You have just graduated with the necessary network security certifications. And now you are hunting for a job in the network security domain of the IT sector. Certainly, the skills you learned during your training will prove to be an essential factor. But cracking the interview is not only about subject knowledge.
Besides your technical proficiency, the interviewers will test your problem-solving abilities by asking scenario-based questions. It would be beneficial to familiarize yourself with some common questions asked during a network security interview. Additionally, it would demonstrate that you are a deserving candidate with extensive knowledge of the field.
However, you may not face all of the listed questions during the interview. Nonetheless, network security professionals usually ask the following questions in an interview.
Q1. What tools would you use as a network security engineer?
A: Any professional in network security can use different types of network security tools, for example, antivirus and anti-malware software, firewalls, access control, and application security. Furthermore, we can also use Data Loss Prevention (DLP) systems, Network Intrusion Detection Systems, and network segmentation. Also, a VPN helps establish a secure connection.
Q2. What measures do you use to secure your personal network?
A: One of the easiest ways to protect data and files is using anti-malware software. Hence, I use them considerably. To ensure that I do not receive emails that contain phishing strategies, I utilize email security and DLP. Additionally, during my network security training, I learned about the importance of firewalls and now use them to their full extent.
Note – Interviewers would want to know which tools you use for your home devices to analyze your tech-savviness. Therefore, it would be best to answer what you actually use to reflect your expertise.
Q3. What does an ideal password look like?
A: According to network security professionals, an ideal password must contain at least one uppercase and one lowercase letter. Moreover, the presence of a number or a special character strengthens a password and makes it difficult for outsiders to crack.
Q4. What should network security do within a company or organization?
A: Network security should ensure that all individuals have uninterrupted access to the network. Also, it should safeguard the privacy of users and prevent any unauthorized access to the network. Most importantly, anyone with network security certification should know how to defend the network from hackers, malware, and viruses.
Q5. What factors can affect the performance of a network?
A: The factors that might affect the performance of a system include hardware, software, and the number of users. In addition to network latency, the bandwidth of a transmission medium plays a significant role in the working of a network.
Q6. Explain the CIA triad
A: The CIA triad maintains privacy policies for data security in organizations. It stands for Confidentiality, Integrity, and Availability. In addition to upholding privacy, network security professionals use it to evaluate threats. Finally, they calculate their impact on the CIA of information.
Q7. Imagine a situation where the cursor on your screen starts moving around and clicking icons on its own. What can be the reason for this? What would you do?
A: It is likely that someone has hacked and is controlling the device remotely. However, it is also possible that the hardware is broken or the mouse is kept on an uneven surface. But as a part of network security training, I learned to be precautious always. Therefore, I would disconnect the computer from the network and call a network security engineer for help.
Q8. What will happen in case of an attack on the computer network?
A: The possible results of a computer network attack include loss of sensitive information that was essential for a company’s daily working and reduced brand value. In addition to a blow on the reputation and trust amongst clients, the company will experience a decline in value with its shareholders.
Q9. What is AAA in the context of network security?
A: AAA refers to network access protocols. It stands for Authentication, Authorization, and Accounting. Moreover, AAA controls user access, implements policies, and tracks all the activities in a specific network.
Authentication determines if a user is legitimate and grants access to the system. Users require a password to log in.
Authorization controls the distribution of information within an organization. To illustrate, all the users within a network have access to limited data and information. Those at the top positions of the company can ask network security professionals to withhold certain information from their colleagues and subordinates.
Q10. What are the means of user authentication?
A: A biometric involves thumbprint or iris scan as user authentication. Likewise, we can also use a token or Password Authentication Protocol (PAP) to verify records. A two-level authentication engages any of the two methods.
Q11. How will you secure a Linux server if you’re working with it?
A: To secure a Linux server, you need to follow three steps.
Firstly, you should audit and scan a system through Lynis. Each category has to be examined separately. Secondly, you need to harden the data depending on the desired level of security. At last, you need to check the network systems regularly for any virus or suspicious activities.
Q12. What do you understand by network encryption? Explain how it works
A: Network encryption is a process to encrypt and encode messages for transmitting over a computer network. It has numerous tools and techniques which look over encrypting. Most importantly, network encryption protects confidential information from unauthorized agents and makes sure that they can’t decrypt the message.
Network security engineers utilize encryption/decryption keys to convert data into decipherable form at the recipient’s end.
Conclusion
Organizations seek network security professionals to protect their sensitive information. You can secure a position at a reputed firm in IT with the necessary credentials. However, acing their interviews can be difficult due to cutthroat competition. Therefore, preparing for some frequently asked questions will give you an advantage. The questions mentioned above will help you perform well in the interview.
To sum up, revise your skills and be confident in your answers. Good luck!
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