Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

General Cyber security Interview Questions

1. What are the key differences between Symmetric and Asymmetric
encryption?

Basis of Comparison Symmetric Encryption Asymmetric Encryption

Same key for encryption &
Encryption key Different keys for encryption & decryption
decryption
Encryption is fast but more
Performance Encryption is slow due to high computation
vulnerable
Algorithms DES, 3DES, AES and RC4 Diffie-Hellman, RSA
Used for bulk data Often used for securely exchanging secret
Purpose
transmission keys

2. What do you mean by Cyber security?

Cyber security is the combination of best processes and practices to ensure the security
of networks, computers, programs, data and information from attack, damage or
unauthorized access.

3. What is the least that you should have on your home network?

A home network is a testing environment for experimentation. You can have an Active
Directory Domain Controller, a dedicated firewall appliance, and net-attached toaster.
This is the least that you can have on your computer.

4. What is Encryption? Why is it important?

Encryption is a process of converting data into an unreadable form to prevent

unauthorized access and thus ensuring data protection.

Encryption is important because it is the most effective way to ensure data

security. Businesses, corporates, and governments use it to guard against identity theft.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

5. What is a CIA triad?

CIA provides a standard for evaluating and implementing information security –

irrespective of the system and/or organization in

question.

Confidentiality: Data is accessible only to its concerned audience

Integrity: Ensuring that data is kept intact without meddling in the middle
Availability: Data and computers are available to authorized parties, as needed

6. 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

7. How do you report a risk?

Risk needs to be assessed before it can actually be reported. There are two ways to
analyze risk: it can either be qualitative or quantitative. This approach goes well for both
technical and business people. The business guys would check for the probable loss in
numbers while the technical people will monitor and assess the impact and frequency.
Depending on the audience, the risk can be reported.

8. How do you differentiate between IPS and IDS system?

IDS: Intrusion Detection System

IPS: Intrusion Prevention System

IDS just detect the intrusion and leaves the rest to the administrator for assessment and
evaluation. Whereas, IPS detects the intrusion and takes necessary action to further
prevent intrusion.

Also, there is a difference in the positioning of these devices in the network. Although they
work on the same concept, the placement is different.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

9. What do you know about Cybersecurity Frameworks?

Frameworks are voluntary guidance, based on existing guidelines and practices for
organizations to better manage and reduce cybersecurity risk.

10. What is weak information security?

Information security policy is considered to be weak if it does not meet the criteria of an
effective one. The criteria include distribution, review, comprehension, compliance, and
uniform.

Information security is weak if:

 The policy has not been made readily available for review by every employee
within the organization
 The organization is unable to demonstrate that employees can review the policy
document
 The organization is unable to demonstrate that employees understand the content
of the policy document

11. What are the steps to set up a firewall?

Following are the steps to set up a firewall

1. Username/password: modify the default password for a firewall device

2. Remote administration: Disable the feature of the remote administration
3. Port forwarding: Configure appropriate port forwarding for certain applications to
work properly, such as web server or FTP server
4. DHCP server: Installing a firewall on a network with an existing DHCP server will
cause conflict unless the firewall’s DHCP is disabled
5. Logging: To troubleshoot firewall issues or potential attacks, ensure that logging is
enabled and understand how to view logs
6. Policies: You should have solid security policies in place and make sure that the
firewall is configured to enforce those policies.

12. Can you explain SSL encryption?

SSL (Secure Socket Layer) enables safe conversation between two or more parties. It is
designed to identify and verify the person you are talking to on the other end.

HTTP combined with SSL provides you with a safer browsing experience with encryption.
So, you can say it is a tricky question, but SSL wins in terms of security.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

13. 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.

14. 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.

15. How could identity theft be prevented?

Here’s what you can do to prevent identity theft:


o Ensure strong and unique password
o Avoid sharing confidential information online, especially on social media
o Shop from known and trusted websites
o Use the latest version of the browsers
o Install advanced malware and spyware tools
o Use specialized security solutions against financial data
o Always update your system and the software
o Protect your SSN (Social Security Number)
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

16. How can you prevent man in the middle (M.I.T.M) attack?

Now to answer that question, allow me to first tell you what is MITM attack?

A MITM attack happens when a communication between two parties (systems) is intruded
or intercepted by an outside entity. This can happen in any form of online communication
such as email, social media web surfing etc. Not only they are trying to eavesdrop on your
private conversations, then they can also target all the information inside your devices
and the outcome could be catastrophic.

Now here are some methods to prevent such attack,

 The first method to prevent this attack would be an encryption (preferably public
key encryption) between both the parties. This way, they both will have an idea
with whom they are talking because of the digital verification.
 The second method is to avoid open Wi-Fi networks and if it is necessary then use
plugins like HTTPS, Forced TLS etc.

17. Explain encoding, hashing, and encryption?

Encoding: Converts the data in the desired format required for exchange between
different systems.
Hashing: Maintains the integrity of a message or data. Any change done could be
noticed.
Encryption: Ensures that the data is secured and one needs a digital verification code or
image to open or access it.

18. 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

Step 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

Step 3: Remove remote access from the default root/administrator accounts

Step 4: The next step is to configure your firewall rules for remote access
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

19. What is a DDoS attack? How is it mitigated?

DDoS stands for distributed denial of service. So, when a network is flooded with a large
number of requests which is not recognized to handle, making the server unavailable to
the legitimate requests.

For mitigating a DDoS attack you need to identify normal conditions for network traffics
which is necessary for threat detection. DDoS mitigation also requires identifying
incoming traffic to separate human traffic from human-like bots and hijacked web
browsers.

20. Why do you need DNS monitoring?

The DNS allows your website under a certain domain that is easily recognizable and also
keeps the information about other domain names. It works like a directory for everything
on the internet. Thus, DNS monitoring is very important since you can easily visit a
website without actually having to memorize their IP address.

21. What is a three-way handshake?

The three-way handshake is used by TCP to set up a TCP/IP connection over an internet
protocol based network. It is also referred to as “SYN, SYN-ACK, ACK” because there
are three messages transmitted by TCP to negotiate and start a TCP session between
two computers.

22. 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.

White hat hackers use their powers for good deeds and so they are also called ethical
hackers. These are mostly hired by companies as a security specialist that attempts to
find and fix vulnerabilities and security holes in the systems.

Grey hat hackers are an amalgamation of a white hat and black hat hacker. They look
for system vulnerabilities without the owner’s permission.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

23. 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.

24. Can you explain what is application security?

Application security is the practice of improving the security of applications using

software, hardware, and other methods.

Countermeasures are taken to ensure application security, the most common being an
application firewall, that limits the execution of files or the handling of data by specific
installed programs.

25. Differentiate between Vulnerability Assessment & Penetration testing.

Vulnerability Assessment Penetration Testing

Focuses on the functionality of the software and

Focusses on uncovering as many security
not the security aspect. It checks if the network
weaknesses as possible (It takes breadth over
security defenses are strong (depth over breadth
depth approach)
approach)

Penetration testing is a combination of automated

Vulnerability assessment is usually automated
and manual techniques, which allows digging
which allows better vulnerability coverage
deeper into the weakness

26. When to use tracert/traceroute?

Traceroute shows you the path, a packet of information has gone through from your
computer. It lists out all the routers that the packet passes through until reaches its
destination, or fails to and is discarded. In addition to this, it will tell you how long each
‘hop’ from a router to router takes.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

27. Tell me some common cyber-attacks.

Following are some common cyber-attacks that could adversely affect your system.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

28. What are the different OSI layers? What is the job of Network layer?

Let me first tell you what is an 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.

Following are the OSI layers:

Here, focusing on the network layer: The Network layer controls the operation of the
subnet. The main job of this layer is to deliver packets from source to destination across
multiple links.

Q 29. 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.

The simplest way is to use the password ‘password’, this will work for the BIOS that has
come from the factory.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

Q 30. What is Cross Site Scripting?

Cross-Site Scripting (or XSS) refers to client-side code injection attack wherein an
attacker can execute malicious into a legitimate website or web application.

XSS is amongst the most rampant of web application vulnerabilities and occurs when a
web application makes use of unvalidated or unencoded user input within the output it
generates.

Q 31. What is data protection in transit vs data protection at rest?

Data Protection in transit Data protection at rest

When data just exists in its database or on its hard

When data is going from server to client
drive

Effective Data protection measures for in-transit data Data at rest is sometimes considered to be less
are critical as data is less secure when in motion vulnerable than data in transit

Q 32. Tell me the difference between Cybersecurity and Network Security?

Cybersecurity Network Security

Describes that the policies and procedures

Designed to protect networks, computers, programs
implemented by a network administrator to avoid and
and data from attack, damage or unauthorized
keep track of unauthorized access, exploitation,
access. In a computing context, security includes
modification, or denial of the network and network
both cybersecurity and physical security.
resources

Q 33. How will you prevent data leakage?

Data leakage is when data gets out of the organization in an unauthorized way.

Data can get leaked through various ways – emails, prints, laptops getting lost,
unauthorized upload of data to public portals, removable drives, photographs etc.

A few controls can be restricting upload on internet websites, following an internal

encryption solution, restricting the emails to the internal network, restriction on printing
confidential data etc.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

Q 34. 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.

Now let me tell you how it works.

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.

Q 35. What is 2FA and how can it be implemented for the 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.

Q 36. What technique can be used to prevent brute force login attack?

For Brute force login, the attacker tries to determine the password for a target
(service/system/device) through a permutation or fuzzing process

As it is a lengthy task, attackers usually employ a software such as fuzzer, to automate

the process of creating numerous passwords to be tested against a target.

In order to avoid such attacks – password best practices should be followed, mainly on
critical resources like servers, routers, exposed services and so on.
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

Q 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

Q 38. 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.

Q 39. What is the difference between VPN and VLAN?

VPN VLAN

Helps to group workstations that are not within the Related to remote access to the network of a
same locations into the same broadcast domain company

Means to logically segregate networks without Used to connect two points in a secured and
physically segregating them with various switches encrypted tunnel

Does not involve any encryption technique but it is

Saves the data from prying eyes while in transit and
only used to slice up your logical network into
no one on the net can capture the packets and read
different sections for the purpose of management
the data
and security
Rohit Kharat

Cyber Security Expert, Trainer and Consultant

Q 40. What protocols fall under TCP/IP internet layer?

TCP/IP TCP/IP Protocol Examples

Application NFS, NIS+, DNS, telnet, ftp, rlogin, rsh, rcp, RIP, RDISC, SNMP and others

Transport TCP, UDP

Internet IP, ARP, ICMP

Data Link PPP, IEEE 802.2

Physical Network Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) Token ring, RS-232, others