Last updated on Nov 24, 2023
Kickstart your journey as a Cybersecurity expert with advanced skills. In today's digital era, the surge in data breaches and modern cyber attacks has led enterprises to invest in advanced security technologies and strategies majorly. One such effective approach is the creation of a Security Operations Centre (SOC), which serves as a cost-efficient method to combat cyber threats. The SOC team manages and responds to security incidents throughout the organization.
To assist you in the SOC Analyst interview, we have prepared a comprehensive collection of SIEM interview questions and answers, categorized into basic, intermediate, and advanced levels. Let's dive into the essential SIEM-related questions that will prepare you for your interview.
Ans. SIEM, or Security Information and Event Management, is a sophisticated software tool designed to aggregate, analyze, and manage the security data from various IT infrastructure components, including network devices, servers, and domain controllers. It centralizes security data, applying analytics to identify threats, uncover trends, and aid organizations in responding to security alerts.
Ans. A firewall is a kind of network security machine/system that observes and manages incoming and departing network traffic based on predefined security procedures. Serving as a barrier between secure and unsecured networks, it decides whether to allow or stop the particular traffic as per predefined set of security policies.
Ans. CSRF, or Cross-Site Request Forgery is a web security issue that dupes users into running unknown actions on a web app where they’re validated. It exploits a site's trust in a user's browser, leading to potential unwanted commands or data breaches.
Ans: Security Misconfiguration occurs when a device, network, or application is set up incorrectly, creating vulnerabilities that attackers can exploit. Common examples include unchanged default settings or weak security parameters, making systems more prone to attacks.Become a SIEM Certified professional by learning this HKR's SIEM Certification Training!
Ans: Port scanning is a technique used to identify open ports and services available on a networked computer. By sending messages to various ports and analyzing the responses, port scanning helps gather information about a target system's OS, services, and firewall rules.
Ans: It refers to sticking to a set of rules or regulations built by governments, industry bodies, or enterprises. It ensures that business practices and security measures meet specific conditions, such as the PCI-DSS: Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard helpful for payment processing
Ans: Symmetric encryption uses the similar key for both encryption and decryption, offering speed but requiring secure key exchange. On the other hand, asymmetric encryption uses other keys for encryption and decryption, enhancing security but at a slower pace. A hybrid approach often combines these methods for efficiency and safety.
Ans: Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS) detect and alert potential intrusions, while Intrusion Prevention Systems (IPS) go further by actively preventing these intrusions. IDS monitors network traffic and reports anomalies, whereas IPS not only detects but also takes action to block threats.
Ans: Cross-site Scripting (XSS) is a vulnerability in web applications where attackers inject malicious scripts into content from otherwise benign and trusted websites. Mitigation strategies include input validation, Content Security Policy (CSP) implementation, and sanitizing user input.
Ans: Encryption is a reversible process to secure data, allowing it to be decrypted back into its original form. Hashing, however, is a one-way function that transforms data into a fixed-size string of characters, which is virtually impossible to reverse.
Ans: Web applications use HTTP response status codes to indicate the results of client requests, categorized as follows:
Ans: In Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS), a false positive occurs when the system incorrectly identifies regular activity as malicious, while a false negative happens when actual malicious activity goes undetected.
Ans: Data leakage is the unauthorized transmission of data outside an organization. It can occur through various means, such as emails, removable drives, or unauthorized uploads. Preventive measures include encryption, access controls, and monitoring of data transfers.
Ans: While both SIEM and IDS are used for network security, SIEM provides more extensive functionalities. It collects and analyzes log data and helps in event correlation and centralized data management, which IDS lacks.
Ans: Host Intrusion Detection Systems (HIDS) and Network Intrusion Detection Systems (NIDS) depend on specific organizational needs. HIDS is deployed on individual hosts, while NIDS monitors network traffic. NIDS is often preferred for broader coverage and easier management.
Ans: Vulnerability Assessment or VA is the process of finding security issues within a system. At the same time, Penetration Testing or PT imitates cyber threats to exploit these issues, providing a real-time evaluation of security risks.
Ans: An effective penetration test report should include a summary, scope, testing period, categorized observations, detailed findings with replication steps, proof of concept screenshots, and recommended remediation strategies.
Ans: Tracert (or traceroute on Unix-based systems) is used to diagnose network routing issues by tracking the path an IP packet takes to reach its destination. It helps in identifying where connections fail or break.
Ans: Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attacks overwhelm a target with excessive traffic to disrupt its normal function. Mitigation involves analyzing and filtering traffic, often using specialized scrubbing centers, to remove malicious traffic.
Ans: Basic web architecture typically includes:
Ans: Managing antivirus alerts involves reviewing the attention, assessing whether it affects a legitimate or malicious file, and taking appropriate actions like clearing, quarantining, or deleting it. Verifying file reputation on online platforms can also be part of this process.
Ans: Data classification involves categorizing information into levels, like Public, Confidential, and Top Secret, based on sensitivity. It helps in applying appropriate security measures and managing data access effectively.
Ans: While social media usage in the office can be acceptable, it should be monitored and controlled, with content filtering and upload restrictions to prevent security risks and ensure productivity.
Ans: Awareness of information security policies and procedures can be achieved through mandatory training, regular notifications, and continuous updates on security practices.
Ans: Security policies should ideally be reviewed annually or whenever significant changes occur. It ensures that the policies stay current and effectively address emerging security threats.
Ans: Web server hardening involves:
Ans: A CEO-level security report should be concise and include an overview of the organization's security posture, quantified risks, annual loss expectancy test results, and suggested countermeasures.
Ans: Risk reporting involves assessing and presenting risks in quantitative and qualitative terms tailored to the audience, whether technical or business-focused. It helps in knowing the potential impact and frequency of risks.
Ans: An incident in cybersecurity is any event compromising security. Its management includes identification, logging, investigation, communication with relevant parties, remediation, and closure reporting.
Ans: Different Security Operations Center (SOC) models include Managed Security Service Providers (MSSP), in-house models, shared MSSP, dedicated MSSP, and hybrid models, each offering varied monitoring, resources, and management levels.
This blog has carefully curated a list of frequently asked SIEM interview questions and answers. We hope you find this compilation highly valuable in your preparation. By familiarizing yourself with these questions, you can confidently deal with SIEM interview questions during your interview. If any SIEM-related question is not covered here, feel free to leave a comment below.
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