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SOC Interview Questions

The document contains a comprehensive list of beginner, intermediate, expert, networking-focused, and practical questions related to cybersecurity and Security Operations Centers (SOC). It covers topics such as security tools, incident response, threat detection, network protocols, and various types of cyber threats. Additionally, it includes scenario-based questions to assess practical application of knowledge in real-world situations.

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arshamin786
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16 views4 pages

SOC Interview Questions

The document contains a comprehensive list of beginner, intermediate, expert, networking-focused, and practical questions related to cybersecurity and Security Operations Centers (SOC). It covers topics such as security tools, incident response, threat detection, network protocols, and various types of cyber threats. Additionally, it includes scenario-based questions to assess practical application of knowledge in real-world situations.

Uploaded by

arshamin786
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Beginner-Level Questions

1.​ What is a Security Operations Center (SOC), and why is it important?


2.​ Define a firewall and its primary function.
3.​ What is the difference between IDS and IPS?
4.​ Explain the term 'phishing attack.' How can you detect it?
5.​ What is the difference between a vulnerability and an exploit?
6.​ What is the difference between a false positive and a false negative?
7.​ What is the role of a threat hunter in a SOC?
8.​ What are the common log sources used in SOC monitoring?
9.​ What is the difference between encoding, encryption and hashing?
10.​What is the difference between UDP and TCP?
11.​What is the difference between asymmetric and symmetric encryption?
12.​Describe the CIA triad in cybersecurity.
13.​What is the purpose of SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) tools?
14.​What is a DDoS attack, and how can it be mitigated?
15.​What are the different types of malware?
16.​ Explain risk, vulnerability and threat.
17.​Explain the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption.
18.​What is the role of DNS in a network, and how can DNS queries be used to detect
malicious activity?
19.​Describe the OSI model and its layers.
20.​How do you keep updated with information security news?
21.​

Scenario-Based:

●​ A user reports a suspicious email. How would you analyze and respond to it?
●​ You receive an alert about an unauthorized login from a foreign country. What steps will
you take?
●​ You notice unusual traffic between two hosts on the same subnet. How do you
investigate this anomaly?

Intermediate-Level Questions

1.​ How do you investigate a failed login attempt in Active Directory?


2.​ What is a SIEM system, and how does it help in threat detection?
3.​ What is the role of a security information and event management (SIEM) system in
log analysis?
4.​ What are some common types of cyber threats?
5.​ Explain the process of log correlation and its importance in SOC.
6.​ What is threat intelligence, and how is it utilized in a SOC?
7.​ How would you prioritize incidents in a high-volume alert environment?
8.​ What are some common indicators of compromise (IOCs)?
9.​ Explain the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing.
10.​What is the MITRE ATT&CK framework? How is it used?
11.​Describe the lifecycle of an incident response process.
12.​What is the role of packet analysis in an incident investigation?
13.​How would you handle a security incident involving a compromised endpoint?
14.​What is a VPN, and how does it work in securing remote access?
15.​Explain the role of NAT (Network Address Translation) in a network.

Scenario-Based:

●​ A server shows high CPU usage and unusual outbound traffic. Walk through your
investigation process.
●​ You detect multiple failed logins across several user accounts. What steps will you take
to address this?
●​ A user’s computer is infected with malware, and it is communicating with an external IP
address. How would you trace and stop this communication?
●​ During an internal network audit, you identify multiple unauthorized devices connected to
the network. What steps would you take to resolve the situation?

Expert-Level Questions

1.​ What is lateral movement, and how can it be detected in a network?


2.​ Explain the concept of zero-day exploits and how you would defend against them.
3.​ What are the key components of a SOC runbook?
4.​ How do you detect and mitigate advanced persistent threats (APTs)?
5.​ Explain how you would design a SOC for a large-scale enterprise.
6.​ What role does machine learning play in modern SOC operations?
7.​ Describe your experience with scripting or automation for SOC workflows.
8.​ How do you handle false positives in security monitoring?
9.​ What are the challenges of cloud security in a SOC environment?
10.​How would you ensure compliance with security regulations like GDPR or HIPAA
in SOC operations?
11.​What is 3-tier architecture?
12.​What is the default port number for Splunk
13.​What are VLANs, and how do they enhance security in a network?
14.​What is the Cyber Kill Chain, and how does it relate to incident response?
15.​How would you go about investigating an alert from start to finish?
Scenario-Based:

●​ A critical system is hit by ransomware. What immediate and long-term actions would you
take?
●​ You identify malicious traffic that bypasses the firewall. How would you identify the root
cause and secure the system?
●​ An attacker has gained access to your internal network and is performing lateral
movement. How would you detect and stop this?
●​ Your network's public-facing servers are under a DDoS attack. What actions would you
take to mitigate the attack and identify its source?

Networking-Focused Questions

1.​ What is TCP/IP, and how does it work in a network?


2.​ Explain the three-way handshake in TCP connections.
3.​ What is subnetting, and why is it important in network security?
4.​ What is the purpose of a router, and how does it differ from a switch?
5.​ What is ARP (Address Resolution Protocol), and how is it used in network
communication?
6.​ Explain what DNS spoofing is and how you can prevent it.
7.​ What is a man-in-the-middle attack, and how can it be mitigated?
8.​ What is the role of a load balancer in network security?
9.​ How do you prevent IP address spoofing in a network?
10.​What are the differences between IPv4 and IPv6?

Scenario-Based:

●​ You notice a sudden drop in network performance and suspect a DDoS attack. How do
you validate and respond?
●​ A hacker has launched a man-in-the-middle attack on your organization's network. How
do you detect and mitigate this threat?
●​ A user is unable to access a particular website, but other users can. How would you
troubleshoot the issue, considering DNS or network misconfigurations?

Tools/Practical Questions

●​ Demonstrate how to analyze a log file using Splunk.


●​ Write a script to automate alert triaging.
●​ Explain how to configure a rule in a SIEM tool to detect brute force attacks.
●​ How would you capture and analyze network traffic using Wireshark?
●​ Show how you would isolate a compromised device in a network using VLANs.

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