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SOC Analyst Interview Preparation (1)

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SOC Analyst Interview Preparation (1)

Uploaded by

rupakhaire841973
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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SOC Analyst Interview Questions and Answers

# 1. Basic SOC Concepts

Q1: What is a SOC (Security Operations Center)?


A Security Operations Center (SOC) is a centralized unit that continuously monitors, detects, investigates, and responds
to
cybersecurity incidents within an organization's IT infrastructure.

Q2: What are the roles and responsibilities of a SOC Analyst?


- Monitor security alerts from SIEM and other tools.
- Investigate security incidents and analyze logs.
- Detect threats using IDS/IPS, firewalls, and endpoint security tools.
- Respond to security breaches and contain threats.
- Perform threat intelligence and hunting activities.
- Document incidents and create reports.

Q3: What is the difference between Tier 1, Tier 2, and Tier 3 SOC Analysts?
- **Tier 1 (Alert Monitoring & Triage):** Monitors and analyzes security alerts, determines if they are false positives, and
escalates incidents.
- **Tier 2 (Incident Responder):** Investigates escalated incidents, conducts in-depth log analysis, and implements
remediation.
- **Tier 3 (Threat Hunter / Forensics Expert):** Performs proactive threat hunting, malware analysis, and forensic
investigations.

Q4: Why is a SOC important for an organization?


A SOC provides:
- 24/7 monitoring for real-time threat detection.
- Incident response to minimize cyberattack damage.
- Compliance with security regulations (ISO 27001, NIST, PCI-DSS).
- Threat intelligence to anticipate future attacks.
- Risk mitigation by identifying vulnerabilities.

# 2. Networking Basics

Q5: What is the OSI Model and the TCP/IP Model?


- **OSI Model (7 Layers):** Physical, Data Link, Network, Transport, Session, Presentation, Application.
- **TCP/IP Model (4 Layers):** Network Interface, Internet, Transport, Application.

Q6: What are common network protocols?


- **TCP (Transmission Control Protocol)** - Reliable, connection-oriented.
- **UDP (User Datagram Protocol)** - Fast, but connectionless.
- **HTTP/HTTPS** - Web browsing protocols.
- **DNS** - Resolves domain names to IP addresses.
- **SMTP** - Used for sending emails.
- **FTP** - Used for file transfers.

Q7: What are common ports and their use?


- **80 (HTTP)** - Web traffic
- **443 (HTTPS)** - Secure web traffic
- **22 (SSH)** - Secure shell access
- **53 (DNS)** - Domain Name System
- **25 (SMTP)** - Email sending
- **3389 (RDP)** - Remote Desktop Protocol

Q8: What is a firewall and its role in cybersecurity?


A firewall is a security device that filters incoming and outgoing network traffic based on security rules to prevent
unauthorized access.

# 3. Cybersecurity Fundamentals

Q9: What is the CIA Triad?


The **CIA Triad** is the foundation of cybersecurity:
- **Confidentiality** - Protects sensitive data.
- **Integrity** - Ensures data accuracy.
- **Availability** - Ensures data accessibility.

Q10: What are common types of cyber threats?


- **Malware (Viruses, Trojans, Ransomware)**
- **Phishing (Social engineering attacks via emails, messages)**
- **DDoS (Distributed Denial of Service - overloads a system)**
- **Insider threats (Employees misusing access to harm the organization)**
- **Zero-day attacks (Exploiting unknown vulnerabilities)**
# 4. Security Tools & Technologies

Q11: What is SIEM, and why is it important?


SIEM (Security Information and Event Management) collects, analyzes, and correlates logs to detect security incidents.
Examples: **Splunk, QRadar, ArcSight**.

Q12: What are IDS and IPS?


- **IDS (Intrusion Detection System):** Detects suspicious traffic and alerts analysts.
- **IPS (Intrusion Prevention System):** Detects and blocks malicious traffic.

Q13: What are common endpoint security solutions?


- **EDR (Endpoint Detection & Response):** Detects and responds to endpoint threats (e.g., CrowdStrike, Microsoft
Defender).

# 5. Incident Detection & Response

Q14: What is an incident?


A security incident is an event that compromises the confidentiality, integrity, or availability of an organization's data or
systems.

Q15: What are the steps of the Incident Response Lifecycle?


1. **Identification** - Detect the incident.
2. **Containment** - Prevent further spread.
3. **Eradication** - Remove the threat.
4. **Recovery** - Restore systems.
5. **Lessons Learned** - Document and improve security measures.

# 6. Log Analysis & Monitoring

Q16: What are different types of logs?


- **System logs** - Operating system events.
- **Firewall logs** - Network traffic monitoring.
- **Web server logs** - User access tracking.
- **Application logs** - Software behavior logs.

Q17: How do you analyze logs for security threats?


- Use SIEM tools to detect unusual patterns.
- Look for failed login attempts, unauthorized access, and malware indicators.
- Analyze source/destination IPs, timestamps, and event IDs.

# 7. Windows & Linux Security Basics

Q18: What are important security tools in Windows & Linux?


- **Windows:** Event Viewer, Group Policy, Windows Defender.
- **Linux:** Syslog, iptables, fail2ban.

Q19: What are common security commands?


- **netstat** - Displays network connections.
- **nslookup** - Checks DNS records.
- **whois** - Retrieves domain details.

# 8. Threat Intelligence & Compliance

Q20: What is Threat Intelligence?


Threat intelligence provides real-time data on emerging threats to help analysts detect and prevent attacks.

Q21: What are key security frameworks?


- **ISO 27001** - International security standard.
- **NIST CSF** - Cybersecurity framework.
- **PCI-DSS** - Payment card security.

# 9. Behavioral Questions

Q22: Why do you want to be a SOC Analyst?


"I have a strong passion for cybersecurity and want to protect organizations from cyber threats. The role of a SOC
Analyst excites me because of the real-time incident handling, threat hunting, and continuous learning involved."

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