Top Interview Questions for Cybersecurity Analysts

Cybersecurity analysts act as the guardians of an organization’s digital assets, safeguarding them from a myriad of threats. Their primary responsibility is to monitor networks, systems, and applications for signs of unauthorized access or malicious activity. By proactively identifying and responding to potential threats, cybersecurity analysts help protect sensitive data, maintain operational continuity, and mitigate financial losses.

The demand for skilled cybersecurity analysts is at an all-time high, driven by the increasing sophistication of cyberattacks and the growing reliance on digital technologies. As organizations become more interconnected and data-driven, the need for robust cybersecurity measures becomes paramount. Cybersecurity analysts play a pivotal role in ensuring the security and resilience of businesses in today’s digital age.

So, if you are an aspiring cybersecurity professional or someone actively looking for cybersecurity analyst positions, then here are some frequently asked questions during technical interviews. These questions and their responses will help you prepare better.

1. What is a brute force attack and how can you prevent it?
   Brute force attacks are a common technique employed by cybercriminals to decipher encrypted data, such as passwords, through a systematic trial-and-error approach. These attacks often involve automated scripts that attempt various combinations of credentials until a successful login is achieved. To mitigate the risk of these attacks, organizations must implement robust security measures, like mandating complex and lengthy passwords, discouraging the use of default passwords, and implementing two-factor authentication systems. Additionally, setting limits on unsuccessful login attempts can help deter these attacks and prevent unauthorized access.
2. What is the difference between white hat and black hat hackers?
   Black hat hackers are driven by malicious intent. They employ unauthorized techniques to gain access to computer systems or operating systems. These individuals often utilize brute force attacks and other methods to compromise security and exploit vulnerabilities for personal gain or malicious purposes. In contrast, white hat hackers, also known as ethical hackers, utilize similar techniques with fundamentally different objectives. They employ their skills to identify and exploit vulnerabilities within systems and networks, but solely to help organizations strengthen their security posture. By uncovering weaknesses, white hat hackers enable organizations to address vulnerabilities proactively, safeguarding sensitive data and preventing unauthorized access.
3. What does OSI stand for and what are the different layers of OSI?
   OSI stands for Open Systems Interconnection. It is a framework that explains how a network system functions. It also elaborates on coordinating the standards for different systems to connect. There are seven different layers of OSI:
   • Physical layer
   • Data link layer
   • Network layer
   • Transport layer
   • Session layer
   • Presentation layer
   • Application layer
4. How would you secure a server?
   Note: This is one of the most asked questions for all cybersecurity roles. You can elaborate on the answer below, but ensure it covers these important points.

   To secure a server, the first step would be to secure the passwords for administrative and root users. Then, we remove the remote accesses from the default admin and root accounts. After that, we set up a firewall to monitor network traffic. This would safeguard the system from being attacked by malware, viruses, etc.

5. How do you stay updated about the cybersecurity news and trends?
   Note: This is also one of the most asked questions for all cybersecurity roles.

   You can word it in your way, but some good ways to stay updated with cybersecurity news and trends would be:

   • Checking vulnerability alert feeds and advisory websites
   • Reading cybersecurity blogs and news sites (you can name a few that you follow)
   • Following top cybersecurity social media accounts (name a few you follow)
   • If you attend conferences, workshops, or live events, mention that here
6. How do you prevent a phishing attack?
   While phishing attacks continue to evolve in sophistication, taking proactive steps is important. One crucial step is to educate employees about the common tactics used by phishers, enabling them to recognize and report suspicious emails. All software and applications should be equipped with the latest security patches. Limiting employees’ ability to install unauthorized software on their devices further strengthens the organization’s security posture. Implementing email filters and blocks to deny access to suspicious email addresses can also serve as a valuable line of defense. Implementing two-factor authentication and deploying a proxy server can provide additional layers of protection.
7. What are some challenges you foresee in cybersecurity?
   The widespread adoption of cloud storage has introduced new vulnerabilities into network environments. The proliferation of mobile devices, fueled by remote work trends, necessitates organizations to establish robust security measures for these devices. Third-party exposure poses another significant threat to network security. These are the top three challenges in the foreseeable future.
8. How is encryption different from hashing?
   Both encryption and hashing are employed to convert readable data into an unreadable format, safeguarding sensitive information. Encryption is a reversible process that transforms plaintext into ciphertext using a cryptographic algorithm and a secret key. This encrypted data can be restored to its original form using the corresponding decryption key. Encryption is primarily used to protect data in transit or at rest, ensuring confidentiality and preventing unauthorized access. Hashing, on the other hand, is a one-way process that converts data into a fixed-length hash value. This hash value is irreversible, meaning it cannot be converted back into the original data. Hashing is primarily used to verify data integrity and detect modifications. It is commonly employed for password storage, ensuring that even if a database containing hashed passwords is compromised, the original passwords remain protected.
9. What is a Firewall and why do we use it?
   A firewall serves as a network security system positioned at the boundaries of a network, tasked with monitoring and controlling incoming and outgoing network traffic. By acting as a gatekeeper, firewalls play a crucial role in safeguarding networks from various threats, including viruses, worms, malware, and unauthorized access. Firewalls can be configured to restrict access to specific networks or systems, preventing unauthorized remote access. Additionally, they can be utilized for content filtering, blocking, or allowing specific types of traffic based on predefined criteria. This helps organizations enforce security policies and protect sensitive information.
10. What are the response codes that can be received from web applications?
    The codes received from web applications and their general meanings are:
    1xx – Informational responses
    2xx – Success
    3xx – Redirection
    4xx – Client-side error
    5xx – Server-side error

These are some of the most frequently asked questions in technical interviews for cybersecurity analyst positions. To further strengthen your position, consider getting CISSP certified.

Get CISSP certification with Cognixia.

Once you have employees with the CISSP certification, they will demonstrate their skills to benefit your business with –

• Complete understanding of how to secure or protect confidential business data from hackers.
• Analyze risks and be aware of the common hacker strategies that can affect your business. They can determine the weak points of the organizations and work on them.
• Aptitude in improving not only the customer but also employee privacy ensuring all the information stays with the business only.

Get (ISC)2 CISSP Training & Certification and increase your business visibility as well as credibility in the cybersecurity market. Cognixia is the world’s leading digital talent transformation company that offers a wide range of courses, including CISSP training online with a comprehensive CISSP study guide.

Here’s what you will cover in this course –

• Learn and apply the concepts of security & risk management
• Gain an understanding of security engineering to protect information by exploring and examining security models and frameworks
• Learn how to identify, categorize, & prioritize assets
• Examination and security network architecture and its components
• Learn how to identify & control access to protect assets
• Designing and conducting security assessment strategies, logging, & monitoring activities
• Developing a recovery strategy and maintaining operational resilience
• Learn how to secure the software development cycle

Prerequisites

• Candidates for the CISSP certification should have at least 5 years of total paid work experience in two or more of the 8 CISSP CBK domains. Any extra certificate from the (ISC)2 authorized list, a four-year college degree, or a regional equivalent would qualify as one year of the necessary experience.
• If a candidate doesn’t have enough experience to qualify as a CISSP, they can still become an Associate of (ISC)2 by completing the CISSP test. After that, they will have 6 years to acquire the 5 years of necessary experience.