Interview Questions

1) What is a VPN?


A VPN is a Virtual Private Network that secures and encrypts internet connections, protecting data during transmission.

2) What is a zero-day exploit?


A zero-day exploit is an attack on a software vulnerability that is unknown to the vendor and not yet patched.

3) What is a phishing attack?


Phishing is a social engineering attack where attackers trick users into providing sensitive information via fake emails or websites.

4) What is a penetration test?


A penetration test simulates a cyberattack to identify vulnerabilities in a system or network.

5) What is a botnet?


A botnet is a network of infected devices controlled by cybercriminals to perform attacks like DDoS or malware distribution.

6) What is an IDS/IPS?


An IDS detects and alerts on suspicious activity, while an IPS detects and blocks attacks in real-time.

7) What is a security audit?


A security audit involves evaluating a system's security posture to identify vulnerabilities and ensure compliance with standards.

8) What is social engineering?


Social engineering manipulates individuals into divulging confidential information by exploiting human psychology.

9) What is the CIA triad?


The CIA triad stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability, the three core principles of cybersecurity.

10) What is the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption?


Symmetric encryption uses the same key for both encryption and decryption, while asymmetric encryption uses a public key for encryption and a private key for decryption.

11) What is cybersecurity?


Cybersecurity involves protecting systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, damage, or unauthorized access. It includes practices like encryption, firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and secure access management.

12) What are the types of cybersecurity threats?


Common threats include malware, phishing, ransomware, man-in-the-middle attacks, denial-of-service (DoS) attacks, and insider threats.

13) What is the difference between a virus and a worm?


A virus attaches itself to a program or file and spreads when the program or file is executed. A worm, on the other hand, is a self-replicating program that spreads independently over networks.

14) What is multi-factor authentication (MFA)?


Multi-factor authentication (MFA) is a security process that requires two or more forms of verification to access resources.

15) What is encryption and why is it important?


Encryption converts data into a secure format to prevent unauthorized access, ensuring confidentiality and integrity.

16) What is a firewall and how does it work?


A firewall monitors and controls network traffic based on predefined security rules to block unauthorized access.

17) What is a DDoS attack?


A DDoS attack floods a target network with traffic from multiple systems, causing service disruption or downtime.

18) What is a patch management process?


Patch management involves identifying, acquiring, and installing software updates to fix vulnerabilities.

19) What are common signs of a malware infection?


Common malware signs include system slowness, unusual behavior, pop-ups, and disabled antivirus software.

20) What is a sandbox in cybersecurity?


A sandbox is an isolated environment for safely testing potentially malicious software without affecting the system.

21) What is a hash function in cybersecurity?


A hash function converts data into a fixed-size value or digest that securely represents the original data.

22) What is the role of a CISO?


A CISO is responsible for overseeing an organization’s information security strategy and managing cybersecurity risks.

23) What is the difference between white-hat, black-hat, and gray-hat hackers?


White-hat hackers are ethical hackers, black-hat hackers exploit vulnerabilities for malicious purposes, and gray-hat hackers may operate without permission but don't have malicious intent.

24) What is risk management in cybersecurity?


Risk management in cybersecurity involves identifying, assessing, and mitigating risks to systems and data.

25) What is a security breach?


A security breach occurs when unauthorized access is gained to sensitive data, systems, or networks.

26) What is a secure socket layer (SSL)?


SSL is a protocol used to secure communications between a web server and a client (browser) by encrypting data transmitted over the network.

27) What is the difference between a public key and a private key in asymmetric encryption?


The public key encrypts data and can be shared, while the private key decrypts the data and must be kept secure.

28) What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?


Two-factor authentication (2FA) is an authentication method requiring two forms of verification: something you know (password) and something you have (security token or app).

29) What are the benefits of using cloud security?


Cloud security ensures the protection of data stored in the cloud, offering scalability, flexibility, enhanced monitoring, and reduced infrastructure costs.

30) What are the best practices for maintaining good cybersecurity hygiene?


Regularly updating software, using strong passwords, enabling MFA, conducting security training, and backing up data are best practices for maintaining cybersecurity hygiene.

31) Write a function to check whether a random number generator (RNG) is weak by producing predictable n


import random

def is_weak_rng():
    # Generate a random number using the default RNG
    number1 = random.randint(1, 100)
    number2 = random.randint(1, 100)
    
    if number1 == number2:
        return "Weak RNG: Generated numbers are not random."
    return "Strong RNG: Generated numbers are random."

# Test case
print(is_weak_rng())

Explanation:

  • This function checks if two randomly generated numbers from the default random module are the same, which would indicate a weakness in the RNG.
  • The random module is not suitable for cryptographic applications, as it can produce predictable results. Cryptographically secure random number generators (CSPRNGs) should be used for security-critical applications.