Top 10 cybersecurity interview questions and answers
Interviewing for a job in cybersecurity? Memorizing security terms won't cut it. Here are the 10 interview questions you should be ready for -- and how to answer them.
Interviewing for a job in information security can be daunting. There are so many topics candidates are expected to know. Job applicants should also be familiar with various terms: encryption, decryption, firewalls, cryptography, penetration testing and many others.
But, according to security experts, memorizing hundreds of terms isn't the ticket to a successful interview for a cybersecurity job. The best candidates have a sense of what they want to accomplish in the security field and can demonstrate a sincere interest in cybersecurity and a recognition of how it has become a front-burner issue for businesses.
Simone Petrella, president of cybersecurity training and information provider N2K, said she can tell in a matter of minutes if there's a serious candidate in front of her. "If they say they are interested in security because it's the hot field and they want to make money, I know they are not serious," Petrella said. "Candidates need to show they've done some research and have some sense of what aspect of security interests them."
David Wolpoff, former CTO at IBM's Randori cybersecurity unit, pointed to similar telltale attributes of a successful security job candidate.
"A mantra I've picked up from previous teams is 'passion, capacity and smarts,'" Wolpoff said. "You're not going to stay current and grow if your only learning time is 9 to 5 -- the security space is too big." That's especially true, he added, for aspiring members of red teams, who pose as attackers to test security defenses in IT systems. "To become a really awesome hacker, you have to be willing to dig in and learn everything."
In short, come to the interview ready to talk about yourself and why security matters. Job applicants who are new to cybersecurity are expected to have a general sense of the field. For example, show you understand the difference between a vulnerability and an exploit. On the other hand, midcareer and senior-level security professionals going for more advanced positions must demonstrate knowledge gained through cybersecurity certifications -- or at least be able to say they're working on them. Some examples include CISSP, Certified Information Security Manager and OffSec Certified Professional (OSCP).
Soft skills, such as the ability to communicate and creativity, are also important to security interviewers as part of the vetting process. In addition, companies want people who understand the business process and, even more importantly, how security relates to their specific business. You should expect to be asked about all these things during a job interview.
10 cybersecurity interview questions and how to answer them
The following is a list of 10 potential job interview questions. Use it and the advice about answering each question to organize your thoughts and sharpen how you present yourself to cybersecurity recruiters and interviewers.
1. Why do you want a career in cybersecurity?
Don't start off by telling an interviewer that you heard cybersecurity jobs pay well and you want to work in a growth field. While that's one of the reasons many of us pick security as a profession, there are better ways to phrase it. If you're just starting out, say you're interested in an entry-level job, but show the interviewer that you've done some homework -- for example, that you know about the cybersecurity skills shortage and workforce gap. Or explain that you've been doing some research on which certifications to obtain. Tell the interviewer you're aware of the CompTIA Security+ exam and possibly other foundational certifications, such as CISSP and Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).
2. What aspect of cybersecurity interests you?
Your answer to this question tells the interviewer if you're serious. While it's fine for newbies to say they're still exploring their options, experienced security pros need to specify if they're more interested in, say, being a hands-on penetration tester, a red teamer or part of an incident response team. Job candidates who ultimately want to become CISOs must show the interviewer how they've developed business skills along the way. People with accounting backgrounds can gravitate to compliance or risk management jobs on security teams, especially in the financial sector. Whatever career path in cybersecurity you're looking for, be prepared to talk about the field in an in-depth, knowledgeable way that shows the interviewer you're a cut above the competition.
3. Why are security teams essential for businesses today?
Here's where you can show the interviewer that you understand the history of security in the enterprise. Explain that the perimeter-based "protecting the moat" style of security has become a thing of the past, replaced by new priorities, such as mobile security and securing remote working environments. It helps to show that you're aware of major cyberattacks, from the ILOVEYOU and Melissa viruses more than 20 years ago to more recent ones, such as the SolarWinds backdoor attack discovered in 2020 and the MoveIt Transfer zero-day vulnerability exploit in 2023. You should also know about the waves of data breaches over the past decade and the growth of ransomware attacks -- and you need to show that you understand the business implications of these security incidents.
Candidates going for a management position in security must demonstrate that they're technology people who fully understand business. Also, make the case that security professionals can't get bogged down talking about log analysis data, cybersecurity KPIs and software testing if they hope to convince senior management about the importance of security infrastructure and policies. Specify that they instead need to explain how major breaches and attacks affect sales, profits and future growth by damaging the company's reputation, in addition to causing immediate financial costs and possible fines.
4. What qualities do you possess that will make you an effective cybersecurity pro?
If you're new to the field, don't say you live to hack into computers and have been doing so since you were a young teenager. While this might be an awesome skill to have for some jobs, odds are the person interviewing you has worked on tougher security challenges -- and might wonder about your motivations. Instead, demonstrate that you have a burning curiosity. Wolpoff said that, when he was at Randori, it looked for people who notice odd things and try to figure them out. "We once had an off-site meeting at a hotel, and the touchscreen that helped a user find out about the area had a strange glitch," he said. "One of the interns was rabidly prodding at the broken screen trying to understand the weird behavior, and he was later recruited to my team."
Don't overstate your love for cybersecurity. But do tell the interviewer how you've solved technical problems, both in your personal life and on the job. You can also talk about your hobbies and show that you're more than just a techie. Companies like people who have other interests, including creative ones -- for example, playing musical instruments, acting in plays, dabbling in painting or traveling extensively. Don't come off as the stereotype who spends all their off-hours playing video games -- though, in reality, gaming is an important part of hacker culture, so that's a valuable skill, too.
5. What did you accomplish in your last job?
Let them know you're a hard worker who takes the initiative on security projects. Maybe in your last job you were a network security analyst and worked on a team that redid the company's wireless infrastructure and set updated security policies. Talk about that or similar experiences.
Also, show that you're not afraid of new technology -- that you advocate for things such as passwordless authentication and more effective identity management. It's even better if the CISO or another top cybersecurity manager doesn't want to deploy, say, passwordless technology and you can make the case that using a tool such as Google Authenticator, Microsoft Authenticator or Authy increases security for the company's users. Doing so demonstrates that you have some moxie and stand up for a policy or technology you believe in -- and that you don't just accept the status quo.
6. What does your home network look like?
Security managers involved in hiring decisions need to know that you follow cybersecurity best practices yourself -- in other words, that you've changed the default password on your home router, segmented the network for home and business uses, and adopted two-factor authentication and a password manager for all your main applications. Applicants looking to get into cybersecurity must show that they understand these basic issues and have them on their radar. If you're new to the field, don't take a job interview until you have a good story to tell about your own network.
7. What's the biggest issue for security teams in managing employees who work from home?
The COVID-19 pandemic changed the technology and security game for businesses. Almost overnight, companies that previously had 10% to 20% of their employees working remotely had almost the entire workforce at home. Security teams had to triage worker requirements and determine who needed a VPN for secure access to corporate data and who could do the job via Remote Desktop Protocol (RDP) connections. Many companies couldn't handle all the VPN requests and were besieged with attacks on RDP servers. Explain that you understand or have learned firsthand from this experience. Another big issue you could mention is the larger attack surfaces that companies need to secure because of the increased number of remote workers, even in organizations that have transitioned back toward an in-office work routine.
8. How should a cybersecurity department be structured?
You might not get asked this specific question, but have an answer prepared in case you do -- especially if you're being interviewed for a high-level cybersecurity job. For example, you could discuss the role of the CISO and cite other positions that security teams commonly include, from network security analysts and engineers to chief cybersecurity architect. You could also talk about the different functions that teams typically include -- threat management, incident response, penetration testing and so on.
Whether the question is asked or not, you should turn the tables and find out how the company's security and IT organizations are structured. Also, does the CISO or the CIO -- or both -- have a seat on the board of directors? If not, are there any plans to head in that direction? This information helps you determine if the job is right for you.
If you're looking for a company that's far along on cybersecurity maturity, a job at one that's still organizing its security operations might not be a good fit. If you do get offered and take a job at a company that's just forming a security team or one that's restructuring or expanding its team to meet new business needs, be realistic and flexible. You need to be willing to become a part of that effort. Alternatively, if you're not a risk-taker, you might want to explain that to the interviewer and say the position doesn't suit your professional needs or personality.
9. How does continuous learning figure into your cybersecurity career plans?
Make it clear that you've thought about what a career in cybersecurity looks like and you plan to have a long one. If you started off working in tech support or another field but want to be a penetration tester, tell the interviewer you understand that you need to continuously develop new skills and earn certifications. Do some upfront research on certifications to mention. For example, you could say you plan to become a CEH and, one day, pass the OSCP exam.
Your story could be even more modest than that, though. Maybe you worked retail at a Best Buy while putting yourself through college and learned how important security is to the success of the business. Now, you want to make it your career and obtain the knowledge required to be a successful security professional. The idea is to show the interviewer that your interest in cybersecurity is genuine and you've given some thought to the types of skills you need to develop.
10. Can you explain the following security basics to show you have a good grounding in the field?
The earlier advice about not just memorizing lots of terms notwithstanding, there are indeed some basic ones and related topics that every candidate for a cybersecurity position should know in case you're asked to talk about them in an interview.
For starters, there's vulnerability vs. exploit. Vulnerabilities are weaknesses or gaps in an organization's security defenses that could be exploited. They exist in everything from networks, websites and servers to OSes and software applications, and vulnerability management is a key part of cybersecurity programs. Exploits are when malicious threat actors take advantage of vulnerabilities to gain unauthorized access to a corporate network or end-user devices. In addition to being able to explain the difference, let the interviewer know you know how vulnerabilities are reported and tracked in the security industry. For example, the CVE website tracks and posts information on publicly disclosed vulnerabilities.
Job candidates should be familiar with encryption, including a basic understanding of how encrypted data thwarts attackers and how email encryption works. Among various other terms, they should also know about SSL and HTTPS. SSL creates an encrypted link between a server and a client, typically a web server and web browser. HTTPS secures communications over the web. Anyone coming in for a security interview should know that the little lock to the left of the browser address bar means a website supports HTTPS.
Also, come prepared with a basic understanding of ransomware and the threat it poses to organizations. Candidates are expected to know how ransomware works -- the attackers typically encrypt files and databases and then demand a ransom payment to decrypt them. Often, they threaten to sell or publicly leak data if the victimized company doesn't pay the ransom. More recently, some attackers gain access to systems and threaten to disclose data without even encrypting it. Know as well that the FBI advises victims not to pay a ransom, and be prepared to explain your position on that issue. Are there times when an organization should pay up? If so, under what circumstances?
There are many other common cyberattacks to know about, too. They include other types of malware beyond ransomware, such as spyware and Trojan horses; DDoS attacks that aim to slow down or crash servers and websites; phishing attacks designed to trick employees into disclosing passwords and other valuable information; and cross-site scripting, or XSS, attacks, in which attackers execute malicious scripts in web browsers by injecting code into a legitimate webpage or web application. Be prepared to talk about such attacks and what you would do to guard against them.
Editor's note: This article was originally published in 2021. TechTarget industry editor Craig Stedman updated it in 2024 for timeliness and to add new information.
Steve Zurier is an independent freelance technology writer covering IT security, networking and cloud computing.
