Top 25 SOC Analyst interview questions
                     
Description
SOC is abbreviated as Security Operations Center, a centralized 
team of  any company that monitors real-time threats, real-time 
incidents, and  suspicious activities. The SOC team will take the 
appropriate action or
assign some professionals to handle the risk if found.
Any organization hires a SOC team for two primary reasons. First, the 
SOC  team makes sure that the impact of an already-happening 
compromise  or incident will be minimal. For example, if one of the 
systems/computers  has been compromised, the SOC team must 
ensure the remaining
computers work correctly. Second, they must make sure that the cost 
of  remediation is minimal.
So if you are also willing to become a SOC Analyst and are preparing 
for  interviews, these hand-picked interview questions may help you. 
Have a  look.
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1.What do you know about PAT?
PAT is abbreviated as Port Address Translation, an extension of 
Network  Address Translation (NAT) that allows multiple devices on a 
network to  be mapped to a single IP address to conserve IP 
addresses.
2. What is the idea behind Network 
Address  Translation?
The idea behind Network Address Translation is to map an IP 
address  space into another by editing information in packet 
headers while the  packets are in transit.
3. What is an IP address?
Internet Protocol addresses are numerical labels such as 192.0.2.1 
that  denote a computer network that utilizes the Internet Protocol 
to
communicate. IP addresses serve two purposes: network 
interface  identification and location identification.
4. What is confidentiality?
Confidentiality is used for the protection of information from 
being  accessed by unauthorized individuals. A computer file, for 
instance,
remains confidential if only authorized users are able to access it, 
but  unauthorized people are barred from doing so.
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5. What is integrity?
Integrity is making sure that an unauthorized entity does not modify 
the  data. In other words, the accuracy and completeness of data 
are
integral to integrity. Security controls focused on integrity are 
intended  to block data from being altered or maltreated by an 
illegal party.
6. Can you list the various layers of the OSI 
model?
The seven different layers of the OSI model are
1.Physical layer
2. Data Link layer
3. Network layer
4. Transport layer
5. Session layer
6. Presentation layer
7.Application layer
7.What do you know about VPNs?
A Virtual Private Network, or VPN, is a  secure connection between a
server and a device over the Internet. It encrypts data transmissions 
so  that sensitive information is protected. In addition to making
unauthorized individuals unable to eavesdrop on the Internet traffic, 
it  also allows users to conduct business remotely.
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8. Can you list a few common cyber-attacks?
A few common cyber attacks are:
• Phishing attacks
• Password attacks
• Drive-by Downloads
• DDOS
• Malware
9. What is cryptography?
The study of cryptography involves techniques that ensure the
confidentiality of messages so that they can only be viewed by 
the  sender and the recipient. Usually, cryptography is used to 
encrypt or
decrypt emails and plaintext messages when transmitting 
electronic  data.
10.What is encryption?
Encryption is the process of making the data unreadable by any 
third
party. This is a  process where the plain text is converted into cipher-
text  (a  random sequence of alphabets and numbers).
11.What is CSRF?
Cross-Site Request Forgery is a vulnerability of web applications that
occurs if the server does not check the request source. In this 
scenario,  the request is just processed straight away.
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12.Define firewall?
A firewall is a  device that allows or blocks traffic according to rules.
Firewalls are usually situated between trusted and untrusted 
networks.
13.What do you know about port scanning?
Port scanning is the process of sending messages to collect 
network  and system information by evaluating the incoming 
response.
14.Can you tell the various response codes 
from  a  web application?
1xx –  Informational 
responses  2xx –  Success
3xx –  Redirection
4xx –  Client-side error 
 5xx –  Server side 
error
15.Define 
tracert/tracer
oute?
When you cannot 
ping the destination, 
tracert helps you find 
the
disruptions, pauses, or breakages in the connection—no matter 
whether  it is a firewall, router, or ISP.
16.Can you list the different types of 
web  application firewalls?
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There are two types of Web Application Firewalls, they 
are:
• Cloud-based • Box 
type
17.What is the main difference between 
software  testing and PenTesting?
Software testing only focuses on the software’s functionality, 
whereas  PenTesting concentrates on the security aspects like 
identifying and  addressing the vulnerabilities.
18.Define data leakage?
The data leak happens when data gets out of the organization in 
an  unauthorized manner. Data can leak via numerous means, 
including  e-mails, printouts, laptops, unauthorized uploading of 
data to public  portals, portable drives, photos, etc.
19.What is the perfect time to revise the 
security  policy?
There is no perfect time to revise the security policy. You just have 
to
make sure to do it at least once a year. If there are any changes 
made,  document them in the revision history.
20. What is the risk?
Risk is the probability of being exposed, losing important 
information  and assets, or suffering reputational damage as a 
result of a cyber  attack or breach within an organization’s 
network.
21.What is a  threat?
The threat is anything that may purposefully or inadvertently take
advantage of a vulnerability in order to acquire, harm, or destroy 
an  asset.
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22.What is vulnerability?
Vulnerabilities refer to flaws or gaps in software, networks, or 
systems  that can be exploited by any threat to gain unauthorized 
access to an  asset.
23.Can you list a  few IPS/IDS tools?
• SNORT
• Security Onion
• OSSEC
• Osquery
• WinPatrol
24. How can we prevent identity theft?
•Avoid sharing private information online on social media
•Only buy from reputable and well-known websites
•Always use the most advanced version of the browser
• Install new spyware and malware protection tools
•Renew your software and systems frequently
25. How can we prevent Man-in-the-middle 
attacks?
A MITM attack occurs when communication among two parties 
is  interrupted or intercepted by an external entity.
•Use encryption among both parties
•Avoid utilizing open wi-fi networks
•Use HTTPS for forced VPN or TLS
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