SOME COMMON

SCENARIO-BASED
CYBERSECURITY
ANALYST
INTERVIEW
QUESTIONS &
ANSWERS I COULD
COME ACROSS

BY IZZMIER IZZUDDIN
QUESTIONS & ANSWERS:

1. You notice unusual outbound network traffic from a server hosting a critical
application. What steps would you take to investigate and respond to this
incident?

First, I would isolate the server to prevent further data exfiltration and notify the
incident response team and relevant stakeholders. Then, I would analyse the
network traffic to identify where the data is being sent and check the server logs
for any unusual activity. A full malware scan would help determine if the server
has been compromised. If a compromise is confirmed, I would remove the
threat, patch any vulnerabilities, and restore the server from a clean backup if
necessary. Finally, I would document the incident and the remediation steps
taken.

2. A vulnerability scanner flags multiple critical vulnerabilities on a production

server during off-hours. Describe how you would prioritize and remediate
these vulnerabilities to minimize risk to the organization.

I would start by verifying the flagged vulnerabilities and assessing their severity
and exploitability. The next step would be to prioritize these vulnerabilities based
on their criticality, potential business impact, and exposure level. For immediate
remediation, I would schedule and apply patches during the next maintenance
window and implement temporary mitigation measures if immediate patching is
not possible. Continuous monitoring of the server would follow to ensure there
are no signs of exploitation.

3. An employee reports receiving a suspicious email with an attachment that

they opened. What immediate actions do you take to assess and mitigate
potential risks from this incident?

I would immediately isolate the employee’s computer from the network and
preserve any potential evidence, such as the email and attachment. A thorough
malware scan on the computer and analysis of the attachment would follow to
identify any malicious content. I would also check network logs for unusual
activity from the employee’s computer. If malware is detected, I would remove it
and restore the system to a clean state, reset passwords, and educate the
employee about phishing and email security.

4. During routine monitoring, you detect unauthorized access attempts on a

database server containing sensitive customer information. Outline your
approach to investigate, contain, and respond to this security breach.

Upon detecting unauthorized access attempts, I would isolate the database

server to prevent further unauthorized access and notify the incident response
team and relevant stakeholders. Reviewing access logs would help determine
the source and scope of the attempts. Identifying any compromised accounts or
 credentials and assessing any potential data breaches or exfiltration would be
crucial. In response, I would change passwords, enforce multi-factor
authentication, apply security patches, harden the server configuration, and
monitor for further unauthorized attempts.

5. Your SIEM alerts you to a series of failed login attempts from multiple
countries on an executive's account. How would you handle this potential
account compromise incident?

My first step would be to lock the executive’s account to prevent further

attempts and notify the executive and relevant stakeholders. Analysing the login
attempts would help identify patterns and sources, and I would check for any
signs of a successful compromise. To secure the account, I would reset the
credentials, enforce multi-factor authentication, consider geolocation-based
access controls, and closely monitor the account for any further suspicious
activity.

6. A phishing simulation campaign results in several employees clicking on a

malicious link. What steps do you take to analyse the impact and educate
affected users about phishing risks?

I would identify and isolate the affected systems and notify the employees and
relevant stakeholders. Analysing the malicious link and any downloaded
payloads would be the next step, followed by checking for signs of compromise
on the affected systems. Educating the affected employees about phishing risks
and cybersecurity best practices is crucial, and I would conduct a company-
wide awareness campaign on phishing threats.

7. While reviewing system logs, you notice suspicious activity indicating a

possible insider threat. What strategies would you employ to investigate
and address this security incident?

I would start by collecting and Analysing logs to identify the nature and extent of
the suspicious activity. Conducting interviews with the suspected insider, if
appropriate, and reviewing access controls and permissions would be
necessary. Mitigation measures might include restricting access rights, closely
monitoring the insider’s activity, and implementing additional security controls
to prevent further insider threats.

8. You receive an alert indicating that a web server is experiencing a

Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. How would you verify and
mitigate the impact of this attack in real-time?

To verify the DDoS attack, I would analyse network traffic and server
performance. Activating DDoS protection measures, such as rate limiting or
traffic filtering, would be an immediate step. Utilizing a Content Delivery
Network (CDN) to absorb the traffic and collaborating with our Internet Service
 Provider (ISP) for additional support would be crucial. Keeping stakeholders
informed about the ongoing attack and mitigation efforts is also important.

9. A customer reports unauthorized transactions from their account,

suspecting a breach. Outline your immediate actions and investigative
steps to determine the root cause and prevent further unauthorized access.

I would immediately freeze the affected account to prevent further unauthorized

transactions and notify the customer and relevant stakeholders. Analysing
transaction logs to identify the source and method of unauthorized access
would be the next step. Checking for compromised credentials or accounts
would follow. The response would involve refunding the customer if appropriate,
resetting account credentials, enhancing security measures, monitoring for
further unauthorized activity, and improving customer security awareness.

10. During a routine audit, you discover outdated software versions on critical
infrastructure servers. Describe your plan to update these systems while
minimizing disruption to ongoing operations.

Identifying all outdated software and assessing the risk of running these versions
is the first step. Planning the updates with minimal disruption involves
scheduling updates during low-traffic periods, creating backups, and ensuring a
rollback plan is in place. Applying updates and patches systematically and
testing them in a staging environment before production deployment is crucial.
Post-update, I would monitor the systems for any issues and document the
updates, communicating the completion to stakeholders.

11. An employee accidentally downloads ransomware on their workstation,

encrypting critical files. What steps do you take to contain the ransomware,
recover encrypted data, and prevent future incidents?

First, I would isolate the infected workstation from the network to prevent the
ransomware from spreading. I would then notify the incident response team and
relevant stakeholders. Using a backup system, I would attempt to restore the
encrypted files from the latest clean backup. I would also conduct a thorough
scan and forensic analysis of the workstation to understand the entry point and
behaviour of the ransomware. For future prevention, I would reinforce endpoint
protection, ensure regular backups, and conduct cybersecurity awareness
training for employees to recognize and avoid ransomware threats.

12. Your intrusion detection system alerts you to suspicious activities indicating
potential lateral movement across your corporate network. How would you
investigate and respond to this advanced persistent threat (APT) scenario?

I would start by isolating the affected systems to prevent further lateral

movement. Analysing the IDS logs and other network data would help identify
the scope and source of the intrusion. I would look for common indicators of
 compromise (IOCs) and use threat intelligence to understand the tactics,
techniques, and procedures (TTPs) used by the attackers. Containing the threat
involves blocking the attacker’s access and strengthening network
segmentation. Finally, I would remediate the affected systems, conduct a
thorough security review, and implement additional monitoring to detect any
further suspicious activities.

13. A security vendor notifies you of a zero-day vulnerability affecting software

used across your organization. How do you prioritize patching and mitigating
this vulnerability to protect your systems and data?

Upon receiving the notification, I would first identify all systems affected by the
zero-day vulnerability and prioritize patching based on the criticality of the
systems and their exposure to potential attacks. I would implement any
available vendor-provided mitigation measures and deploy virtual patches if
immediate patching is not possible. Communication with the relevant teams
about the vulnerability and the steps being taken is crucial. Continuous
monitoring for any signs of exploitation and preparing for potential incident
response would be part of my strategy to protect the organization.

14. You receive reports of an insider leaking sensitive company information to a

competitor. Outline your approach to investigate this insider threat, gather
evidence, and mitigate the damage to your organization.

I would start by preserving and securing any evidence, including access logs,
emails, and data transfer records. Collaborating with legal and HR departments,
I would conduct a thorough investigation to understand the scope of the leak
and identify the insider. I would interview the suspected employee if appropriate
and review their access and actions. Containing the leak involves revoking
access and monitoring for any further unauthorized activity. Finally, I would
address the damage by notifying affected parties, enhancing insider threat
detection mechanisms, and implementing stronger access controls.

15. A security analyst notices unusual patterns in outbound traffic from a server
hosting customer data. How would you investigate and determine if this is a
data exfiltration attempt?

I would analyse the outbound traffic to determine the destination and nature of
the data being sent. Reviewing server logs and network data would help identify
any signs of compromise or unusual activity. Conducting a forensic analysis on
the server and checking for indicators of compromise (IOCs) would be essential.
If a data exfiltration attempt is confirmed, I would isolate the server, notify
relevant stakeholders, and start the incident response process. Preventive
measures would include strengthening data loss prevention (DLP) controls and
monitoring outbound traffic for anomalies.
16. Your organization's website suddenly becomes unreachable. Outline your
steps to diagnose whether this is due to a cyber-attack, server issue, or
network problem, and how you would restore service quickly.

I would start by checking the server status and network connectivity to

determine if the issue is with the server or the network. Reviewing logs and
monitoring tools would help identify any signs of a cyber-attack, such as a DDoS
attack. If an attack is detected, I would implement mitigation measures like
activating DDoS protection and working with the ISP for support. If the issue is
server-related, I would check for hardware failures, software issues, or
misconfigurations. Communicating with stakeholders and providing updates on
the situation is crucial. Once the issue is identified, I would restore the service
as quickly as possible and take steps to prevent future occurrences.

17. An employee reports their laptop behaving strangely after clicking a link in a
phishing email. Describe your approach to investigate for malware, contain
the infection, and educate the employee on phishing awareness.

I would isolate the laptop from the network to prevent potential spread of
malware. Conducting a thorough malware scan and forensic analysis would
help identify any infections. If malware is found, I would remove it and restore
the laptop from a clean backup if necessary. Educating the employee about
phishing risks and how to recognize and avoid suspicious emails is essential. I
would also review and update our email filtering and endpoint protection
policies to prevent similar incidents in the future.

18. Your SIEM alerts you to a pattern of suspicious login attempts across
multiple user accounts. How would you verify if this is a brute force attack
and mitigate the risk of unauthorized access?

I would start by Analysing the login attempts to verify if they follow a pattern
consistent with brute force attacks. Reviewing the IP addresses, timestamps,
and login success rates would help in this analysis. Implementing account
lockout policies after a certain number of failed attempts and enforcing multi-
factor authentication (MFA) would mitigate the risk of unauthorized access. I
would also consider geolocation-based access controls and monitoring for
further suspicious login attempts. Communicating with the affected users and
instructing them to reset their passwords is crucial.

19. During a routine audit, you discover unauthorized software installed on

several company-owned devices. How do you handle this discovery,
including assessment of potential security risks and remediation steps?

I would first identify all devices with unauthorized software installed and assess
the potential security risks. Conducting a thorough scan for any malware or
unwanted applications is necessary. I would work with the relevant teams to
remove the unauthorized software and ensure compliance with company
 policies. Strengthening endpoint management controls to prevent unauthorized
software installation in the future and educating employees about the risks and
policies regarding software use would be part of the remediation steps.

20. You receive reports of unauthorized access to confidential documents

stored on a cloud storage service. What immediate actions do you take to
investigate the incident, assess data exposure, and prevent further
unauthorized access?

I would immediately revoke access to the affected documents and conduct a

forensic analysis to determine the extent of the unauthorized access and data
exposure. Reviewing access logs and collaborating with the cloud service
provider would help in the investigation. Notifying relevant stakeholders and
affected parties is crucial. Strengthening access controls, implementing
encryption, and enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for accessing
sensitive documents would help prevent further unauthorized access.
Conducting a security review of our cloud storage practices and policies would
also be necessary.

21. A third-party vendor responsible for managing your organization's payment

processing system experiences a security breach. Describe your response
plan to minimize impact, protect customer data, and ensure vendor
accountability.

First, I would immediately contact the vendor to understand the nature and
scope of the breach and to confirm what data has been compromised. I would
then assess the impact on our organization and inform our incident response
team. Concurrently, I would notify relevant stakeholders and potentially affected
customers about the breach and the steps being taken. To protect customer
data, I would work with the vendor to ensure they are implementing appropriate
containment and remediation measures. We would also review our contract and
hold the vendor accountable for any negligence. Additionally, I would evaluate
and potentially enhance our own security measures and third-party risk
management practices.

22. You notice unusual outbound traffic from a critical server during non-
business hours. Describe your steps to investigate and respond to this
potential data exfiltration incident.

Upon noticing unusual outbound traffic, I would isolate the server from the
network to prevent potential data exfiltration. I would notify the incident
response team and relevant stakeholders. Analysing the network traffic and
server logs would help identify the nature and destination of the traffic.
Conducting a forensic analysis on the server to check for indicators of
compromise (IOCs) is crucial. If data exfiltration is confirmed, I would contain
the breach, remove any malicious software, and restore the server from a clean
 backup if necessary. Finally, I would document the incident, review security
controls, and implement measures to prevent future incidents.

23. Your organization's email gateway flags multiple emails containing

suspicious attachments. How would you analyse these emails to determine
if they pose a security threat, and what actions would you take?

First, I would isolate the flagged emails and ensure they are not opened by any
users. I would use a sandbox environment to analyse the attachments for any
malicious content, such as malware or phishing links. Running the attachments
through advanced threat detection tools can also provide insights into their
nature. If the emails are confirmed to be malicious, I would delete them from all
user mailboxes and notify the affected users. Additionally, I would update email
filtering rules and conduct a security awareness campaign to educate
employees about recognizing and reporting suspicious emails.

24. A security audit reveals weak encryption practices in use across your
organization. How do you prioritize upgrading encryption protocols and
ensure compliance with security standards?

I would start by prioritizing systems that handle sensitive data, such as customer
information and financial transactions, for encryption upgrades. Collaborating
with our IT and compliance teams, I would develop a plan to transition to
stronger encryption protocols. This would include updating software, configuring
secure communication channels, and enforcing encryption for data at rest and
in transit. I would also ensure that the new encryption practices comply with
industry standards and regulatory requirements. Continuous monitoring and
regular audits would help maintain compliance and identify any weaknesses in
our encryption practices.

25. A senior executive reports receiving a threatening email demanding a

ransom payment in cryptocurrency. Outline your approach to verify the
credibility of the threat and protect the executive and company assets.

First, I would advise the executive not to respond to the email or make any
payments. I would then involve our incident response team and notify law
enforcement authorities. Analysing the email headers and content would help
determine its credibility and trace its origin. Simultaneously, I would enhance
the executive's account security by enforcing multi-factor authentication and
reviewing recent account activity. Implementing additional security measures,
such as network monitoring and endpoint protection, would help safeguard
company assets. Finally, I would communicate with all employees about the
potential threat and provide guidance on how to handle such emails.

26. Your organization's website experiences a defacement attack, with the

homepage replaced by unauthorized content. What immediate steps would
 you take to restore the website's integrity and investigate the source of the
attack?

I would immediately take the website offline to prevent further damage and
contain the attack. Notifying the incident response team and relevant
stakeholders is crucial. Restoring the website from a clean backup would be the
next step, followed by a thorough investigation to identify the source of the
attack. Reviewing server logs and conducting a forensic analysis would help
determine how the attackers gained access. Enhancing website security by
applying patches, strengthening access controls, and monitoring for future
attacks is essential. Communicating with users about the incident and the steps
taken to resolve it is also important.

27. During a routine vulnerability scan, critical vulnerabilities are identified in

legacy systems that cannot be immediately patched. How do you mitigate
the risk posed by these vulnerabilities until a patch is available?

To mitigate the risk posed by critical vulnerabilities in legacy systems, I would

implement compensating controls, such as network segmentation and access
restrictions, to limit exposure. Virtual patching using intrusion prevention
systems (IPS) can provide temporary protection until a patch is available.
Conducting regular vulnerability assessments and monitoring the systems for
any signs of exploitation is crucial. I would also develop a plan for eventually
upgrading or replacing the legacy systems to ensure long-term security.

28. You receive reports of suspicious activity involving privileged accounts in

your Active Directory environment. How would you investigate, contain, and
remediate the potential compromise of these accounts?

First, I would isolate the suspected privileged accounts to prevent further

unauthorized access. Analysing access logs and recent activity would help
identify the scope and source of the compromise. Conducting a thorough
forensic investigation to understand how the accounts were compromised is
crucial. Resetting passwords and enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) for
all privileged accounts is necessary. I would also review and enhance our
privileged access management (PAM) policies and monitor for any further
suspicious activity. Educating administrators about security best practices and
potential threats is essential.

29. You receive an alert from your intrusion detection system indicating unusual
activity on a critical server hosting customer transaction data. Outline your
immediate actions to investigate, contain, and mitigate the potential
breach.

Upon receiving the alert, I would immediately isolate the server to prevent
potential data breaches. Notifying the incident response team and relevant
stakeholders is crucial. Analysing the unusual activity through server logs and
 network traffic would help identify the nature and scope of the potential breach.
Conducting a forensic analysis to check for indicators of compromise (IOCs) is
essential. If a breach is confirmed, I would contain the threat, remove any
malicious software, and restore the server from a clean backup if necessary.
Implementing additional security measures and monitoring the server for future
threats would be part of the mitigation plan.

30. An employee reports that their corporate email account is sending out spam
emails to colleagues. Describe your steps to investigate, contain, and
remediate this email account compromise.

I would immediately isolate the compromised email account to prevent further

spam distribution. Analysing the email headers and account activity would help
identify the source and scope of the compromise. Resetting the account
password and enforcing multi-factor authentication (MFA) is necessary.
Conducting a thorough scan for any malware or malicious software on the
employee's device is crucial. Educating the employee about phishing risks and
how to recognize suspicious emails is important. Finally, I would update email
filtering rules and monitor for any further suspicious activity.

31. During a routine security assessment, you discover unauthorized devices

connected to your corporate network. How would you identify these
devices, assess the security risk they pose, and mitigate any potential
vulnerabilities?

I would start by identifying the unauthorized devices using network scanning

tools and reviewing DHCP logs and ARP tables. Once identified, I would assess
the security risk by determining the devices' nature, owners, and activity. I would
also check for any unusual behaviour or data access patterns. To mitigate
potential vulnerabilities, I would isolate the unauthorized devices from the
network and conduct a security assessment on them. Additionally, I would
implement network access control (NAC) policies to prevent future
unauthorized connections and enhance network monitoring to detect any
anomalies.

32. Your organization's website is experiencing intermittent downtime due to a

suspected Distributed Denial of Service (DDoS) attack. Outline your
response plan to mitigate the impact on service availability and protect
against future attacks.

To mitigate the impact of a DDoS attack, I would first activate DDoS protection
measures, such as traffic filtering and rate limiting, through our ISP or using a
cloud-based DDoS mitigation service. I would also utilize a Content Delivery
Network (CDN) to distribute the load and absorb the traffic. Concurrently, I
would analyse traffic patterns to identify and block malicious IP addresses.
Enhancing our network infrastructure to handle high traffic volumes and
 regularly updating our incident response plan to address DDoS attacks are
critical steps to protect against future incidents.

33. A database administrator notices unusual queries executed on a production

database during off-hours. Describe your approach to investigate if this is a
SQL injection attack and prevent unauthorized data access.

To investigate the unusual queries, I would review database logs to identify the
source, time, and nature of the queries. I would check for signs of a SQL
injection attack by Analysing the query patterns and input validation. If SQL
injection is suspected, I would immediately isolate the affected database to
prevent further unauthorized access. Implementing input validation and
parameterized queries would be crucial to prevent such attacks. Conducting a
security review of the application code and database configurations and
educating developers about secure coding practices would also be part of my
approach.

34. Your security monitoring system alerts you to suspicious file modifications
on a critical server. How would you analyse these changes, determine if they
indicate a security breach, and respond to prevent further damage?

I would start by Analysing the changes using file integrity monitoring tools to
determine what files were modified, when, and by whom. Reviewing server logs
and running a forensic analysis would help identify any indicators of
compromise (IOCs). If a security breach is suspected, I would isolate the server
to prevent further damage and notify the incident response team. Restoring the
affected files from a clean backup, removing any malicious software, and
enhancing security controls, such as access restrictions and monitoring, are
crucial steps to prevent future incidents.

35. A vulnerability scanner identifies outdated software versions on employee

workstations. How do you prioritize and deploy patches to minimize the risk
of exploitation by attackers?

I would prioritize patching based on the criticality of the vulnerabilities and the
risk they pose to the organization. High-risk vulnerabilities affecting critical
systems or data would be patched first. Coordinating with IT to schedule
updates during low-traffic periods to minimize disruption is essential. I would
also ensure that all workstations are running the latest security patches and
updates. Implementing automated patch management solutions and educating
employees about the importance of timely updates are crucial steps to minimize
the risk of exploitation.

36. You receive reports of an employee's mobile device being lost or stolen,
potentially containing sensitive corporate data. Outline your steps to
remotely wipe the device, investigate any potential data exposure, and
mitigate the impact on data security.
 I would immediately use our mobile device management (MDM) solution to
remotely wipe the device to prevent unauthorized access to sensitive data.
Conducting an investigation to determine the potential data exposure, such as
reviewing access logs and recent activity, is crucial. Notifying relevant
stakeholders and resetting passwords for accounts accessed from the device
are necessary steps. Enhancing mobile device security policies, such as
enforcing encryption and strong authentication, and educating employees about
reporting lost or stolen devices promptly would help mitigate future risks.

37. An external penetration test identifies a critical vulnerability in your web

application that could lead to remote code execution. Describe your
approach to prioritize and remediate this vulnerability to prevent
exploitation.

I would first assess the vulnerability's impact and prioritize its remediation
based on the risk it poses to the organization. Collaborating with the
development team to apply patches or updates and implementing virtual
patches using a web application firewall (WAF) if immediate patching is not
possible are crucial steps. Conducting a thorough code review to identify and fix
similar vulnerabilities and ensuring secure coding practices are followed would
help prevent future issues. Regularly updating and testing the application for
vulnerabilities is essential to maintaining security.

38. Your organization's firewall logs indicate multiple failed login attempts from
a specific IP address range. How would you investigate if this is a brute-
force attack, and what steps would you take to block further unauthorized
access?

To investigate if this is a brute-force attack, I would analyse the login attempts'

frequency, patterns, and IP addresses. I would also check for any successful
logins or account lockouts. Blocking the suspicious IP range at the firewall level
and implementing account lockout policies after a certain number of failed
attempts would help prevent unauthorized access. Enforcing multi-factor
authentication (MFA) and monitoring login attempts for further suspicious
activity are necessary steps to enhance security.

39. During a routine audit, you discover unauthorized software installed on a

server used for processing financial transactions. Outline your response
plan to assess the impact, contain the incident, and prevent potential
financial fraud.

I would first isolate the server to prevent any potential misuse and conduct a
security assessment to identify the unauthorized software and its impact.
Reviewing logs and running a forensic analysis would help determine if any
malicious activity occurred. Notifying relevant stakeholders and removing the
unauthorized software are necessary steps. Implementing stricter access
controls and monitoring for unauthorized software installations would help
 prevent future incidents. Conducting regular security audits and ensuring
compliance with software usage policies are also crucial.

40. Your security incident response team receives reports of suspicious data
exfiltration attempts from a corporate endpoint to an external IP address.
Describe your steps to verify the incident, mitigate data loss, and prevent
further unauthorized access.

To verify the incident, I would analyse the network traffic and endpoint logs to
identify the data being transferred and the destination IP address. Isolating the
affected endpoint to prevent further data loss and notifying the incident
response team are immediate steps. Conducting a forensic analysis to
determine the scope and method of the exfiltration and removing any malicious
software are crucial. Enhancing data loss prevention (DLP) controls,
implementing stricter access controls, and monitoring for further suspicious
activity would help mitigate future risks. Educating employees about data
security best practices is also essential.

41. An employee reports receiving a phishing email with a link to a fake login
page that appears identical to your organization's intranet. How would you
assess the phishing attempt's impact, educate employees about phishing
risks, and enhance email security controls?

To assess the impact, I would analyse the phishing email to determine how
many employees received it and if any clicked the link. Reviewing email logs and
monitoring for any suspicious login attempts would help identify affected
accounts. Educating employees is crucial, so I would send a company-wide
alert detailing the phishing attempt and providing tips on recognizing phishing
emails. I would also conduct a phishing awareness training session. To enhance
email security, I would review and strengthen our email filtering rules, enable
multi-factor authentication (MFA), and implement advanced threat protection
tools to detect and block phishing attempts.

42. Your organization's CEO's social media account is compromised, and

unauthorized posts are made on behalf of the CEO. Outline your response
plan to regain control of the account, investigate the breach, and prevent
similar incidents in the future.

First, I would work with the social media platform to regain control of the CEO's
account, including resetting passwords and enabling two-factor authentication.
I would also review the account activity to identify the breach's origin and any
unauthorized posts. Notifying the CEO and relevant stakeholders is essential. To
prevent similar incidents, I would conduct a security review of all executive
accounts, enhance their security settings, and provide training on recognizing
and avoiding social engineering attacks. Monitoring the accounts for any
suspicious activity is also crucial.
43. You receive reports of unusual activity on a shared network drive, including
unauthorized file deletions and modifications. How would you investigate
these incidents to determine if they are caused by malicious intent or
system errors, and how would you restore affected data?

I would start by reviewing access logs to identify who accessed the files and
when the unauthorized deletions and modifications occurred. Conducting
interviews with users who have access to the drive might provide insights into
whether the incidents were malicious or due to system errors. If malicious intent
is suspected, I would isolate the affected systems and notify the incident
response team. Restoring the affected files from backups is crucial. Enhancing
access controls, implementing file integrity monitoring, and educating users
about proper file management practices would help prevent future incidents.

44. Your organization's security monitoring system alerts you to a potential

ransomware infection on a critical server. Describe your immediate actions
to contain the ransomware, minimize data loss, and restore affected
systems.

Immediate containment is crucial, so I would isolate the infected server from the
network to prevent the ransomware from spreading. Notifying the incident
response team and relevant stakeholders is the next step. I would then conduct
a forensic analysis to identify the ransomware strain and determine the extent of
the infection. Restoring affected systems from clean backups and ensuring that
backups are not compromised is essential. Enhancing security measures, such
as implementing endpoint protection, regular patching, and user training on
recognizing ransomware, would help minimize future risks.

45. During a routine audit of privileged access, you discover that a former
employee's account still has active permissions to sensitive systems.
Outline your steps to revoke access, investigate potential misuse, and
enhance access control policies.

I would immediately revoke the former employee's access to all sensitive

systems and conduct a review of their account activity to ensure no misuse
occurred. Notifying the relevant stakeholders and incident response team is
essential. To enhance access control policies, I would implement a process for
timely deactivation of accounts upon employee departure, conduct regular
audits of privileged access, and enforce the principle of least privilege.
Educating HR and IT teams about the importance of promptly updating access
permissions is also crucial.

46. An external vendor responsible for handling customer data notifies you of a
security breach affecting their systems. Describe your response plan to
coordinate with the vendor, assess the impact on your organization, and
mitigate customer data exposure.
 Coordinating with the vendor to understand the breach's scope and the data
affected is the first step. Assessing the impact on our organization and notifying
relevant stakeholders and affected customers is crucial. I would work with the
vendor to ensure they implement appropriate containment and remediation
measures. Enhancing our own security measures and third-party risk
management practices, such as conducting regular security assessments and
requiring vendors to adhere to strict security standards, would help mitigate
future risks.

47. Your organization's endpoint protection system flags a suspicious file with
unknown behaviour on an employee's laptop. How would you analyse the
file for potential malware, quarantine the device if necessary, and prevent
further spread within the network?

I would quarantine the affected device to prevent the suspicious file from
spreading within the network. Analysing the file using advanced threat detection
tools and a sandbox environment would help determine if it is malware.
Notifying the incident response team and conducting a forensic analysis to
understand how the file got on the laptop is crucial. Enhancing endpoint
protection, implementing regular security updates, and educating employees
about safe browsing and downloading practices would help prevent future
incidents.

48. A security audit reveals that your organization's disaster recovery plan has
not been tested in over a year. Describe your approach to schedule and
conduct a comprehensive disaster recovery drill to ensure readiness in case
of a cybersecurity incident.

I would schedule a comprehensive disaster recovery drill, involving all relevant

teams, to ensure readiness in case of a cybersecurity incident. The drill would
include simulating various scenarios, such as data breaches and ransomware
attacks, to test our response procedures and recovery capabilities.
Documenting the drill's outcomes and identifying areas for improvement are
crucial. Regularly updating and testing the disaster recovery plan and
conducting post-incident reviews would help ensure its effectiveness.

49. Your organization's internal network experiences a significant slowdown,

and network traffic analysis indicates potential signs of a covert channel
communication. How would you investigate and mitigate this network
anomaly to prevent unauthorized data leakage?

I would start by Analysing network traffic patterns to identify the source and
nature of the covert channel communication. Conducting a thorough
investigation using intrusion detection systems (IDS) and reviewing logs would
help determine if unauthorized data leakage is occurring. Isolating the affected
systems and notifying the incident response team is crucial. Enhancing network
 segmentation, implementing data loss prevention (DLP) tools, and regularly
monitoring network traffic for anomalies would help prevent future incidents.

50. You receive reports from multiple employees about suspicious emails
requesting sensitive information in exchange for financial rewards. Outline
your response plan to identify and block these phishing attempts, educate
employees about phishing risks, and enhance email filtering controls.

To identify and block these phishing attempts, I would analyse the emails to
determine their origin and nature. Updating email filtering rules and
implementing advanced threat protection tools would help block similar emails.
Notifying all employees about the phishing attempt and providing guidance on
recognizing and reporting suspicious emails is crucial. Conducting phishing
awareness training sessions and regular security drills would help educate
employees about phishing risks. Enhancing email security controls, such as
enabling multi-factor authentication (MFA) and monitoring for suspicious
activity, would help mitigate future risks.