Given your profile and the job description, you should focus on the following topics to prepare for

the Senior
DevSecOps Engineer role, ensuring alignment with your Azure and DevOps expertise while bridging the gaps
in AWS and Kubernetes-related skills. Below is a study plan and potential interview questions for preparation.

Study Plan

1. Core Topics to Cover

 Linux Administration
o Advanced Linux commands, shell scripting, and automation.
o Hardening Linux servers (security best practices).
 AWS Cloud Services (Bridge the Gap)
o Core services: EC2, RDS, CloudWatch, Auto Scaling, VPC.
o Security best practices in AWS: IAM policies, encryption, and monitoring.
o AWS equivalents to Azure services (e.g., EC2 vs Azure VM, CloudWatch vs Azure Monitor).
 Kubernetes & Helm
o Concepts: Pods, Services, Deployments, StatefulSets, and Ingress.
o Helm: Charts, templates, and managing deployments.
o Azure Kubernetes Service (AKS) to Kubernetes on AWS comparison.
 GitLab CI Pipelines
o Building and maintaining CI/CD pipelines.
o Automation using GitLab runners and YAML pipeline definitions.
o Integrating security into CI/CD workflows.
 Scripting (Extend Your Python Skills)
o Write scripts to automate infrastructure tasks (Python, Bash).
o Use libraries like Boto3 (AWS) and Azure SDK for automation.
 Monitoring & Logging
o Tools: ELK, Prometheus, Grafana (differences between these and Azure Monitor/Log
Analytics).
o Setting up alerts, dashboards, and custom metrics.
 DevSecOps Practices
o Security in CI/CD pipelines (e.g., dependency scanning, SAST/DAST).
o Vulnerability management tools and processes.
o Secure Infrastructure as Code (Terraform) implementation.

2. Relevant Azure Knowledge

 Align AWS services with Azure counterparts to showcase your Azure expertise during discussions.
 Demonstrate proficiency with Azure DevOps and Azure Security features.
 Highlight your existing experience in integrating AI and DevOps into healthcare-related projects.

3. Healthcare Compliance & Security

 Research HIPAA, HITRUST, and other healthcare-specific security standards.

 Understand how cloud platforms can be configured for compliance.

Sample Interview Questions

Linux Administration
 1. How do you secure a Linux server? What tools do you use for monitoring logs and detecting
intrusions?
2. Can you explain how you would automate a routine task on Linux using a Bash script?

AWS Cloud Services

1. How would you design a highly available and secure architecture on AWS for a healthcare
application?
2. What are the best practices for managing costs in AWS while ensuring scalability?
3. Can you explain the differences between EC2 Auto Scaling and Azure VM Scale Sets?

Kubernetes & Helm

1. How do you manage stateful applications in Kubernetes?

2. What is Helm, and how does it simplify Kubernetes application deployment?
3. Can you explain the process of scaling Kubernetes clusters and troubleshooting deployment issues?

GitLab CI Pipelines

1. How would you implement a CI/CD pipeline for a microservices architecture using GitLab?
2. What strategies would you use to integrate security testing into GitLab CI/CD pipelines?

Scripting

1. Write a Python script to list all EC2 instances in an AWS account.

2. How do you use scripting to automate infrastructure tasks like server provisioning or log rotation?

Monitoring and Logging

1. How do you set up and use Grafana to monitor application performance?

2. Can you describe a scenario where you used ELK to troubleshoot a production issue?

DevSecOps

1. How would you integrate vulnerability scanning into a CI/CD pipeline?

2. What are the key differences between SAST and DAST, and where would you apply each in a
DevSecOps workflow?
3. How do you secure secrets in your CI/CD pipelines?

General Questions

1. Describe a challenging project where you implemented security into a DevOps pipeline.
2. How do you ensure compliance with industry-specific regulations (e.g., HIPAA) in your
infrastructure?
3. How would you handle a situation where a critical vulnerability is found in production?

Additional Preparation Tips

 Hands-on Practice: Set up a test environment on AWS, Kubernetes, and GitLab to practice key tasks.
 Certifications: Highlight any certifications you hold (e.g., Azure DevOps Engineer, Kubernetes, or
AWS certifications).
 Use Case Demonstrations: Be ready to discuss specific projects where you've automated
infrastructure, integrated security, or solved complex problems.
  Healthcare-Specific Context: Tailor your answers to include healthcare compliance and security
requirements when relevant.

Let me know if you need more detailed resources or mock interview scenarios!

Here’s a comprehensive list of additional interview questions categorized by topics relevant to the job
description. These questions focus on real-world scenarios and problem-solving to help you prepare
thoroughly.

Linux Administration

1. How do you troubleshoot high CPU or memory usage on a Linux server?

2. Explain how to set up a secure SSH configuration for a server.
3. What is the purpose of SELinux/AppArmor, and how do you use them?
4. How do you automate patch management in Linux servers?
5. Can you explain the difference between hard links and soft links in Linux?

AWS Cloud Services

1. How do you set up a VPC with public and private subnets for a secure web application?
2. What are the key differences between AWS Lambda and EC2? When would you use one over the
other?
3. How do you implement disaster recovery in AWS?
4. Explain the purpose of Security Groups and Network ACLs in AWS.
5. How do you monitor and optimize AWS billing for a healthcare application?

Kubernetes & Helm

1. How do you handle Kubernetes pod eviction issues?

2. Explain the difference between Deployment, StatefulSet, and DaemonSet in Kubernetes.
3. What is a Helm Chart, and how do you create one?
4. How do you perform a blue-green or canary deployment in Kubernetes?
5. How do you troubleshoot a failing pod in a Kubernetes cluster?

GitLab CI Pipelines

1. How do you integrate dynamic and static code analysis tools in a GitLab CI pipeline?
2. What are GitLab Runners, and how do you configure them for different environments?
3. How do you handle pipeline failures and ensure quick recovery?
4. What techniques can you use to speed up CI/CD pipelines in GitLab?
5. How do you deploy applications securely using GitLab CI/CD?

Scripting (Python/Bash)

1. Write a script to check disk usage on multiple Linux servers and send alerts if usage exceeds 80%.
 2. How do you automate the creation and deletion of AWS resources using Python (Boto3)?
3. Write a script to rotate logs on a Linux server.
4. How do you handle errors in a Bash script to ensure it doesn’t fail silently?
5. Explain how to parse a large log file and extract specific information using Python.

Monitoring and Logging

1. How do you set up centralized logging for a multi-region Kubernetes deployment?

2. What is the difference between push-based and pull-based metrics collection?
3. How do you use Prometheus to monitor application performance?
4. How do you set up alerting rules in Grafana for critical system failures?
5. How would you troubleshoot log ingestion issues in an ELK stack?

DevSecOps

1. How do you manage secrets in a DevSecOps pipeline?

2. What steps do you take to ensure compliance with security standards like HIPAA in a CI/CD pipeline?
3. How do you conduct vulnerability assessments for container images?
4. What is the role of Infrastructure as Code (IaC) in DevSecOps?
5. How do you integrate automated security scans into a Kubernetes workflow?

Terraform and IaC

1. Explain how Terraform ensures consistency in deploying infrastructure across environments.

2. How do you manage sensitive data in Terraform scripts?
3. What strategies do you use to manage Terraform state files securely?
4. How do you implement reusable modules in Terraform?
5. Describe a scenario where Terraform drift occurred, and how you resolved it.

General Problem-Solving

1. A Kubernetes service is running, but it’s unreachable externally. How do you troubleshoot it?
2. Your CI/CD pipeline is taking too long. How do you optimize its performance?
3. An AWS Lambda function is failing intermittently. How do you identify and fix the issue?
4. You’re tasked with migrating an on-premises application to the cloud. What steps would you take?
5. How would you handle a situation where a critical system component fails during peak hours?

Healthcare Industry-Specific Questions

1. How would you ensure compliance with HIPAA for an application hosted in AWS?
2. How do you manage PHI (Protected Health Information) in a cloud environment?
3. What are the unique security considerations for healthcare applications compared to other industries?
4. How do you implement monitoring and alerting to ensure data integrity for healthcare applications?
5. Can you describe how you’ve designed or implemented a secure architecture for healthcare
workloads?
Behavioral Questions

1. Describe a time when you identified and resolved a major security vulnerability in your pipeline.
2. Share an example of a challenging project where you integrated new tools or technologies.
3. How do you approach mentoring junior team members?
4. How do you handle disagreements with team members about implementing a specific technology or
process?
5. Tell us about a time when you had to troubleshoot a production outage under tight deadlines.

Preparation Tips

 Practice Hands-On: Set up mock scenarios for Kubernetes deployments, AWS infrastructure, and
CI/CD pipelines.
 Document Examples: Prepare to discuss your previous projects, focusing on the challenges, your
role, and the outcomes.
 Use Cloud Sandboxes: Utilize tools like AWS Free Tier or Azure Sandbox to practice real-world
scenarios.

Let me know if you need any mock answers or further clarification on any topic!