Q. What is Cryptography?
Ans:
Cryptography
is the practice and study of techniques for securing information and
communication mainly to protect the data from third parties that the data is
not intended for.
takes actions
to prevent the intrusion.
Q. Explain CIA triad.
Ans:
CIA stands for Confidentiality,
Integrity, and Availability. CIA is a model that is
designed to guide policies for Information Security. It is one of the most
popular models used by organizations.
Confidentiality
The information
should be accessible and readable only to authorized personnel. It should not
be accessible by unauthorized personnel. The information should be strongly
encrypted just in case someone uses hacking to access the data so that even if
the data is accessed, it is not readable or understandable.
Integrity
Making sure the
data has not been modified by an unauthorized entity. Integrity ensures that
data is not corrupted or modified by unauthorized personnel. If an authorized
individual/system is trying to modify the data and the modification wasn’t
successful, then the data should be reversed back and should not be corrupted.
Availability
The
data should be available to the user whenever the user requires it. Maintaining
of Hardware, upgrading regularly, Data Backups and Recovery, Network
Bottlenecks should be taken care of.
Q. What is the difference between Symmetric and
Asymmetric encryption?
Ans:
|
Basis of Comparison |
Symmetric Encryption |
Asymmetric Encryption |
|
Encryption
key |
Same key for
encryption & decryption |
Different
keys for encryption & decryption |
|
Performance |
Encryption is
fast but more vulnerable |
Encryption is
slow due to high computation |
|
Algorithms |
DES, 3DES,
AES and RC4 |
Diffie-Hellman,
RSA |
|
Purpose |
Used for bulk
data transmission |
Often used
for securely exchanging secret keys |
Q. What is a Firewall and why is it used?
Ans:
A Firewall is a
network security system set on the boundaries of the system/network that
monitors and controls network traffic. Firewalls are
mainly used to protect the system/network from viruses, worms, malware, etc.
Firewalls can also be to prevent remote access and content filtering.
Q. What is the difference between
VA(Vulnerability Assessment) and PT(Penetration Testing)?
Ans:
Vulnerability
Assessment is the
process of finding flaws on the target. Here, the organization knows that their
system/network has flaws or weaknesses and want to find these flaws and
prioritize the flaws for fixing.
Penetration
Testing is the
process of finding vulnerabilities on the target. In this case, the
organization would have set up all the security measures they could think of
and would want to test if there is any other way that their system/network can
be hacked.
Q. What is a three-way handshake?
Ans:
A three-way
handshake is a method used in a TCP/IP network to create a
connection between a host and a client. It’s called a three-way
handshake because it is a three-step method in which the client and
server exchanges packets. The three steps are as follows:
1.
The client sends a SYN(Synchronize) packet to
the server check if the server is up or has open ports
2.
The server sends SYN-ACK packet to the client
if it has open ports
The client acknowledges this and sends an
ACK(Acknowledgment) packet back to the server
Q. What is the difference between IDS and IPS?
IDS is Intrusion Detection System and
it only detects intrusions and the administrator has to take care of preventing
the intrusion. Whereas, in IPS i.e., Intrusion
Prevention System, the system detects the intrusion and also
Q. How is Encryption different from Hashing?
Both Encryption
and Hashing are used to convert readable data into an unreadable format. The
difference is that the encrypted data can be converted back to original data by
the process of decryption but the hashed data cannot be converted back to
original data.
3.
Q. What is traceroute? Why is it used?
Ans:
Traceroute is a tool that shows the path of a packet. It
lists all the points (mainly routers) that the packet passes through. This is
used mostly when the packet is not reaching its destination. Traceroute is used
to check where the connection stops or breaks to identify the point of failure.
Q. What is the difference between HIDS and
NIDS?
Ans:
HIDS(Host IDS) and NIDS(Network IDS) are
both Intrusion Detection System and work for the same purpose i.e., to detect
the intrusions. The only difference is that the HIDS is set up
on a particular host/device. It monitors the traffic of a particular device and
suspicious system activities. On the other hand, NIDS is set
up on a network. It monitors traffic of all device of the network.
Q. What are the steps to set up a firewall?
Ans:
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 a 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.
Q. Explain Data Leakage
Ans:
Data Leakage is
an intentional or unintentional transmission of data from within the
organization to an external unauthorized destination. It is the disclosure of
confidential information to an unauthorized entity. Data Leakage can be divided
into 3 categories based on how it happens:
1.
Accidental Breach: An entity unintentionally send data to an
unauthorized person due to a fault or a blunder
2.
Intentional Breach: The authorized entity sends data to an
unauthorized entity on purpose
3.
System Hack: Hacking techniques are used to cause data
leakage
Data Leakage
can be prevented by using tools, software, and strategies known as DLP(Data
Leakage Prevention) Tools.
Q. What are some of the common Cyberattacks?
Ans:
Following are
some common cyber attacks that could adversely affect your system.
1.
Malware
2.
Phishing
3.
Password Attacks
4.
DDoS
5.
Man in the Middle
6.
Drive-By Downloads
7.
Malvertising
8.
Rogue Software
Q. What is a Brute Force Attack? How can you
prevent it?
Ans:
Brute Force is
a way of finding out the right credentials by repetitively trying all the
permutations and combinations of possible credentials. In most cases, brute
force attacks are automated where the tool/software automatically tries to
login with a list of credentials. There are various ways to prevent Brute Force
attacks. Some of them are:
- Password
Length: You can
set a minimum length for password. The lengthier the password, the harder
it is to find.
- Password Complexity: Including different formats
of characters in the password makes brute force attacks harder. Using
alpha-numeric passwords along with special characters, and upper and lower
case characters increase the password complexity making it difficult to be
cracked.
- Limiting
Login Attempts: Set a
limit on login failures. For example, you can set the limit on login
failures as 3. So, when there are 3 consecutive login failures, restrict
the user from logging in for some time, or send an Email or OTP to use to
log in the next time. Because brute force is an automated process,
limiting login attempts will break the brute force process.
Q. What is Port Scanning?
Ans:
Port Scanning
is the technique used to identify open ports and service available on a host.
Hackers use port scanning to find information that can be helpful to exploit
vulnerabilities. Administrators use Port Scanning to verify the security
policies of the network. Some of the common Port Scanning Techniques are:
1.
Ping Scan
2.
TCP Half-Open
3.
TCP Connect
4.
UDP
5.
Stealth Scanning
Q. What is a VPN?
Ans:
Almost all
Cybersecurity Interview Questions will have this question included. VPN stands
for Virtual Private Network. It is used to create a safe and
encrypted connection. When you use a VPN, the data from the client is sent to a
point in the VPN where it is encrypted and then sent through the internet to
another point. At this point, the data is decrypted and sent to the server.
When the server sends a response, the response is sent to a point in the VPN
where it is encrypted and this encrypted data is sent to another point in the
VPN where it is decrypted. And finally, the decrypted data is sent to the
client. The whole point of using a VPN is to ensure encrypted data transfer.
Q. What do you understand by Risk,
Vulnerability & Threat in a network?
Ans:
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
Q. How can identity theft be prevented?
Ans:
Here’s what you
can do to prevent identity theft:
Ø Ensure strong
and unique password
Ø Avoid sharing
confidential information online, especially on social media
Ø Shop from known
and trusted websites
Ø Use the latest
version of the browsers
Ø Install
advanced malware and spyware tools
Ø Use specialized
security solutions against financial data
Ø Always update
your system and the software
Ø Protect your
SSN (Social Security Number)
Q. What are black hat, white hat and grey
hat hackers?
Ans:
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. This type of hackers
misuse their skills to steal information or use the hacked system for malicious
purpose.
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. They use their
skills to help make the security better.
Grey hat
hackers are an
amalgamation of a white hat and black hat hacker. They look for system
vulnerabilities without the owner’s permission. If they find any vulnerabilities,
they report it to the owner. Unlike Black hat hackers, they do not exploit the
vulnerabilities found.
Q. Explain SSL Encryption
Ans:
SSL(Secure
Sockets Layer) is the
industry-standard security technology creating encrypted connections between
Web Server and a Browser. This is used to maintain data privacy and to protect
the information in online transactions. The steps for establishing an SSL
connection is as follows:
1.
A browser tries to connect to the webserver
secured with SSL
2.
The browser sends a copy of its SSL certificate
to the browser
3.
The browser checks if the SSL certificate is
trustworthy or not. If it is trustworthy, then the browser sends a message to
the web server requesting to establish an encrypted connection
4.
The web server sends an acknowledgment to start
an SSL encrypted connection
5.
SSL encrypted communication takes place between
the browser and the web server
Q. What steps will you take to secure a
server?
Ans:
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
Q. How
often should you perform Patch management?
Ans:
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.
Q. How would you reset a
password-protected BIOS configuration?
Ans:
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.
Q. Explain
Traceroute
Ans:
It is a tool
that shows the packet path. It lists all the points that the packet passes
through. Traceroute is used mostly when the packet does not reach the
destination. Traceroute is used to check where the connection breaks or stops
or to identify the failure
Q. Explain SSL
Ans:
SSL stands for
Secure Sockets Layer. It is a technology creating encrypted connections between
a web server and a web browser. It is used to protect the information in online
transactions and digital payments to maintain data privacy.
Q. What do you
mean by data leakage?
Ans:
Data leakage is
an unauthorized transfer of data to the outside world. Data leakage occurs via
email, optical media, laptops, and USB keys.
Q. Explain the
brute force attack. How to prevent it?
Ans:
It is a
trial-and-error method to find out the right password or PIN. Hackers
repetitively try all the combinations of credentials. In many cases, brute
force attacks are automated where the software automatically works to login
with credentials. There are ways to prevent Brute Force attacks. They are:
Ø Setting
password length.
Ø Increase
password complexity.
Ø Set limit on
login failures.
Q. What is port
scanning?
Ans:
It is the
technique for identifying open ports and service available on a specific host.
Hackers use port scanning technique to find information for malicious purposes.
Q. What is a
VPN?
Ans:
VPN stands for
Virtual Private Network. It is a network connection method for creating an
encrypted and safe connection. This method protects data from interference,
snooping, censorship.
Q. How to reset
a password-protected BIOS configuration?
Ans:
There are
various ways to reset BIOS password. Some of them are as follows:
Ø Remove CMOS
battery.
Ø By utilizing
the software.
Ø By utilizing a
motherboard jumper.
Ø By utilizing
MS-DOS.
Q. What is MITM attack?
Ans:
A MITM or
Man-in-the-Middle is a type of attack where an attacker intercepts
communication between two persons. The main intention of MITM is to access
confidential information.
Q. Define ARP
and its working process.
Ans:
It is a
protocol used for finding MAC address associated with IPv4 address. This
protocol work as an interface between the OSI network and OSI link layer.
Q. Explain
botnet.
Ans:
It’s a number
of internet-connected devices like servers, mobile devices, IoT devices, and
PCs that are infected and controlled by malware.
Q. What is the
main difference between SSL and TLS?
Ans:
The main
difference between these two is that SSL verifies the identity of the sender.
SSL helps you to track the person you are communicating to. TLS offers a secure
channel between two clients.
Q. What is the
abbreviation of CSRF?
Ans:
CSRF stands for
Cross-Site Request Forgery.
Q. What is 2FA?
How to implement it for a public website?
Ans:
TFA stands for
Two Factor Authentication. It is a security process to identify the person who
is accessing an online account. The user is granted access only after
presenting evidence to the authentication device.
Q. What is the
full form of XSS?
Ans:
XSS stands for
cross-site scripting.
Q. Explain WAF
Ans:
WAF stands for
Web Application Firewall. WAF is used to protect the application by filtering
and monitoring incoming and outgoing traffic between web application and the
internet.
Q. What is hacking?
Ans:
Hacking is a
process of finding weakness in computer or private networks to exploit its
weaknesses and gain access.
For example,
using password cracking technique to gain access to a system.
Q. Who are
hackers?
Ans:
A Hacker is a
person who finds and exploits the weakness in computer systems, smartphones,
tablets, or networks to gain access. Hackers are well experienced computer
programmers with knowledge of computer security.
Q. What is
network sniffing?
Ans:
Network
sniffing is a tool used for analyzing data packets sent over a network. This
can be done by the specialized software program or hardware equipment. Sniffing
can be used to:
Ø Capture
sensitive data such as password.
Ø Eavesdrop on
chat messages
Ø Monitor data
package over a network
Q. What is the
importance of DNS monitoring?
Ans:
Yong domains
are easily infected with malicious software. You need to use DNS monitoring
tools to identify malware.
Q. Define the
process of salting. What is the use of salting?
Ans:
Salting is that
process to extend the length of passwords by using special characters. To use
salting, it is very important to know the entire mechanism of salting. The use
of salting is to safeguard passwords. It also prevents attackers testing known
words across the system.
Q. What is SSH?
Ans:
SSH stands for
Secure Socket Shell or Secure Shell. It is a utility suite that provides system
administrators secure way to access the data on a network.
Q. Is SSL
protocol enough for network security?
Ans:
SSL verifies
the sender’s identity, but it does not provide security once the data is
transferred to the server. It is good to use server-side encryption and hashing
to protect the server against a data breach.
Q. What is
black box testing and white box testing?
Ans:
Ø Black box
testing: It is a software testing method in which the internal structure or
program code is hidden.
Ø White box
testing: A software testing method in which internal structure or program is
known by tester.
Q. Explain
vulnerabilities in network security.
Ans:
Vulnerabilities
refer to the weak point in software code which can be exploited by a threat
actor. They are most commonly found in an application like SaaS (Software as a
service) software.
Q. Explain TCP
Three-way handshake.
Ans:
It is a process
used in a network to make a connection between a local host and server. This
method requires the client and server to negotiate synchronization and
acknowledgment packets before starting communication.
Q. Define the
term residual risk. What are three ways to deal with risk?
Ans:
It is a threat
that balances risk exposure after finding and eliminating threats.
Three ways to
deal with risk are:
1.
Reduce it
2.
Avoid it
3.
Accept it.
Q. Define
Exfiltration.
Ans:
Data
exfiltration refers to the unauthorized transfer of data from a computer
system. This transmission may be manual and carried out by anyone having
physical access to a computer.
Q. What is exploit in network security?
Ans:
An exploit is a
method utilized by hackers to access data in an unauthorized way. It is
incorporated into malware.
Q. What do you
mean by penetration testing?
Ans:
It is the
process of checking exploitable vulnerabilities on the target. In web security,
it is used to augment the web application firewall.
Q. List out
some of the common cyber-attack.
Ans:
Following are
the common cyber-attacks which can be used by hackers to damage network:
Ø Malware
Ø Phishing
Ø Password
attacks
Ø DDoS
Ø Man in the
middle
Ø Drive-by
downloads
Ø Malvertising
Ø Rogue software
Q. How to make
the user authentication process more secure?
Ans:
In order to
authenticate users, they have to provide their identity. The ID and Key can be
used to confirm the user’s identity. This is an ideal way how the system should
authorize the user.
Q. Explain the
concept of cross-site scripting.
Ans:
Cross-site
scripting refers to a network security vulnerability in which malicious scripts
are injected into websites. This attack occurs when attackers allow an
untrusted source to inject code into a web application.
Q. Name the
protocol that broadcast the information across all the devices.
Ans:
Internet Group
Management Protocol or IGMP is a communication protocol that is used in game or
video streaming. It facilitates routers and other communication devices to send
packets.
Q. How to
protect email messages?
Ans:
Use cipher
algorithm to protect email, credit card information, and corporate data.
Q. What are the
risks associated with public Wi-Fi?
Ans:
Public Wi-Fi
has many security issues. Wi-Fi attacks include karma attack, sniffing,
war-driving, brute force attack, etc.
Public Wi-Fi
may identify data that is passed through a network device like emails, browsing
history, passwords, and credit card data.
Q. What is Data
Encryption? Why it is important in network security?
Ans:
Data encryption
is a technique in which the sender converts the message into a code. It allows
only authorized user to gain access.
Q. Explain the
main difference between Diffie-Hellman and RSA.
Ans:
Diffie-Hellman
is a protocol used while exchanging key between two parties while RSA is an
algorithm that works on the basis two keys called private and public key.
Q. What is a
remote desktop protocol?
Ans:
Remote Desktop
Protocol (RDP) is developed by Microsoft, which provides GUI to connect two
devices over a network.
The user uses
RDP client software to serve this purpose while other device must run RDP
server software. This protocol is specifically designed for remote management
and to access virtual PCs, applications, and terminal server.
Q. Define
Forward Secrecy.
Ans:
Forward Secrecy
is a security measure that ensures the integrity of unique session key in event
that long term key is compromised.
Q. Explain the
concept of IV in encryption.
Ans:
IV stands for
the initial vector is an arbitrary number that is used to ensures that
identical text encrypted to different ciphertexts. Encryption program uses this
number only once per session.
Q. Explain the
difference between stream cipher and block cipher.
Ans:
|
Parameter |
Stream Cipher |
Block Cipher |
|
How does it
work? |
Stream cipher
operates on small plaintext units |
Block cipher
works on large data blocks. |
|
Code
requirement |
It requires
less code. |
It requires
more code. |
|
Usage of key |
Key is used
only once. |
Reuse of key
is possible. |
|
Application |
Secure Socket
layer. |
File encryption
and database. |
|
Usage |
Stream cipher
is used to implement hardware. |
Block cipher
is used to implement software. |
Q. Give some
examples of a symmetric encryption algorithm.
Ans:
Following are
some examples of symmetric encryption algorithm.
Ø RCx
Ø Blowfish
Ø Rijndael (AES)
Ø DES
Q. What is the
abbreviation of ECB and CBC?
Ans:
The full form
of ECB is Electronic Codebook, and the full form of CBC is Cipher Block
Chaining.
Q. Explain a
buffer overflow attack.
Ans:
Buffer overflow
attack is an attack that takes advantage of a process that attempts to write
more data to a fixed-length memory block.
Q. Define
Spyware.
Ans:
Spyware is a
malware that aims to steal data about the organization or person. This malware
can damage the organization’s computer system.
Q. What is
impersonation?
Ans:
It is a
mechanism of assigning the user account to an unknown user.
Q. What do you
mean by SRM?
Ans:
SRM stands for
Security Reference Monitor provides routines for computer drivers to grant
access rights to object.
Q. What is a
computer virus?
Ans:
A virus is a
malicious software that is executed without the user’s consent. Viruses can
consume computer resources, such as CPU time and memory. Sometimes, the virus
makes changes in other computer programs and insert its own code to harm the
computer system.
A computer
virus may be used to:
Ø Access private
data like user id and passwords
Ø Display
annoying messages to the user
Ø Corrupt data in
your computer
Ø Log the user’s
keystrokes
Q. What do you
mean by Authenticode?
Ans:
Authenticode is
a technology that identifies the publisher of Authenticode sign software. It
allows users to ensure that the software is genuine and not contain any
malicious program.
Q. Define
CryptoAPI
Ans:
CryptoAPI is a
collection of encryption APIs which allows developers to create a project on a
secure network.
Q. Explain
steps to secure web server.
Ans:
Follow the
following steps to secure your web server:
Ø Update
ownership of file.
Ø Keep your
webserver updated.
Ø Disable extra
modules in the webserver.
Ø Delete default
scripts.
Q. What is
Microsoft Baseline Security Analyzer?
Ans:
Microsoft
Baseline Security Analyzer or MBSA is a graphical and command-line interface
that provides a method to find missing security updates and misconfigurations.
Q. What is Ethical
hacking?
Ans:
Ethical hacking
is a method to improve the security of a network. In this method, hackers fix
vulnerabilities and weakness of computer or network. Ethical hackers use
software tools to secure the system.
Q. Explain
social engineering and its attacks.
Ans:
Social
engineering is the term used to convince people to reveal confidential
information.
There are
mainly three types of social engineering attacks: 1) Human-based, 2)
Mobile-based, and 3) Computer-based.
Ø Human-based
attack: They may pretend like a genuine user who requests higher authority to
reveal private and confidential information of the organization.
Ø Computer-based
attack: In this attack, attackers send fake emails to harm the computer. They
ask people to forward such email.
Ø Mobile-based
attack: Attacker may send SMS to others and collect important information. If
any user downloads a malicious app, then it can be misused to access
authentication information.
Q. What is IP
and MAC Addresses?
Ans:
IP Address is
the acronym for Internet Protocol address. An internet protocol address is used
to uniquely identify a computer or device such as printers, storage disks on a
computer network.
MAC Address is
the acronym for Media Access Control address. MAC addresses are used to
uniquely identify network interfaces for communication at the physical layer of
the network.
Q. What do you
mean by a worm?
Ans:
A Worm is a
type of malware which replicates from one computer to another.
Q. State the
difference between virus and worm
Ans:
|
Parameter |
Virus |
Worm |
|
How they
infect a computer? |
It inserts
malicious code into a specific file or program. |
Generate it’s
copy and spread using email client. |
|
Dependency |
Virus need a
host program to work |
They do not
require any host to function correctly. |
|
Linked with
files |
It is linked
with .com, .xls, .exe, .doc, etc. |
It is linked
with any file on a network. |
|
Affecting
speed |
It is slower
than worm. |
It faster
compared to a virus. |
Q. Name some
tools used for packet sniffing.
Ans:
Following are
some tools used for packet sniffing.
Ø Tcpdump
Ø Kismet
Ø Wireshark
Ø NetworkMiner
Ø Dsniff
Q. Explain
anti-virus sensor systems
Ans:
Antivirus is
software tool that is used to identify, prevent, or remove the viruses present
in the computer. They perform system checks and increase the security of the
computer regularly.
Q. What are
physical threats?
Ans:
A physical
threat is a potential cause of an incident that may result in loss or physical
damage to the computer systems.
Q. Give
examples of non-physical threats
Ans:
Following are
some examples of non-physical threat:
Ø Loss of
sensitive information
Ø Loss or
corruption of system data
Ø Cyber security
Breaches
Ø Disrupt
business operations that rely on computer systems
Ø Illegal
monitoring of activities on computer systems
Q. What are
Hacking Tools?
Ans:
Hacking Tools
are computer programs and scripts that help you find and exploit weaknesses in
computer systems, web applications, servers, and networks. There are varieties
of such tools available on the market. Some of them are open source, while
others are a commercial solution.
Q. Explain
honeypot and its Types.
Ans:
Honeypot is a
decoy computer system which records all the transactions, interactions, and
actions with users.
Honeypot is
classified into two categories: 1) Production honeypot and 2) Research
honeypot.
Ø Production
honeypot: It is designed to capture real information for the administrator to
access vulnerabilities. They are generally placed inside production networks to
increase their security.
Ø Research
Honeypot: It is used by educational institutions and organizations for the sole
purpose of researching the motives and tactics of the back-hat community for
targeting different networks.
Q. Name common
encryption tools.
Ans:
Tools available
for encryptions are as follows:
Ø RSA
Ø Twofish
Ø AES
Ø Triple DES
Q. What is
Backdoor?
Ans:
It is a malware
type in which security mechanism is bypassed to access a system.
Q. Is it right
to send login credentials through email?
Ans:
It is not right
to send login credentials through email because if you send someone userid and
password in the mail, chances of email attacks are high.
Q. Explain the
80/20 rule of networking?
Ans:
This rule is
based on the percentage of network traffic, in which 80% of all network traffic
should remain local while the rest of the traffic should be routed towards a
permanent VPN.
Q. Define WEP
cracking.
Ans:
It is a method
used for a security breach in wireless networks. There are two types of WEP
cracking: 1) Active cracking and 2) Passive cracking.
Q. What are
various WEP cracking tools?
Ans:
Well known WEP
cracking tools are:
Ø Aircrack
Ø WebDecrypt
Ø Kismet
Ø WEPCrack
Q. What is a
security auditing?
Ans:
Security
auditing is an internal inspection of applications and operating systems for
security flaws. An audit can also be done via line by line inspection of code.
Q. What is
Trojan virus?
Ans:
Trojan is a
malware employed by hackers and cyber-thieves to gain access to any computer.
Here attackers use social engineering techniques to execute the trojan on the
system.
Ans:
Q. Define SQL
Injection
It is an attack
that poisons malicious SQL statements to database. It helps you to take benefit
of the design flaws in poorly designed web applications to exploit SQL statements
to execute malicious SQL code. In many situations, an attacker can escalate SQL
injection attack in order to perform other attack, i.e. denial-of-service
attack.
Q. List
security vulnerabilities as per Open Web Application Security Project (OWASP).
Ans:
Security
vulnerabilities as per open web application security project are as follows:
Ø SQL Injection
Ø Cross-site
request forgery
Ø Insecure
cryptographic storage
Ø Broken
authentication and session management
Ø Insufficient
transport layer protection
Ø Unvalidated
redirects and forwards
Ø Failure to
restrict URL access
Q. Define an
access token.
Ans:
An access token
is a credential which is used by the system to check whether the API should be
granted to a particular object or not.
Q. Explain ARP
Poisoning
Ans:
ARP (Address
Resolution Protocol) Poisoning is a type of cyber-attack which is used to
convert IP address to physical addresses on a network device. The host sends an
ARP broadcast on the network, and the recipient computer responds back with its
physical address.
ARP poisoning
is sending fake addresses to the switch so that it can associate the fake
addresses with the IP address of a genuine computer on a network and hijack the
traffic.
Q. Name common
types of non-physical threats.
Ans:
Following are various
types of non-physical threats:
Ø Trojans
Ø Adware
Ø Worms
Ø Spyware
Ø Denial of
Service Attacks
Ø Distributed
Denial of Service Attacks
Ø Virus
Ø Key loggers
Ø Unauthorized
access to computer systems resources
Ø Phishing
Q. Explain the
sequence of a TCP connection.
Ans:
The sequence of
a TCP connection is SYN-SYN ACK-ACK.
Q. Define
hybrid attacks.
Ans:
Hybrid attack
is a blend of dictionary method and brute force attack. This attack is used to
crack passwords by making a change of a dictionary word with symbols and numbers.
Q. What is
Nmap?
Ans:
Nmap is a tool
which is used for finding networks and in security auditing.
Q. What is the
use of EtterPeak tool?
Ans:
EtterPeak is a
network analysis tool that is used for sniffing packets of network traffic.
Q. What are the
types of cyber-attacks?
Ans:
There are two
types of cyberattacks: 1) Web-based attacks, 2) System based attacks.
Q. List out
web-based attacks
Ans:
Some web-based
attacks are: 1) SQL Injection attacks, 2) Phishing, 3) Brute Force, 4) DNS Spoofing,
4) Denial of Service, and 5) Dictionary attacks.
Q. Give
examples of System-based attacks
Ans:
Examples of
system-based attacks are:
Ø Virus
Ø Backdoors
Ø Bots
Ø Worm
Q. List out the
types of cyber attackers
Ans:
There are four
types of cyber attackers. They are: 1) cybercriminals, 2) hacktivists, 3)
insider threats, 4) state-sponsored attackers.
Q. Define
accidental threats
Ans:
They are
threats that are accidently done by organization employees. In these threats,
an employee unintentionally deletes any file or share confidential data with
outsiders or a business partner going beyond the policy of the company.
Q. Explain MITM attack and how to prevent it?
Ans:
A MITM(Man-in-the-Middle) attack
is a type of attack where the hacker places himself in between the communication
of two parties and steal the information. Suppose there are two parties A and B having
a communication. Then the hacker joins this communication. He impersonates as
party B to A and impersonates as party A in
front of B. The data from both the parties are sent to the
hacker and the hacker redirects the data to the destination party after
stealing the data required. While the two parties think that they are
communicating with each other, in reality, they are communicating with the
hacker.
You can prevent
MITM attack by using the following practices:
Ø Use VPN
Ø Use strong
WEP/WPA encryption
Ø Use Intrusion
Detection Systems
Ø Force HTTPS
Ø Public Key Pair
Based Authentication
Q. Explain DDOS attack and how to prevent it?
Ans:
This again is
an important Cybersecurity Interview Question. A DDOS(Distributed
Denial of Service) attack is a cyberattack that causes the servers to
refuse to provide services to genuine clients. DDOS attack can be
classified into two types:
1.
Flooding attacks: In this type, the hacker sends a huge amount
of traffic to the server which the server can not handle. And hence, the server
stops functioning. This type of attack is usually executed by using automated
programs that continuously send packets to the server.
2.
Crash attacks: In this type, the hackers exploit a bug on the
server resulting in the system to crash and hence the server is not able to
provide service to the clients.
You can prevent
DDOS attacks by using the following practices:
Ø Use Anti-DDOS services
Ø Configure
Firewalls and Routers
Ø Use Front-End
Hardware
Ø Use Load
Balancing
Ø Handle Spikes
in Traffic
Q. Explain XSS attack and how to prevent it?
Ans:
XSS(Cross-Site
Scripting) is a
cyberattack that enables hackers to inject malicious client-side scripts into
web pages. XSS can be used to hijack sessions and steal cookies, modify DOM,
remote code execution, crash the server etc.
You can prevent
XSS attacks by using the following practices:
Ø Validate user
inputs
Ø Sanitize user
inputs
Ø Encode special
characters
Ø Use Anti-XSS
services/tools
Ø Use XSS
HTML Filter
Q. What is an ARP and how does it work?
Ans:
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.
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. What is port blocking within LAN?
Ans:
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. What protocols fall under TCP/IP
internet layer?
Ans:
|
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 |
Q. What is a Botnet?
Ans:
A Botnet is a
number of devices connected to the internet where each device has one or more
bots running on it. The bots on the devices and malicious scripts used to hack
a victim. Botnets can be used to steal data, send spams and execute a DDOS
attack.
Q. What are salted hashes?
Ans:
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.
Q. Explain SSL and TLS
Ans:
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.
Q. What is
Cognitive Cybersecurity?
Ans:
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. What is the difference between VPN and VLAN?
Ans:
|
VPN |
VLAN |
|
Helps to
group workstations that are not within the same locations into the same
broadcast domain |
Related to
remote access to the network of a company |
|
Means to
logically segregate networks without physically segregating them with various
switches |
Used to
connect two points in a secured and encrypted tunnel |
|
Saves the data
from prying eyes while in transit and no one on the net can capture the
packets and read the data |
Does not
involve any encryption technique but it is only used to slice up your logical
network into different sections for the purpose of management and security |
Q. Explain Phishing and how to prevent it?
Ans:
Phishing is a Cyberattack in which a hacker disguises as
a trustworthy person or business and attempt to steal sensitive financial or
personal information through fraudulent email or instant message.
You can prevent
Phishing attacks by using the following practices:
Ø Don’t enter
sensitive information in the webpages that you don’t trust
Ø Verify the
site’s security
Ø Use Firewalls
Ø Use AntiVirus
Software that has Internet Security
Ø Use
Anti-Phishing Toolbar
Q. Explain SQL Injection and how to prevent it?S
Ans:
SQL Injection (SQLi) is a code injection attack where
an attacker manipulates the data being sent to the server to execute malicious
SQL statements to control a web application’s database server, thereby
accessing, modifying and deleting unauthorized data. This attack is mainly used
to take over database servers.
You can prevent
SQL Injection attacks by using the following practices:
Ø Use prepared
statements
Ø Use Stored
Procedures
Ø Validate user
input
Q. List out the
types of sniffing attacks.
Ans:
Various types
of sniffing attacks are:
Ø Protocol
Sniffing
Ø Web password
sniffing
Ø Application-level
sniffing
Ø TCP Session
stealing
Ø LAN Sniffing
Ø ARP Sniffing
Q. What is a
distributed denial-of-service attack (DDoS)?
Ans:
It is an attack
in which multiple computers attack website, server, or any network resource.
Q. Explain the
concept of session hijacking.
Ans:
TCP session
hijacking is the misuse of a valid computer session. IP spoofing is the most
common method of session hijacking. In this method, attackers use IP packets to
insert a command between two nodes of the network.
Q. List out
various methods of session hijacking.
Ans:
Various methods
of session hijacking are:
Ø Using packet
Sniffers
Ø Cross-Site
Scripting (XSS Attack)
Ø IP Spoofing
Ø Blind Attack
Q. Explain
phishing.
Ans:
It is a
technique used to obtain a username, password, and credit card details from
other users.
Q. What is
Nano-scale encryption?
Ans:
Nano encryption
is a research area which provides robust security to computers and prevents
them from hacking.
Q. Define
Security Testing?
Ans:
Security
Testing is defined as a type of Software Testing that ensures software systems
and applications are free from any vulnerabilities, threats, risks that may
cause a big loss.
Q. Explain
Security Scanning.
Ans:
Security
scanning involves identifying network and system weaknesses and later provides
solutions for reducing these risks. This scanning can be performed for both
Manual as well as Automated scanning.
Q. Name the
available hacking tools.
Ans:
Following is a
list of useful hacking tools.
Ø Acunetix
Ø WebInspect
Ø Probably
Ø Netsparker
Ø Angry IP
scanner:
Ø Burp Suite
Ø Savvius
Q. What is the
importance of penetration testing in an enterprise?
Ans:
Here are two
common application of Penetration testing.
Ø Financial
sectors like stock trading exchanges, investment banking, want their data to be
secured, and penetration testing is essential to ensure security.
Ø In case if the
software system is already hacked and the organization would like to determine
whether any threats are still present in the system to avoid future hacks.
Q. What are the
disadvantages of penetration testing?
Ans:
Disadvantages
of penetration testing are:
Ø Penetration
testing cannot find all vulnerabilities in the system.
Ø There are
limitations of time, budget, scope, skills of penetration testers.
Ø Data loss and
corruption
Ø Down Time is
high which increase costs
Q. Explain
security threat
Ans:
Security threat
is defined as a risk which can steal confidential data and harm computer
systems as well as organization.
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