1. Basic Cybersecurity Concepts

Q1: What is Cybersecurity? Why is it important?
A: Cybersecurity refers to the practice of protecting systems, networks, and programs from digital attacks. It is crucial to safeguard sensitive data, ensure privacy, and maintain trust in digital systems.

Tip: Highlight real-world examples like the impact of ransomware on healthcare or breaches in financial systems.

Q2: Explain the CIA Triad in cybersecurity.
A: The CIA Triad represents three core principles:

  • Confidentiality: Ensures data is accessed only by authorized individuals.
  • Integrity: Maintains the accuracy and trustworthiness of data.
  • Availability: Ensures information and resources are accessible when needed.

Q3: What is the difference between a vulnerability, threat, and risk?
A:

  • Vulnerability: A weakness in a system or network.
  • Threat: A potential event that exploits a vulnerability.
  • Risk: The likelihood and impact of a threat exploiting a vulnerability.

2. Technical and Practical Knowledge

Q4: How does a firewall work?
A: A firewall acts as a barrier between a trusted network and untrusted networks, controlling incoming and outgoing traffic based on pre-defined security rules. It can be software- or hardware-based.

Q5: What are the types of encryption?
A:

  • Symmetric Encryption: Uses the same key for encryption and decryption (e.g., AES).
  • Asymmetric Encryption: Uses a public and private key pair (e.g., RSA).

Q6: What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)? Why is it important?
A: MFA requires multiple forms of verification (e.g., password + OTP) to enhance security. It protects accounts even if one authentication factor is compromised.

Q7: Explain how SQL Injection works.
A: SQL Injection occurs when malicious SQL statements are inserted into input fields, exploiting vulnerabilities in an application’s database query. This can lead to data breaches or unauthorized access.

3. Scenario-Based Questions

Q8: You detect unusual activity on a network. What steps would you take?
A:

  1. Identify the anomaly and assess its scope.
  2. Isolate affected systems to contain potential damage.
  3. Analyze logs for further investigation.
  4. Mitigate the issue and apply patches if necessary.
  5. Document the incident and implement preventive measures.

Q9: A user reports a phishing email. What is your response?
A:

  1. Educate the user not to click on links or download attachments.
  2. Analyze the email header for verification.
  3. Report the phishing attempt to the email provider or CERT.
  4. Update email filtering rules to block similar attempts.

4. Advanced Cybersecurity Topics

Q10: What are zero-day vulnerabilities?
A: Zero-day vulnerabilities are flaws in software or hardware that are unknown to the vendor. Attackers exploit these vulnerabilities before they are patched.

Q11: Explain the concept of penetration testing.
A: Penetration testing simulates cyberattacks to identify and address vulnerabilities. It involves reconnaissance, exploitation, and reporting stages to improve security.

Q12: What is the role of a Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system?
A: SIEM aggregates and analyzes security data from multiple sources to detect, alert, and respond to potential threats in real time.

Q13: How do you secure cloud environments?
A:

  • Implement strong IAM policies.
  • Use encryption for data at rest and in transit.
  • Regularly audit and monitor configurations.
  • Enable threat detection services like AWS GuardDuty.

5. Behavioral and Soft Skills Questions

Q14: How do you stay updated with the latest cybersecurity trends?
A: Mention activities like attending conferences, completing certifications (e.g., CEH, CISSP), and following cybersecurity blogs or communities.

Q15: Describe a challenging cybersecurity project you worked on.
A: Provide a structured answer using the STAR method:

  • Situation: Outline the context.
  • Task: Describe your role.
  • Action: Explain the steps you took.
  • Result: Highlight the outcome.

6. Security Frameworks and Compliance

Q16: What is the difference between NIST and ISO 27001?
A:

  • NIST (National Institute of Standards and Technology): A U.S. framework providing voluntary guidelines like the NIST Cybersecurity Framework for identifying, protecting, and recovering from cyber threats.
  • ISO 27001: An international standard focused on establishing, implementing, maintaining, and continually improving an Information Security Management System (ISMS).

Q17: What are SOC and SIEM, and how do they relate?
A:

  • SOC (Security Operations Center): A team that monitors and defends an organization’s IT infrastructure.
  • SIEM (Security Information and Event Management): A tool used by the SOC to collect and analyze logs for threat detection and response.
    Relation: SOC uses SIEM as its backbone for real-time monitoring and forensic analysis.

Q18: What is GDPR, and how does it impact cybersecurity?
A:
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) governs data privacy for EU citizens. It requires organizations to ensure data protection, report breaches within 72 hours, and uphold individuals’ rights over their personal data. Non-compliance can lead to heavy fines.

7. Threat Intelligence and Incident Response

Q19: What is Threat Hunting, and how is it different from Threat Intelligence?
A:

  • Threat Hunting: Proactively searching for undetected cyber threats in a network.
  • Threat Intelligence: Collecting and analyzing data about threats to anticipate and prevent attacks.

Q20: How do you prioritize incidents during a cyberattack?
A:

  1. Assess Impact: Determine the criticality of affected systems.
  2. Containment: Isolate the incident to prevent lateral spread.
  3. Assign Resources: Allocate the response team based on priority.
  4. Root Cause Analysis: Identify vulnerabilities to fix and prevent recurrence.

Q21: What are the phases of the Incident Response Lifecycle?
A: The NIST Incident Response Lifecycle includes:

  1. Preparation: Develop response plans and tools.
  2. Detection and Analysis: Identify and investigate incidents.
  3. Containment, Eradication, and Recovery: Stop, clean, and restore affected systems.
  4. Post-Incident Activity: Conduct a retrospective to improve.

Q22: What is a DDoS attack, and how do you mitigate it?
A: A Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack floods a target system with excessive traffic to disrupt services.
Mitigation:

  • Use traffic filtering and rate-limiting.
  • Deploy Content Delivery Networks (CDNs).
  • Implement anti-DDoS tools like Cloudflare or AWS Shield.

8. Networking and Cybersecurity

Q23: What is the difference between IDS and IPS?
A:

  • IDS (Intrusion Detection System): Monitors and alerts on suspicious activities but does not block them.
  • IPS (Intrusion Prevention System): Detects and blocks suspicious activities in real-time.

Q24: Explain the concept of a VPN. How does it enhance security?
A: A VPN (Virtual Private Network) creates a secure, encrypted connection over the internet, ensuring data privacy and protecting against eavesdropping and MITM (Man-in-the-Middle) attacks.

Q25: What is DNS Spoofing, and how can it be prevented?
A: DNS Spoofing (or DNS Cache Poisoning) manipulates DNS records to redirect traffic to malicious sites.
Prevention:

  • Use DNSSEC (DNS Security Extensions).
  • Configure DNS servers to validate responses.
  • Regularly update DNS server software.

9. Malware and Security Tools

Q26: What are the different types of malware?
A:

  1. Virus: Infects files and spreads when executed.
  2. Worm: Self-replicates and spreads without user interaction.
  3. Trojan: Disguises itself as legitimate software.
  4. Ransomware: Encrypts data and demands payment for decryption.
  5. Spyware: Monitors user activities and steals information.

Q27: What is the role of EDR in cybersecurity?
A:
EDR (Endpoint Detection and Response) monitors endpoints for malicious activities, providing tools for detection, analysis, and response. It focuses on behavior analysis to detect advanced threats.

Q28: How does Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) work?
A: PKI uses public and private key pairs for secure communication. It involves:

  1. Certificate Authorities (CAs) issuing digital certificates.
  2. Encryption/Decryption for secure data exchange.
  3. Authentication to verify identities.

Q29: What is sandboxing in cybersecurity?
A: Sandboxing isolates suspicious files or programs in a controlled environment to observe their behavior without affecting the host system.

10. Emerging Trends in 2025

Q30: How do you secure IoT devices?
A:

  • Use strong, unique passwords.
  • Regularly update firmware.
  • Isolate IoT devices on separate networks.
  • Enable device-level encryption.

Q31: What is Zero Trust Architecture?
A: Zero Trust enforces strict identity verification for every access request, regardless of whether the user is inside or outside the network. It operates on the principle of “never trust, always verify.”

Q32: How does Artificial Intelligence enhance cybersecurity?
A: AI automates threat detection, enhances incident response with predictive analytics, and detects anomalies using machine learning.

Q33: What is the role of blockchain in cybersecurity?
A: Blockchain secures data through its decentralized structure, providing transparency and integrity. It’s used in secure identity management, fraud detection, and secure transaction systems.

Q34: How do you mitigate risks associated with quantum computing in cybersecurity?
A: Transition to quantum-resistant algorithms like lattice-based cryptography to protect against quantum threats.