Top 50 Cyber Security Interview Questions

The cyber security space is in a conundrum—the demand for these professionals is high as organizations of all sizes need to protect their sensitive data from cyber threats.

This high demand means there's a shortage of qualified candidates to fill the available roles. Add to the mix "The Great Resignation," and we've got a real problem on our hands.

With constant turnover and organizations competing for the same pool of cyber security talent, the competition is intense. This makes it difficult for smaller organizations with limited budgets to attract and retain top talent.

Plus, the cyber security landscape is constantly evolving, with new types of attacks and techniques emerging all the time. This means that cyber security professionals need to continually update their skills and knowledge to stay relevant and effective.

If recruiters wish to hire cyber security experts with specialized skills and knowledge in areas such as network security, cryptography, risk management, and more, they need to leverage the power of automation.

A skills assessment tool like iMocha can help hiring managers find job-fit candidates with the right combination of technical and soft skills based on accurate pre-employment tests using the world's largest Skills Test Library.

10 Entry-Level Cyber Security Interview Questions

10 Cyber Security Interview Questions for Experienced Professionals

Cyber Security Interview Questions: Job Role-Wise

Let's now look at a few cyber security interview questions with a job role-wise breakup:

A. SOC Analyst Interview Questions

Q21. Can you explain the difference between a security information and event management (SIEM) system and a security orchestration, automation, and response (SOAR) platform?

Q22. Can you walk me through your incident response process, including your role in triaging, investigating, containing, and resolving incidents?

Q23. How do you handle false positives and false negatives in your security monitoring?

Q24. Can you describe your experience with threat hunting and proactive security monitoring?

Q25. How do you prioritize security alerts and incidents based on severity and impact?

B. Information Security Interview Questions

Q26. Can you explain the difference between confidentiality, integrity, and availability (CIA) in information security?

Q27. Can you walk me through your experience with developing and implementing security policies and procedures?

Q28. How do you approach security risk assessments and threat modeling?

Q29. Can you describe your experience with security incident response and investigation?

Q30. How do you stay up-to-date with industry standards and best practices in information security?

C. Cyber Security Analyst Interview Questions

Q31. Can you explain your experience with using network and endpoint detection and response (NDR/EDR) tools to detect and respond to security incidents?

Q32. Can you walk me through your experience analyzing malware and conducting forensic investigations?

Q33. How do you handle security incidents that involve third-party vendors or contractors?

Q34. Can you describe your experience with threat intelligence and using it to inform your security monitoring and incident response?

Q35. How do you ensure the confidentiality and integrity of data while conducting security investigations?

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D. Network Security Engineer Interview Questions

Q36. Can you explain your experience with implementing firewalls, intrusion prevention systems (IPS), and other network security technologies?

Q37. Can you walk me through your experience designing and implementing secure network architectures?

Q38. How do you handle security incidents that involve network infrastructure?

Q39. Can you describe your experience with network segmentation and access controls?

Q40. How do you stay up-to-date with industry standards and best practices in network security?

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E. Threat Intelligence Interview Questions

Q41. Can you explain your experience collecting, analyzing, and disseminating threat intelligence?

Q42. Can you walk me through your experience using threat intelligence to inform security monitoring and incident response?

Q43. How do you handle sensitive or classified threat intelligence?

Q44. Can you describe your experience with open-source intelligence (OSINT) and how you use it in your work?

Q45. How do you stay up-to-date with the latest threat intelligence sources and techniques?

F. Cyber Security Architect Interview Questions

Q46. Can you explain your experience designing and implementing secure network and system architectures?

Q47. Can you walk me through your experience with conducting security risk assessments and threat modeling?

Q48. How do you handle security incidents that involve complex or distributed architectures?

Q49. Can you describe your experience with cloud security and designing secure cloud architectures?

Q50. How do you stay up-to-date with industry standards and best practices in cyber security architecture?

Tips for Interviewing Cyber Security Professionals

• Determine the right skillset: Before starting the interview, it's essential to determine the type of cyber security professional to hire. Recruiters need to know what skills, experience, and qualifications the candidate should have to perform the job effectively.
• Ask technical questions: Ask the candidate technical questions that will help determine their level of expertise. Ask about their understanding of specific technologies, experience with various security tools and technologies, and knowledge of industry standards and best practices.
• Evaluate communication skills: Cyber security professionals must be able to communicate technical information effectively with non-technical stakeholders. During the interview, assess their ability to explain technical concepts in a clear and concise manner.
• Look for problem-solving skills: Cyber security professionals must be able to analyze complex systems, identify vulnerabilities, and develop solutions. Ask about their experience with problem-solving and how they approach complex security challenges.
• Ask about their experience: Ask candidates about their previous work experience, including the types of security issues they have encountered and how they addressed them. This will help understand their level of experience and the types of problems they are familiar with solving.
• Evaluate their adaptability: Cyber security is an ever-evolving field, and professionals must be able to adapt to new threats and technologies. Ask about the candidate's willingness to learn and how they stay up-to-date on the latest trends and best practices.
• Consider personality fit: Cyber security professionals must be able to work well with others, both within the IT department and with stakeholders throughout the organization. Consider the candidate's personality fit with your team and culture.
• Look for certifications: Look for candidates with industry certifications, such as CISSP, CISM, or CEH. These certifications demonstrate the candidate's knowledge and expertise in cyber security.
• Check references: Before making a final decision, check the candidate's references to verify their experience and skills. Contact their previous employers and colleagues to learn more about their work style, communication skills, and overall performance.
• Conduct a technical assessment: Consider conducting a technical assessment to evaluate the candidate's skills and knowledge in a real-world scenario. This will help determine if the candidate is the right fit for the role and if they have the technical expertise required for the job.

iMocha's Cyber Security Test can help evaluate the candidates’ knowledge of Data Destruction, WPA2 Authentication, and more.

Conclusion

iMocha is an online assessment platform that can help recruiters in getting only top candidates before inviting them for an interview.

The tool offers AI-powered features such as Coding Simulator, AI-LogicBox, Live Coding Interview, and more to assess specific skills required for the job.

This also means that by using iMocha's skill-based assessments, recruiters can quickly filter out candidates who do not meet the job requirements.

Book a consult with the team to learn how iMocha's tool can assist hiring managers in recruiting high-quality, skilled cyber security experts.

FAQs

What are the best ways to hire a cyber security expert?

Here are some of the best ways to hire a cyber security expert:

• Define the role needed and understand the skills, experience, and qualifications required for the job.
• Look for relevant certifications in cyber security, such as CISSP, CISM, and CompTIA Security+.
• Conduct a technical assessment to evaluate the candidate's technical skills and knowledge. This can include asking them to solve a problem or answer technical questions related to cyber security.
• Check references to verify their experience and skills.
• Look for soft skills such as strong communication, collaboration, and leadership skills.
  

Leverage imocha's blog on how to hire cyber security experts to make informed decisions and ensure the right fit for your organization.

What are some common cyber security roles?

Some common cyber security roles include security analyst, security engineer, security architect, Chief Information Security Officer (CISO), penetration tester, and cyber security consultant.

What are the top 3 skills for cyber security experts?

The top 3 skills for cyber security experts are:

• Technical expertise: Cyber security experts need to have strong technical knowledge of systems, networks, and security tools.
• Analytical thinking: They need to be able to analyze complex security threats and vulnerabilities to identify and mitigate risks.
• Communication skills: Cyber security experts need to communicate complex technical concepts to a variety of stakeholders, including business leaders and IT staff. They also need to be able to explain security risks and solutions in a way that is easily understood by non-technical audiences.