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:

1. The client sends a SYN packet to the server.
2. The server sends a SYN-ACK packet to the client.
3. 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

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