Cyber Security Interview Questions for Freshers

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 
• Integrity 
• 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:

1. Division Method.
2. Mid Square Method.
3. Folding Method.
4. 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.

Cybersecurity is the act of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks that can compromise the confidentiality, integrity, and availability of data. These cyber-attacks can take various forms, such as malware, phishing, ransomware, denial-of-service, or advanced persistent threats. They typically aim to access, alter or destroy sensitive information, extort money from users, or disrupt normal business processes. 

In this article, We covered the top 60 most asked cyber security interview questions with answers that cover everything from basic of 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 cyber security 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