usually executed by using automated programs that continuously send packets to the server.
• Crash attacks:  In this type, the hackers exploit a bug on the server resulting in the system to crash and hence the server is not able to provide service to the clients.

You can prevent DDOS attacks by using the following practices:

• Use Anti-DDOS services
• Configure Firewalls and Routers
• Use Front-End Hardware
• Use Load Balancing
• Handle Spikes in Traffic

28. Explain XSS attack and how to prevent it?

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

You can prevent XSS attacks by using the following practices:

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

29.  What is an ARP and how does it work?

Address Resolution Protocol (ARP) is a protocol for mapping an Internet Protocol address (IP address) to a physical machine address that is recognized in the local network.

When an incoming packet destined for a host machine on a particular local area network arrives at a gateway, the gateway asks the ARP program to find a physical host or MAC address that matches the IP address.

The ARP program looks in the ARP cache and, if it finds the address, provides it so that the packet can be converted to the right packet length and format and sent to the machine.

If no entry is found for the IP address, ARP broadcasts a request packet in a special format to all the machines on the LAN to see if one machine knows that it has that IP address associated with it.

30.  What is port blocking within LAN?

Restricting the users from accessing a set of services within the local area network is called port blocking.

Stopping the source to not to access the destination node via ports. As the application works on the ports, so ports are blocked to restricts the access filling up the security holes in the network infrastructure.

31.  What protocols fall under TCP/IP internet layer?

32. What is a Botnet?

A Botnet is a number of devices connected to the internet where each device has one or more bots running on it. The bots on the devices and malicious scripts used to hack a victim. Botnets can be used to steal data, send spams and execute a DDOS attack.

33. What are salted hashes?

Salt is a random data. When a properly protected password system receives a new password, it creates a hash value of that password, a random salt value, and then the combined value is stored in its database. This helps to defend against dictionary attacks and known hash attacks.

Example: If someone uses the same password on two different systems and they are being used using the same hashing algorithm, the hash value would be same, however, if even one of the system uses salt with the hashes, the value will be different.

34. Explain SSL and TLS

SSL  is meant to verify the sender’s identity but it doesn’t search for anything more than that. SSL can help you track the person you are talking to but that can also be tricked at times.

TLS  is also an identification tool just like SSL, but it offers better security features. It provides additional protection to the data and hence SSL and TLS are often used together for better protection.

35.  What is data protection in transit vs data protection at rest?

36.  What is 2FA and how can it be implemented for public websites?

An extra layer of security that is known as  “multi-factor authentication“.

Requires not only a password and username but also something that only, and only, that user has on them, i.e. a piece of information only they should know or have immediately to hand – such as a physical token.

Authenticator apps replace the need to obtain a verification code via text, voice call or email.

37. What is Cognitive Cybersecurity?

Cognitive Cybersecurity is an application of AI technologies patterned on human thought processes to detect threats and protect physical and digital systems.

Self-learning security systems use data mining, pattern recognition, and natural language processing to simulate the human brain, albeit in a high-powered computer model.

38. What is the difference between VPN and VLAN?

39. Explain Phishing and how to prevent it?

Phishing  is a Cyberattack in which a hacker d isguises as a trustworthy person or business and attempt to steal sensitive financial or personal information through fraudulent email or instant message.

You can prevent Phishing attacks by using the following practices:

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

40. Explain SQL Injection and how to prevent it?

SQL Injection (SQLi) is a code injection attack where an attacker manipulates the data being sent to the server to execute malicious SQL statements to control a web application’s database server, thereby accessing, modifying and deleting unauthorized data. This attack is mainly used to take over database servers.

You can prevent SQL Injection attacks by using the following practices:

• Use prepared statements
• Use Stored Procedures
• Validate user input

This brings us to the end of Theory Based Cybersecurity Interview Questions

Top 10 Trending Technologies to Learn in 2024 | Edureka

Part b – scenario based cybersec urity interview questions, 1. here’s a situation- you receive the following email from the help desk:.

Dear XYZ Email user,

To create space for more users we’re deleting all inactive email accounts. Here’s what you have to send to save your account from getting deleted:

• Name (first and last):
• Email Login:
• Date of birth:
• Alternate email

If we don’t receive the above information from you by the end of the week, your email account will be terminated.

If you’re a user what do you do? Justify your answer.

This email is a classic example of  “phishing”  – trying to trick you into  “biting”.  The justification is the generalized way of addressing the receiver which is used in mass spam emails.

Above that, a corporate company will never ask for personal details on mail.

They want your information. Don’t respond to email, instant messages (IM), texts, phone calls, etc., asking you for your password or other private information.

You should never disclose your password to anyone, even if they say they work for UCSC, ITS, or other campus organizations.

2. A friend of yours sends an e-card to your mail. You have to click on the attachment to get the card.

What do you do? Justify your answer

There are four risks here:

• Some attachments contain viruses or other malicious programs, so just in general, it’s risky to open unknown or unsolicited attachments.
• Also, in some cases just clicking on a malicious link can infect a computer, so unless you are sure a link is safe, don’t click on it.
• Email addresses can be faked, so just because the email says it is from someone you know, you can’t be certain of this without checking with the person.
• Finally, some websites and links look legitimate, but they’re really hoaxes designed to steal your information.

3. One of the staff members in XYZ subscribes to many free magazines. Now, to activate her subscriptions one of the magazines asked for her month of birth, second asked for her year of birth, the other one asked for her maiden name.

What do you infer from this situation? Justify.

All three newsletters probably have the same parent company or are distributed through the same service. The parent company or service can combine individual pieces of seemingly-harmless information and use or sell it for identity theft

It is even possible that there is a fourth newsletter that asks for a day of birth as one of the activation questions

Often questions about personal information are optional. In addition to being suspicious about situations like the one described here, never provide personal information when it is not legitimately necessary, or to people or companies, you don’t personally know.

4. In our computing labs, print billing is often tied to the user’s login. Sometimes people call to complain about bills for printing they never did only to find out that the bills are, indeed, correct.

Sometimes they realize they loaned their account to a friend who couldn’t remember his/her password, and the friend did the printing. Thus the charges. It’s also possible that somebody came in behind them and used their account

This is an issue with shared or public computers in general. If you don’t log out of the computer properly when you leave, someone else can come in behind you and retrieve what you were doing, use your accounts, etc. Always log out of all accounts, quit programs, and close browser windows before you walk away.

5. There is this case that happened in my computer lab. A friend of mine used their yahoo account at a computer lab on campus. She ensured that her account was not left open before she left the lab. Someone came after her and used the same browser to re-access her account. and they started sending emails from it.

What do you think might be going on here?

The first person probably didn’t log out of her account, so the new person could just go to history and access her account.

Another possibility is that she did log out, but didn’t clear her web cache. (This is done through the browser menu to clear pages that the browser has saved for future use.)

6. Two different offices on campus are working to straighten out an error in an employee’s bank account due to a direct deposit mistake.

Office #1 emails the correct account and deposit information to office #2, which promptly fixes the problem.

The employee confirms with the bank that everything has, indeed, been straightened out.

What is wrong here?

Account and deposit information is sensitive data that could be used for identity theft. Sending this or any kind of sensitive information by email is very risky because email is typically not private or secure. Anyone who knows how can access it anywhere along its route.

As an alternative, the two offices could have called each other or worked with ITS to send the information a more secure way.

7. The mouse on your computer screen starts to move around on its own and click on things on your desktop. What do you do?

a) Call your co-workers over so they can see

b) Disconnect your computer from the network

c) Unplug your mouse

d) Tell your supervisor

e) Turn your computer off

f) Run anti-virus

g) All of the above

Select all the options that apply.

Right answer is B & D.

This is definitely suspicious. Immediately report the problem to your supervisor and the ITS Support Center: itrequest.ucsc.edu, 459-HELP (4357), [email protected] or Kerr Hall room 54, M-F 8AM-5PM

Also, since it seems possible that someone is controlling the computer remotely, it is best if you can disconnect the computer from the network (and turn off wireless if you have it) until help arrives. If possible, don’t turn off the computer.

8. Below is a list of passwords pulled out a database.

A. @#$)*&^%

B. akHGksmLN

C.UcSc4Evr!

D.Password1

Which of the following passwords meets UCSC’s  password requirements?

Answer is UcSc4Evr!

This is the only choice that meets all of the following UCSC requirements:

At least 8 characters in length

Contains at least 3 of the following 4 types of characters: lower case letters, upper case letters, numbers, special characters

Not a word preceded or followed by a digit

9. You receive an email from your bank telling you there is a problem with your account. The email provides instructions and a link so you can log into your account and fix the problem.

What should you do?

Delete the email. Better yet, use the web client (e.g. gmail, yahoo mail, etc.) and report it as spam or phishing, then delete it.

Any unsolicited email or phone call asking you to enter your account information, disclose your password, financial account information, social security number, or other personal or private information is suspicious – even if it appears to be from a company you are familiar with. Always contact the sender using a method you know is legitimate to verify that the message is from them.

10. A while back, the IT folks got a number of complaints that one of our campus computers was sending out Viagra spam. They checked it out, and the reports were true: a hacker had installed a program on the computer that made it automatically send out tons of spam email without the computer owner’s knowledge.

How do you think the hacker got into the  computer to set this up?

This was actually the result of a hacked password. Using passwords that can’t be easily guessed, and protecting your passwords by not sharing them or writing them down can help to prevent this. Passwords should be at least 8 characters in length and use a mixture of upper and lower case letters, numbers, and symbols.

Even though in this case it was a hacked password, other things that could possibly lead to this are:

• Out of date patches/updates
• No anti-virus software or out of date anti-virus software

I hope these Cybersecurity Interview Questions will help you perform well in your interview. To become expert join our Cyber Security Masters Program today. And I wish you all the best!

If you wish to learn more and build a colorful career, then check out our Cyber Security Course in India which comes with instructor-led live training and real-life project experience. This training will help you understand Linux Administration in-depth and help you achieve mastery over the subject.

You can also take a look at our newly launched course on  CompTIA Security+ Certification which is a first-of-a-kind official partnership between Edureka & CompTIA Security+. It offers you a chance to earn a global certification that focuses on core cybersecurity skills which are indispensable for security and network administrators. 

Also, learn Cybersecurity the right way with Edureka’s POST GRADUATE PROGRAM  with  NIT Rourkela and defend the world’s biggest companies from phishers, hackers and cyber attacks.

Got a question for us? Please post it on  Edureka Community  and we will get back to you.

Recommended blogs for you

Top 8+ cybersecurity tools (free+ paid) to shield cyber threats, arp spoofing – automating ethical hacking with python, all you need to know about comptia security+ certification, top 5 cybersecurity career paths worth pursuing in 2024, top 10 reasons to learn ethical hacking, free ethical hacking tutorial for beginners – tricks & tips on how to hack, ai in wimbledon: power highlights, analytics and insights, an introduction to basic fundamentals of cyber security, advantages and disadvantages of ethical hacking, importance of ethical hacking: why is ethical hacking necessary, what is a cyber security framework – how to use, types, benefits, trending courses in cyber security, cyber security and ethical hacking internship ....

• 15k Enrolled Learners
• Weekend/Weekday

Cyber Security Training Course Online

• 67k Enrolled Learners

CEH v12 - Certified Ethical Hacking Course On ...

• 22k Enrolled Learners

CISSP Certification Training Course

• 13k Enrolled Learners

CompTIA Security (SY0-701) Exam - Certificati ...

• 9k Enrolled Learners

Cyber Security and Ethical Hacking Complete C ...

• 1k Enrolled Learners

Browse Categories

Subscribe to our newsletter, and get personalized recommendations..

Already have an account? Sign in .

20,00,000 learners love us! Get personalised resources in your inbox.

At least 1 upper-case and 1 lower-case letter

Minimum 8 characters and Maximum 50 characters

We have recieved your contact details.

You will recieve an email from us shortly.

Get the Reddit app

This subreddit is for technical professionals to discuss cybersecurity news, research, threats, etc.

Cybersecurity case interview insights

I'm in the final rounds of a Cybersecurity manager position at a consulting firm. I'm told it'll be a 6 person, half hour each, case/ case study interview. Following which I'll have to send in a write up with my summary for the case. I can see why, they're wanting to examine how you approach a problem and break it down.

I've been through quite a variety of interview types for Cybersecurity roles but never come across a case or case study interview. I tried to find some Cybersecurity case interview examples online but couldn't really find anything. Almost all examples online for case interviews were all business/profitability related.

Has anyone on here who has gone through Cybersecurity case interviews for consulting firms? Would you be willing to share insights with examples of what that looked like? What can i do to prep? I'm very confident about my abilities but having never done a case interview has me quite nervous. Anything you can share would be helpful. I'm also open to engaging in a chat if it makes it easier to share.

• New Zealand
• United Kingdom

Case Studies in Cybersecurity: Learning from Notable Incidents and Breaches

Stay Informed With Our Weekly Newsletter

Receive crucial updates on the ever-evolving landscape of technology and innovation.

By clicking 'Sign Up', I acknowledge that my information will be used in accordance with the Institute of Data's Privacy Policy .

The importance of cybersecurity cannot be overstated in today’s digital age.

With technological advancements, businesses and individuals increasingly rely on the Internet and digital platforms for various activities.

However, this reliance also exposes us to potential cyber threats and breaches that can have significant impacts.

According to findings by IBM and the Ponemon Institute, security teams typically require, on average, approximately 277 days to detect and mitigate a data breach.

By understanding the role of cybersecurity and dissecting notable case studies in cybersecurity, we can learn valuable lessons that can help us improve our overall cybersecurity strategies.

Understanding the importance of cybersecurity

It encompasses various measures and practices that are designed to prevent unauthorized access, use, or disclosure of data.

In a world where cybercriminals are constantly evolving their techniques, examining case studies in cybersecurity and having a robust strategy is essential.

The role of cybersecurity in today’s digital age

In today’s interconnected world, businesses and individuals rely heavily on digital platforms and online services.

From online banking to e-commerce, from social networking to remote working, our lives revolve around the digital landscape.

With such heavy dependence, cyber threats and breaches become a real and constant danger.

The evolving nature of cybersecurity threats calls for continuous vigilance and proactive measures, like consistently reviewing case studies in cybersecurity.

Cybersecurity professionals need to be well-versed in the latest threats, vulnerabilities, and solutions to mitigate risks effectively.

The potential impact of cybersecurity breaches

Cybersecurity breaches can have severe consequences for organizations and individuals alike.

They can result in unauthorized access to sensitive information, financial loss, reputational damage, and legal implications.

The impact of a breach can extend far beyond immediate financial losses, as organizations can suffer long-term damage to their brand and customer trust.

For individuals, cybersecurity breaches can result in identity theft, personal financial loss, and compromised privacy.

The consequences of a breach can be emotionally and financially distressing, affecting individuals’ lives for years to come.

Now, let’s look at some important case studies in cybersecurity.

Dissecting notable case studies in cybersecurity

Examining case studies in cybersecurity incidents allows us to gain a deeper understanding of a breach’s anatomy and the emerging common themes.

The sony pictures hack

In 2014, cyber attackers infiltrated Sony Pictures’ network, releasing confidential data, including employees’ personal details and private communications between executives.

This breach led to significant reputational harm and financial setbacks for Sony, prompting substantial investments in cybersecurity improvements and numerous legal settlements.

Case studies in cybersecurity like this one underscore the critical need for enhanced network security measures and more rigorous data handling and protection protocols.

The Equifax data breach

Equifax suffered a massive breach in 2017 when hackers exploited a web application vulnerability to access the personal data of roughly 147 million consumers.

This incident ranks among the most substantial losses of consumer data to date, resulting in severe reputational and financial damage to Equifax.

Case studies in cybersecurity like this highlight the critical importance of keeping software up to date and the need for a thorough vulnerability management strategy to prevent similar breaches.

The WannaCry ransomware attack

The WannaCry ransomware is another case study in cybersecurity from 2017.

It was a global crisis, impacting hundreds of thousands of computers across 150 countries by exploiting vulnerabilities in outdated Microsoft Windows systems.

The attack disrupted critical services in sectors such as healthcare and transportation, leading to extensive financial losses worldwide.

This event demonstrated the importance of regular system updates, effective backup protocols, and ongoing employee training to mitigate the risks of phishing and other cyber threats .

How to apply these lessons to improve cybersecurity

Applying the lessons learned from past case studies in cybersecurity requires a holistic and proactive approach.

Organizations should conduct regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing to identify weaknesses within their infrastructure.

These assessments provide valuable insights into potential vulnerabilities that can be addressed to strengthen overall cybersecurity.

In addition, continuous education and awareness programs should be implemented to ensure employees are well informed about the latest threats and trained on cybersecurity best practices.

Regular training sessions, simulated phishing campaigns, and security awareness workshops can contribute to creating a security-conscious culture within the organization.

Consider an online training program like the Institute of Data’s Cybersecurity Program , which can teach you the necessary skills and provide real-world project experience to enter or upskill into the cybersecurity domain.

Strategies for enhancing cybersecurity

Effective cybersecurity strategies go beyond implementing technical controls and educating employees.

They encompass a comprehensive approach that addresses various aspects of cybersecurity, including prevention, detection, response, and recovery.

Best practices for preventing cybersecurity breaches

• Implementing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all accounts
• Regularly patching and updating systems and software
• Using strong, unique passwords or password managers
• Encrypting sensitive data both at rest and in transit
• Restricting user access based on the principle of least privilege
• Implementing robust firewalls and network segmentation
• Conducting regular vulnerability assessments and penetration testing
• Monitoring network traffic and system logs for anomalies
• Regularly backing up critical data and testing the restore process
• Establishing incident response plans and conducting tabletop exercises

The future of cybersecurity: predictions and precautions

As technology continues to evolve, so do cyber threats. It is essential to anticipate future trends and adopt proactive measures to strengthen our cybersecurity defenses.

Emerging technologies like artificial intelligence and the Internet of Things present both opportunities and challenges.

While they enhance convenience and efficiency, they also introduce new attack vectors. It is crucial for cybersecurity professionals to stay abreast of these developments and implement necessary safeguards.

Learning from case studies in cybersecurity allows us to understand the evolving landscape of cybersecurity better.

Dissecting these incidents, identifying key lessons, and applying best practices can strengthen our overall cybersecurity strategies.

As the digital age continues to advance, we must remain vigilant and proactive in our efforts to protect our digital assets and sensitive information.

Enrol in the Institute of Data’s Cybersecurity Program to examine important case studies in cybersecurity, improve your knowledge of cybersecurity language, and stay ahead of evolving challenges.

Alternatively, if you’re interested in learning more about the program and how it can benefit your career, book a free career consultation with a member of our team today.

Follow us on social media to stay up to date with the latest tech news

Stay connected with Institute of Data

Asking the Right Questions: Strategies for Effective Questioning Techniques in Cybersecurity

Understanding Networks and Protocols in Cybersecurity

Exploring the Building Blocks of Networking in the Cybersecurity Industry

Full-Time vs Part-Time Study: A Guide to Entering the Tech Industry

Prevent Resource Theft: Safeguarding Your Business’s Resources

Combatting Ransomware Attacks: Exclusive Prevention and Response Tactics

© Institute of Data. All rights reserved.

Copy Link to Clipboard

An official website of the United States government

Here’s how you know

Official websites use .gov A .gov website belongs to an official government organization in the United States.

Secure .gov websites use HTTPS A lock ( Lock A locked padlock ) or https:// means you’ve safely connected to the .gov website. Share sensitive information only on official, secure websites.

https://www.nist.gov/itl/smallbusinesscyber/cybersecurity-basics/case-study-series

Small Business Cybersecurity Corner

Small business cybersecurity case study series.

Ransomware, phishing, and ATM skimming are just a few very common and very damaging cybersecurity threats that Small Businesses need to watch out for. The following Case Studies were created by the National Cyber Security Alliance , with a grant from NIST, and should prove useful in stimulating ongoing learning for all business owners and their employees.

• Case 1: A Business Trip to South America Goes South Topic: ATM Skimming and Bank Fraud
• Case 2: A Construction Company Gets Hammered by a Keylogger Topic: Keylogging, Malware and Bank Fraud
• Case 3: Stolen Hospital Laptop Causes Heartburn Topic: Encryption and Business Security Standards
• Case 4: Hotel CEO Finds Unwanted Guests in Email Account Topic: Social Engineering and Phishing
• Case 5: A Dark Web of Issues for a Small Government Contractor Topic: Data Breach

How to Write Cybersecurity Case Studies

When it comes to case studies, cybersecurity poses special challenges. 

The cybersecurity landscape is saturated with solutions—and so sales and marketing teams have never been hungrier for customer success stories they can share as proof of their product’s abilities.

But cybersecurity clients are very reluctant to be featured. They don’t want to talk about the time they almost got hacked, they don’t want to disclose the details of their setup and risk more attacks, and they just plain don’t want to risk looking bad. 

To top it all off, the cybersecurity space is highly technical. It’s easy to derail a powerful story by burying it under a load of technical jargon and details.

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest challenges cybersecurity companies face when they’re trying to produce case studies—and the solutions we’ve developed to make those studies happen. 

Challenge 1: No one wants to admit to an attack or prior vulnerability

We hear about cybersecurity disasters in the news all the time. Giant ransomware attacks and breaches affecting millions of customers are sadly common. 

But the success stories? The attacks stopped, the leaks prevented? We never hear about those. 

Companies don’t want to draw attention to breaches that almost happened. It can erode trust and make customers think they’re targets. There’s no reason to put that idea into their minds, especially over an attack that failed. No data was lost, so why advertise the fact that there was an attack at all? It’s scary. Companies prefer to play it safe and decline to be featured. 

On top of all that, no one wants to dive into the details of their setup and the security measures they’ve put in place—there’s too much risk of accidentally divulging something that hackers can use for their next attack. 

If you can get a cybersecurity customer to agree to feature in your story, you’ll see this play out in real-time: the stories they’re likely to tell are all about how proactive their company is and everything they’ve put in place to avoid the possibility of a data breach. “Look how safe we are!” those stories will tell you. But safe stories don’t often make for interesting reading material. 

Don’t get me wrong, these stories serve a valuable purpose. If you want to feature your customer’s logo, you have to compromise on the content to get your customer’s approval. 

But if you want to go into detail about how your solution helped prevent a serious cyberattack, there’s a much better option. 

The Solution? Anonymous case studies 

Anonymous case studies are common in cybersecurity, even more so than in other fields. We’ve made the case before for the value of anonymous case studies, and how to do them well . 

Do you want to hear a real hot take on anonymous case studies?

When it comes to cybersecurity companies, anonymous case studies aren’t only acceptable. They’re often better. 

That’s right: we’re saying that anonymous cybersecurity case studies are often better than named studies. 

Anonymous cybersecurity case studies are often  better than named studies .

A reluctant client who doesn’t want to scare their customers with news of a near miss will be much more likely to agree to an anonymous case study. You’ll be able to go into all of the juicy details, and the story will be much more compelling than a named case study with the same company would have been.

And they’ll be able to protect themselves and their reputation. 

An anonymous case study lets your customer save face. They can tell a more honest story about a time that something went wrong because their name and reputation aren’t attached to it. The stories you get will be much more specific and exciting to read. 

As our story lead, Steven Peters, puts it: “Everybody loves an eye-catching logo. But the caveat is that big brands don’t want their name attached to major problems—especially when it comes to compliance issues (or worse) a data breach! Sometimes, you want the logo at all costs. But other times, it’s better to drop the logo in favor of a more compelling and specific story.”

Sharing (anonymously) is caring 

There’s another less obvious point in favor of anonymous case studies: they show care for your clients. 

By forgoing that flashy logo, you’re showing your clients that you prioritize them and their comfort over your marketing. It helps deepen those relationships you’ve worked so hard to build and it validates the trust they’ve put into working with you. 

Challenge 2: The biggest win is “and then nothing happened”

When it comes to cybersecurity case studies, your biggest win is preventing something bad from happening: the crisis was averted, the attack failed, the status quo was maintained. Nothing happened. Big yawn, amirite? It’s hard to make a story about nothing interesting. 

It’s even harder to find compelling metrics, especially when those metrics boil down to “we had 0 problems”. You can’t prove a negative. 

Even if there are metrics to share, customers can be reluctant to share those numbers, sometimes even in anonymous case studies. 

There are lots of ways to make a metric-less story shine . 

For cybersecurity case studies, the most important is to focus on the human element . 

The solution? Focus on the human element

Most case studies tell a company story: Company A had a problem, and Company B’s solution helped solve that problem. For cybersecurity case studies, this approach doesn’t always work. Legal departments are sensitive, and without metrics or a compelling headline a story that boils down to “this attack didn’t succeed” is going to fall a bit flat. 

But telling the story of a brave CISO or IT lead who faced a deadly challenge (or ransomware attack) and was able to vanquish their foe, armed with your cybersecurity solution? That’s the stuff heroes’ journeys are made of. 

The best and most tension-filled cybersecurity stories often focus on one individual (or team), what they faced—and what they overcame.

The best and most tension-filled cybersecurity stories often focus on one individual (or team), what they were facing, and what they overcame. For a CISO, the cost of a successful breach will be especially high, and their role in preventing it is much more active and ongoing. 

Focusing on one person can also help smooth things over with the legal team, since the story isn’t told from the point of view of “The Company” (and yes, you should always get your customer’s approval before publishing, even for anonymous stories). 

Challenge 3: Everybody’s cybersecurity setup looks different

For highly technical industries, it usually feels important to dive into the nitty-gritty of the solution and the technical attributes that made the win possible. But that’s tricky to do for cybersecurity solutions because 1. Everyone’s environment and gap is slightly different, and 2. Most companies are reluctant to divulge the details of their setup, lest they accidentally expose themselves to attacks or reveal identifiable information. 

On top of that, cybersecurity threats come and go: the ransomware attack that everyone is worried about this year will be irrelevant in six months, and new technologies like AI can dramatically change the landscape. Cybersecurity is a fast-moving field, and stories that get too in the weeds on a specific solution will have a much shorter shelf life. 

Cybersecurity solutions are complex, with a lot of different features and a lot of different, often customizable ways to solve enterprise security. It can be hard to find common ground between different solutions, so it’s harder for readers to identify with the solution described in your case study, especially if you go all-in on the technical jargon. 

The solution? Wait for it…

Before we dive into the solution for this one, let me mention a slightly different, but related, challenge: 

Challenge 4: Cybersecurity is technical, but your readers aren’t necessarily

For cybersecurity case studies, you’ll almost always interview technical experts like CISOs, IT leads, etc. 

And those people will read your studies too. But at the end of the day, cybersecurity solutions are expensive, and it’s not the technical people holding the purse strings or making the final decision on the purchase. You need to produce stories that persuade non-technical C-suite executives, too. 

That means that you can’t lean too far into the technical jargon to make your solution stand out, or you risk losing the readers you most need to win over.

As our Cybersecurity AWS Report shows, too many companies pack their studies with so many obscure terms and complicated phrases that they become unreadable. Write how you speak, and aim for Grade 9 reading level. 

Challenge 3 and Challenge 4 are related because they both make it hard to frame your case study. You don’t know exactly who you’re writing for or how technical their background is, and your reader probably has a different security setup than the one you’re writing about. 

They both make it hard to relate to the story you’re telling. 

Luckily, both of these problems also share a solution. 

The Solution? Find the common ground in the challenges

With so many different variables to consider, what’s the best way to write a story that will resonate with your target audience and have genuine staying power? Tell stories that address the common challenges that resonate across the industry. 

In our tenure, we have written over 100 cybersecurity-related case studies. And throughout all of them, the same challenges crop up time and time again:

Every company needs to worry about compliance, whether it’s meeting the requirements of the  GDPR or CCPA, complying with HIPAA, or meeting any of the other increasingly strict data protection regulations that governments are passing every year. So leaning into that challenge is a really effective way to find common ground with your readers. Demonstrating the ability to implement these strict controls and adapt to changing regulations is a great way to prove the value of a cybersecurity solution. 

•  Hiring and retaining talent

There’s a well-known talent shortage in the cybersecurity industry—it’s one of the key “Strategic Planning Assumptions” in Gartner’s 2023 Predictions . Hiring and retaining talent is a concern, and lots of cybersecurity professionals are experiencing burnout. An effective case study can demonstrate how it helps fill that gap (by lessening the workload and reducing the need for headcount) to reduce the stress and uncertainty that an unexpected departure or unfilled role can cause. 

• Human error

Human error remains a major point of weakness in cybersecurity. The best security can be foiled if the wrong person gives away their password, and most cybersecurity solutions are working to make sure that can’t happen. Telling a compelling story about how your product can minimize the risk of human error is a great way to write about a universal problem. 

Cybersecurity case studies come with challenges—but don’t let that stop you

You just have to understand their unique challenges and know how to tackle them. 

Unsure where to start? Luckily, we can help. We’ve written hundreds of cybersecurity case studies, and we know how to make them invaluable for your sales and marketing teams . 

Get in touch to see how we can help you with your cybersecurity case studies. 

Sam Harrison

Writer and interviewer.

As an interviewer and writer, Sam loves helping people shape their experiences into compelling stories.

Ya, you like that? Well, there’s more where that came from!

Should you send case study interview questions in advance.

Sending your case study interview questions to your interviewee in advance sounds like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? And certainly, if you type “should you send case study interview questions in advance” into Google, that’s the boilerplate advice everyone gives. But is that truly good advice? Or does it depend on the situation? At Case Study Buddy, we’ve conducted (literally) hundreds and hundreds of case study interviews, and we’re continually testing new and better ways of conducting them. And the answer...

Best AI Case Study Examples in 2024 (And a How-To Guide!)

Who has the best case studies for AI solutions? B2B buyers’ heads are spinning with the opportunities that AI makes possible. But in a noisy, technical space where hundreds of new AI solutions and use cases are popping up overnight, many buyers don’t know how to navigate these opportunities—or who they can trust. Your customers are as skeptical as they are excited, thinking… “I’m confused by the complexity of your technology.” “I’m unsure whether there’s clear ROI.” “I’m concerned about...

Research Report: Case Studies and Testimonials in the Cybersecurity Industry

By definition, cybersecurity is technical, tight-lipped, and protective of metrics. Which makes producing case studies and testimonials for cybersecurity even more challenging. After all, the entire premise of a successful engagement in cybersecurity is hard to capture—how do you translate “we did XYZ… and then nothing bad happened” into a success story that CISOs, CTOs, and CIOs will care about?  As an end-to-end partner in creating customer success stories and video testimonials, we’ve successfully delivered over 99 stories in the...

Let’s tell your stories together.

Get in touch to start a conversation.

🎉 Case Study Buddy has been acquired by Testimonial Hero 🎉  Learn more at testimonialhero.com

• Case Studies

Cyber Security Hub aims to produce case studies routinely, in which the site's editorial staff chats with leading security executives about recent initiatives (with ROI and measurable results).

Mid-year state of cyber security: APAC

Cyber Security Hub provides an in-depth look at trends, challenges and investment opportunities across APAC

The benefits of automating enterprise cyber security

Insights on perspectives on automation imperatives, inhibitors, talent and budget in the enterprises to prevent threats, vulnerabilities as well as cyber security

Have your say: the global state of cyber security

The global survey offers cyber security professionals the opportunity to share their thoughts and the chance to win $1,000 in Amazon vouchers

The top XDR investment decisions for CISOs

This Cyber Security Hub report shows how CISOs' uses managed services and XDR to detect threat and prevention of cyber attacks.

The global state of the cyber security industry 2022

This exclusive report aims to keep cyber security professionals abreast of today’s threats and highlight the areas in which CISOs are allocating security budgets to mitigate the risks facing their org...

The top 20 cyber security movers and shakers 2022

Cyber Security Hub’s inaugural power list is live, profiling the achievements from cyber security leaders at Microsoft, Visa, Coca-Cola and Aston Martin

Have your say: Cyber Security Hub readership survey

CS Hub is constantly looking to improve our content, take our survey to tell us how

CS Hub launches 20 cybersecurity leaders to watch

CS Hub's inaugural power list to highlight cyber security professionals who ahev been making strides in cyber security over the past 12 months

We want to hear your views on the state of cyber security today

Help educate your fellow cyber security professionals on the biggest challenges facing the cyber world today by taking part in our mid-year survey

SaaS Security Survey Report 2022

Find out what steps CISOs are taking to ensure the growing SaaS app attack surface is secured

Top 10 cyber security blogs

Cyber Security Hub's recommended blogs to help keep you and your organization secure

Outpacing Compliance, Realizing Risk Management & Achieving Forward Posture 

OT Cybersecurity Summit

October 28 - 29, 2024 Norris Conference Center, Houston CityCentre, TX

Automotive Cyber Security Europe 2024

11 - 14 November 2024 Frankfurt, Germany

Anti-Financial Crime Exchange UK

March 17 - 18, 2025 London, UK

Digital Identity Week

09 - 10 September, 2025 Sydney, Australia

Subscribe to our Free Newsletter

Insights from the world’s foremost thought leaders delivered to your inbox.

Latest Webinars

Preventing financial and reputational risk with process intelligence.

2024-05-23 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Building high-performing development teams: Harnessing tools, processes & AI

2024-05-02 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM EDT

Building cyber resilience

2024-04-24 11:30 AM - 12:30 PM SGT

FIND CONTENT BY TYPE

• White Papers

Cyber Security Hub COMMUNITY

• Advertise with us
• Cookie Policy
• User Agreement
• Become a Contributor
• All Access from CS Hub
• Become a Member Today
• Media Partners

ADVERTISE WITH US

Reach Cyber Security professionals through cost-effective marketing opportunities to deliver your message, position yourself as a thought leader, and introduce new products, techniques and strategies to the market.

JOIN THE Cyber Security Hub COMMUNITY

Join CSHUB today and interact with a vibrant network of professionals, keeping up to date with the industry by accessing our wealth of articles, videos, live conferences and more.

Cyber Security Hub, a division of IQPC

Careers With IQPC | Contact Us | About Us | Cookie Policy

Become a Member today!

PLEASE ENTER YOUR EMAIL TO JOIN FOR FREE

Already an IQPC Community Member? Sign in Here or Forgot Password Sign up now and get FREE access to our extensive library of reports, infographics, whitepapers, webinars and online events from the world’s foremost thought leaders.

We respect your privacy, by clicking 'Subscribe' you will receive our e-newsletter, including information on Podcasts, Webinars, event discounts, online learning opportunities and agree to our User Agreement. You have the right to object. For further information on how we process and monitor your personal data click here . You can unsubscribe at any time.

Britain's NHS investigates claims hackers published stolen patient data

• Medium Text

Sign up here.

Reporting by Sarah Young Editing by Elizabeth Piper and Peter Graff

Our Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles. New Tab , opens new tab

Technology Chevron

Rivian says lower-cost second generation EVs to help in push for profitability

Material cost of Rivian's second-generation R1 electric SUVs and pickups will be 20% lower than the current version, CEO RJ Scaringe said on Thursday, after it overhauled its manufacturing plant and removed vehicle parts to slash cost.

New Case Study: Unmanaged GTM Tags Become a Security Nightmare

Are your tags really safe with Google Tag Manager? If you've been thinking that using GTM means that your tracking tags and pixels are safely managed , then it might be time to think again. In this article we look at how a big-ticket seller that does business on every continent came unstuck when it forgot that you can't afford to allow tags to go unmanaged or become misconfigured.

Read the full case study here .

Google Tag Manager saves website owners time and money. Its visual interface lets them attach tracking tags to their sites and then modify them as needed without the need to call a developer every time. Such tags gather the marketing and analytics data that power growth, and GTM makes them easier to manage, but with strict rules around data privacy to consider, you can't trust it completely; it needs active oversight.

The ticket seller

A case in point that we recently became aware of involves a global company that sells tickets to live events. With global operations it's important to establish who has overall responsibility for a particular function, but in this case, that was lacking. In a culture where the lines of responsibility aren't clear, it isn't surprising that a marketing team outsourced something to an external company because it saw it as a security concern it could offload rather than a marketing issue.

Download the full case study here .

The task was the management of its Google Tag Manager usage. The team may have felt that marketing and growth were their priorities and so this move made sense, but security is one of those strands that runs through everything. The consequence of outsourcing this work was a data breach because the contractor didn't catch a misconfiguration.

GDPR, CCPA, the Cyber Resilience Act , and other privacy-related legislation require companies not to let this happen. They must protect their customers' data and obtain their explicit permission before collecting and sharing it, and because of the misconfiguration this didn't happen. Getting it wrong in this way can be very expensive both in terms of money and reputation, not to mention the fact that cybercriminals have used Google Tag Manager as a vessel for conducting web skimming and keylogging attacks. You can read more about the details of this story in our case study .

How big a problem is misconfiguration?

As we explored the case of the global ticketing company, we became curious about Google Tag Manager and wondered how widespread this kind of problem might be. We wondered how many other companies might be exposing themselves to potential multi-million-dollar class action lawsuits brought by masses of individuals whose data they have shared without permission or against local privacy regulations, and how many might be at risk of attracting big penalties from data privacy watchdogs and industry regulators?

The sample study

We decided to look at a sample of 4,000 websites that use Google Tag Manager. It turned out that they connect an average website to around five applications, and that 45% of these apps are used for advertising, 30% are pixels and 20% are analytics tools. Here are the apps that we found users connecting with Google Tag Manager the most, in order of popularity.

For more information, read the full case study here .

We found that across all industries, Google Tag Manager and its connected apps account for 45% of all risk exposure among users. Overall, 20% of these apps are leaking personal or sensitive user data due to a misconfiguration.

Misconfigurations showed up in the applications below, which account for 85% of all cases:

Oh, the irony!

Ironically, we found that Google Tag Manager itself is responsible for the most cases of misconfigurations that might leak user data and land the website owners who unquestioningly trust it in hot water.

Now, this is not an attack on Google Tag Manager, because it's a very useful and effective tool when handled safely. Our intention is to point out the dangers of not managing the potential risks that come with using it, and to encourage you to read all about the many practical ways of ensuring that your tags behave themselves.

Continuous protection

In considering tactics, techniques, and procedures in cyber, organizations must consider employing a continuous web threat management system, such as Reflectiz. Its digital tag management and security tools give your teams complete visibility and control over tags issuing alerts on any changes to tags (and in fact any code on the website) for review and approval. It satisfies the conflicting priorities of both marketing and security teams, allowing Security to do the gatekeeping without restricting the growth and innovation ambitions of Marketing. Read the full case study to find out more.

Continuous Attack Surface Discovery & Penetration Testing

Continuously discover, prioritize, & mitigate exposures with evidence-backed ASM, Pentesting, and Red Teaming.

Cybersecurity Webinars

Secure your digital identity with these 5 must-have itdr features.

Facing identity threats? Discover how ITDR can save you from lateral movement and ransomware attacks.

Why Compromised Credentials Are the #1 Cyber Threat in 2024

From data breaches to identity theft, compromised credentials can cost you everything. Learn how to stop attackers in their tracks.

Democratization of Cyberattacks: How Billions of Unskilled Would-be Hackers Can Now Attack Your Organization

Survey Reveals Compliance Professionals Seek Quality, Efficiency, Trust & Partnership

Securing SaaS Apps in the Era of Generative AI

Patching vs. Isolating Vulnerabilities

Get the latest news, expert insights, exclusive resources, and strategies from industry leaders – all for free.

We've detected unusual activity from your computer network

To continue, please click the box below to let us know you're not a robot.

Why did this happen?

Please make sure your browser supports JavaScript and cookies and that you are not blocking them from loading. For more information you can review our Terms of Service and Cookie Policy .

For inquiries related to this message please contact our support team and provide the reference ID below.

PortSwigger, the company behind the Burp Suite of security testing tools, swallows $112M

Sometimes the most successful startup ideas come from people building tools to solve their own needs. Such was the case with Dafydd Stuttard, a security expert who goes by Daf. 

Nearly two decades ago, living in the small market town of Knutsford in Cheshire in the northwest of England, Daf was working as a security consultant for different clients. 

On the side, he built apps that he could use himself to speed up some of the more routine parts of his work. He would give each tool a random name, use it for a while and move on; sometimes he would tell others in his community about the tools in case they were useful. (Daf already had a reputation as an ethical hacker and author in the security community so there was a ready audience for that.)

One day, tooling that he built to assist with penetration testing – named Burp for no specific reason at all – was one of his creations that he shared with others. It caught on, fast, and Daf decided to see how much further he could take it. 

Fast forward to today, you can see the fruits of Daf’s instincts on the value of the tool. 

Burp is now Burp Suite , which is the centerpiece of a startup called – playing on the drinking theme – PortSwigger . It has more than 20,000 organizations as customers across 170 countries, with 80,000 individuals and “well over” 1,000 enterprises and organizations using its paid enterprise edition . (The enterprises include  Microsoft, Amazon, FedEx, Salesforce and more.) Another operation under the PortSwigger umbrella, an educational platform called Web Security Academy , has more than 1 million users. And yes, there are now dozens more employees besides Daf.

PortSwigger, at 17 years old, has been bootstrapped and profitable from the start. Now, for the first time, Daf has decided to take on a substantial outside investment of $112 million to take the company to the next level. Brighton Park Capital from the U.S. is the sole investor. 

“We need more expertise to achieve our ambition,” Daf said in an interview. “The market is getting bigger and more complicated and our customers’ needs are getting bigger.”

“But capital wasn’t the biggest driver since we are cash-flow positive, and we had our pick of firms to work with,” he continued. That inbound interest came not just from investors but potential acquirers. 

The company owes some of its success to Daf’s own reputation and modest accessibility.

(“Got an email from Daffyd Stuttard @portswigger today in response to a question about burp extender,” someone noted once on Twitter , now known as X. “Kinda feel like god just sent me an eml.”

But its rise also comes at the same time that cybersecurity has taken on a much bigger profile.

There are a number of point solutions provided by vendors across a vast, complex and rapidly evolving security landscape – a landscape that has been formed out of the fact that security breaches and vulnerabilities are rising at record rates and causing more damage than ever  before, not least because of the injection of AI into the equation – and that has led to the creation of yet more applications and approaches to tackle that. 

But one constant in that mix has been the role of individuals with deep area expertise: ethical hackers and human testers continue to play a major role in how problems get identified and fixed. 

But these individuals need assistance and tooling, and that is where a company like PortSwigger comes in. 

There are others like HackerOne and Bugcrowd that have aimed to productise the role of individual white hat hackers in security operations. Daf notes that these are not competitors to PortSwigger: they partner and his startup provides tooling to those platforms and others like them, which in turn get used by their users. 

Longer term, it will be interesting to see what impact newer technologies and architectures will have on the role of individuals in tackling and solving security problems. 

Although you might assume that a newer innovation like AI might present a threat in that regard, that is not the case, at least for now. Daf notes that there are a number of repetitive actions that penetration testers might perform that can be improved with automation. 

Its sole investor agrees.

“We believe that despite automation, pen testers are still going to be required,” Tim Drager, a partner at Brighton Park, said in an interview. “Experts really understand. The attack surface has grown massively, and APIs have become prime targets, but when you couple that with the shortage of cyber professionals who have deep domain expertise… that’s why you need tools to help those who know what to do be more efficient. We see this as a prime area for growth. PortSwigger gives them super powers.”

More TechCrunch

Get the industry’s biggest tech news, techcrunch daily news.

Every weekday and Sunday, you can get the best of TechCrunch’s coverage.

Startups Weekly

Startups are the core of TechCrunch, so get our best coverage delivered weekly.

TechCrunch Fintech

The latest Fintech news and analysis, delivered every Tuesday.

TechCrunch Mobility

TechCrunch Mobility is your destination for transportation news and insight.

Startups scramble to assess fallout from Evolve Bank data breach

Fintech-friendly Evolve Bank disclosed a data breach, saying it may have impacted customers and partners.

Meta starts testing user-created AI chatbots on Instagram

Mark Zuckerberg said today that in an early test in the U.S., Meta is surfacing AI characters made by creators through Meta AI studio on Instagram. In a post on…

Rondo Energy funding shows a new way across the climate startup ‘valley of death’

Climate tech startups especially those building hardware, face a particular challenge when trying to move beyond the prototype or pilot phase and start selling finished products to customers.

Amazon consolidates Amazon Clinic into the One Medical brand

Amazon is folding its Amazon Clinic telehealth service into its primary care business One Medical, the company announced on Thursday.  The company explained in today’s blog post that, to simplify…

Just in time for the debates, Meta fixes bug impacting users’ political content settings on Instagram and Threads

Meta has fixed the bug that caused people to believe the company had adjusted their selections in a political content settings tool without their consent. The issue had impacted users…

YouTube Premium upgrade adds smart downloads and picture-in-picture mode for Shorts

YouTube is adding several new features for Premium users, including smart downloads and support for picture-in-picture mode for Shorts, as well as a wider rollout of its “Jump Ahead” feature…

TechCrunch Disrupt joins forces with Google Cloud for Startup Battlefield 200

TechCrunch is joining forces with Google Cloud as its lead partner for Startup Battlefield 200. This event will highlight and support the most promising startups from around the globe at…

Character.AI now allows users to talk with AI avatars over calls

a16z-backed Character.AI said today that it is now allowing users to talk to AI characters over calls. The feature currently supports multiple languages, including English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, Korean, Japanese…

TikTok to challenge Amazon Prime Day with its own sales event in July

TikTok is gearing up to challenge Amazon’s Prime Day event in July. The social network announced on Thursday that TikTok Shop is holding a “Deals For You Days” sales event…

Reliance Jio kicks off Indian telecom price hike

Reliance Jio, India’s largest telecoms operator, has initiated what analysts expect to be an industrywide increase in tariffs in the world’s second largest wireless market, raising some of its plans…

SoftBank forms AI healthcare JV in Japan with Tempus

SoftBank Group founder Masayoshi Son announced on Thursday that the Japanese tech giant has set up a joint venture in the country with Chicago-based health tech company Tempus. Together, the…

As Spain gets its latest VC fund, Southern Europe appears to be on a roll

While startup valuations have plummeted since the bull run of 2021-2022, a factor that’s hit the European startup ecosystem particularly hard, there’s one region of Europe where the correction has…

Illumex is using GenAI to ease pain of getting good data into LLMs

By now we know how crucial it is to have quality data for use by large language models (LLMs), but getting data ready for the models has been an early…

Directo turns a TikTok travel hack into a deal-finding Chrome extension

A travel hack that went viral on TikTok teaches users how to save money on hotels and Airbnbs by booking directly with the properties themselves. Now, a new startup, Directo,…

Axelera lands new funds as the AI chip market heats up

Axelera designs AI-running chips and systems for applications like security, retail, automotive and robotics.

ChatGPT: Everything you need to know about the AI-powered chatbot

ChatGPT, OpenAI’s text-generating AI chatbot, has taken the world by storm since its launch in November 2022. What started as a tool to hyper-charge productivity through writing essays and code…

Orby is building AI agents for the enterprise

Orby AI, is building a generative AI platform that attempts to automate a range of different business workflows, including workflows that involve data entry, documents processing and forms validation.

Sometimes the most successful startup ideas come from people building tools to solve their own needs. Such was the case with Dafydd Stuttard, a security expert who goes by Daf. …

Amazon hit with fresh class action-style suit in UK — $3.4BN in competition damages sought for 200,000+ sellers

Amazon is facing another competition lawsuit in the UK. The latest claim, which was filed Thursday, is seeking more than £2.7BN in damages — or around $3.4BN at current exchange…

Odaseva raises $54M to secure Salesforce users

Securing cloud services remains a challenge for enterprises. That’s why several companies have been working on security solutions that specifically address that need. In the latest example of that, Odaseva…

Austin-based Ironspring Ventures raised $100M to invest in the industrial revolution

When Ironspring Ventures launched in 2020 to back startups in industrial sectors like construction and manufacturing, it was one of very few early-stage venture firms paying attention to those capital-intensive…

Bluesky lets you curate accounts and feeds to follow with its Starter Pack feature

Social network Bluesky has added a new feature for users to create a curated list of people and custom feeds to follow. This feature, called “Starter Pack,” is intended to…

Dust grabs another $16 million for its enterprise AI assistants connected to internal data

French startup Dust has raised a $16 million Series A funding round led by Sequoia Capital. With Dust, companies can create custom AI assistants and share them with their employees…

Google Translate adds support for 110 languages, representing 614 million speakers

Google said today that it is adding support for 110 languages to its translation service. The company has used its PaLM 2 AI model to power translations. 

Synthflow picks up $7.4M for no code voice assistance for SMEs

What is AI good for? Automating repetitive tasks for the very busy people running small businesses, reckons Berlin-based startup Synthflow, which is announcing a $7.4 million seed round for its…

SpaceX scores $843M NASA contract to de-orbit ISS in 2030

NASA has selected SpaceX to develop a spacecraft that will de-orbit the International Space Station in 2030 — a contract valued at as much as $843 million, the agency announced…

US charges Russian civilian for allegedly helping GRU spies target Ukrainian government systems with data-destroying malware

U.S. prosecutors say the WhisperGate cyberattack was designed to “sow concern” among Ukrainian civil society ahead of Russia’s invasion.

Sonia’s AI chatbot steps in for therapists

Can chatbots replace human therapists? Some startups — and patients — claim that they can. But it’s not exactly settled science. One study found that 80% of people who’ve used…

Dream Chaser spaceplane is off the manifest for ULA’s second Vulcan launch

Sierra Space said that despite the slip, its first Dream Chaser spaceplane is still on track for its maiden mission before the end of the year.

Google improves search experience in the Chrome mobile app

Facing new competition from startups like Arc, Google announced on Wednesday that it’s bringing five new features to the Chrome browser on mobile devices, each designed to enhance the search…