Ethical hacking has become one of the most critical skills in today’s cybersecurity landscape. To prepare you for ethical hacking job interviews in 2024, we’ve compiled 30 essential questions you must know, along with detailed answers, to help you succeed. This guide covers fundamental hacking concepts, tools, techniques, and countermeasures, ensuring you’re ready for any technical discussion.
1. What is a Network Sniffer?
A network sniffer is a program that analyzes traffic on any compatible network link and logs all the data that is passed through it. It helps analyze routing and switching at the packet level to determine areas of strength and weakness and security threats and prospects. Although network sniffers are used legally, for instance, in diagnosing networks, attackers abuse them to manipulate networks and steal data.
2. What Should You Do to Prevent ARP Poisoning?
To prevent ARP poisoning attacks, various methods can be implemented:
- Static ARP Tables: Allowing pre-configuration of ARP entries to prevent data from being changed by attackers.
- Switch Security: Using port security features.
- Physical Security: This includes limiting access to such devices to only authorized personnel and or groups.
- Network Isolation: Opinion: Securing Net Logistics: Private network logistics for sensitive segments.
- Encryption: Only for employees, permanent use of https to ensure that data intercepted during ARP spoofing is not understood.
3. Can you now Tell me what the Phases of hacking a system are?
The five main phases of hacking a system are:
- Reconnaissance: Identifying and collecting data on the target or the promotion of the product.
- Scanning: For example, the tools involved in the use of port scanners to identify risks.
- Gaining Access: All these may be used to take advantage of any loophole and get into the system.
- Maintaining Access: Creating opportunities for oneself in the future as well.
- Clearing Tracks: The other is to clean up the area and remove every vestige of the attack to ensure that it is not spotted.
4. What are the varieties of Ethical Hacking Tools?
Common ethical hacking tools include:
- Nmap: Network scanning.
- Nessus: Vulnerability assessment.
- Nikto: Web server scanning.
- Kismet: Wireless network detection.
- NetStumbler: Wi-Fi auditing.
- Acunetix: Web vulnerability scanning.
5. Why is Python Popular for Hacking?
Python is favored in ethical hacking due to its simplicity and wide range of libraries. It facilitates quick scripting for tasks such as network scanning, exploitation, and penetration testing. Popular Python libraries like Scapy and Paramiko are often used for network-related hacking and automating security tasks.
6. What Are Pharming and Defacement?
- Pharming: Redirects legitimate website traffic to a malicious site by compromising DNS servers or user systems.
- Defacement: An attacker replaces a website’s content with their own, often displaying messages, images, or political statements.
7. What Are the Types of Buffer Overflow Attacks?
- Stack-based: Exploits vulnerabilities in the stack to inject malicious code.
- Heap-based: Overflows data in the heap memory, more difficult but dangerous.
- Format String Attack: Misuse of format functions to gain control over memory.
8. What is Burp Suite?
Burp Suite is a complete toolkit of tools for engaging in security testing of web applications. Created by PortSwigger, it consists of the proxy server, web spider, vulnerability scanner, and an intruder for the performing of the automatic check.
9. Define Script Kiddies
Script kiddies are people who hack into systems rudimentary and operate under a script, having no idea how the script operates. Most of the time they exploit common sects, and hack systems mostly just to show off to other friends or fellows, not for monetary gain or political reasons.
10. What is a Directory Traversal Attack?
Directory traversal is a web application attack that aims at accessing restricted directories and files not available in the general folder. This is accomplished by modifying the file path to open other important files on the server where the application is located.
11. Describe the methods of hardening web servers.
Web server hardening involves securing a web server by:
- Enforcing SSL/TLS protocols.
- Limiting access permissions.
- Securing the setting of web directories and server files appropriately.
12. What is NTFS File Streaming?
NTFS file streaming allows multiple data streams to be associated with a single file in an NTFS file system. This can be leveraged for data hiding in cyber-attacks by concealing malicious content within secondary streams.
13. What is HMAC (Hashed Message Authentication Code)?
HMAC is a means used to ensure that messages are authentic. They use a cryptographic hash function together with a secret key to guarantee that the delivery message has undergone no change and was sent by the authenticated sender.
14. How Does a Sniffer Work in Ethical Hacking?
In the process of ethical hacking, sniffers are employed to identify and capture traffic over the networks. In this way, empirical hackers can sniff out the weaknesses, the plain text data, and the network settings that can be hacked.
15. How Can You Prevent Session Hijacking?
To prevent session hijacking:
- Implement HTTP-only cookies.
- Use secure cookies with SSL (HTTPS).
- Apply anti-CSRF tokens.
- Regularly invalidate sessions after logout.
16. What Is the Purpose of Wireless Sniffers in Ethical Hacking?
Wireless sniffers are ones that capture packets in a wireless network, to details such as ssids and MAC Addresses. They come in handy to security analysts in evaluating the security of a network and identifying unfamiliar equipment.
17. What Should You Do After a Security Breach?
After a breach:
- Notify affected clients and stakeholders.
- Disclose the required details.
- Advise clients on the next steps.
- Secure systems by changing passwords and fixing vulnerabilities.
18. What Is the Main Purpose of Penetration Testing?
Penetration testing is the assessment of a system, by attempting to identify and proactively exploit one or many weaknesses. They assist organizations to avoid risks and reinforce security measures.
19. What Is Evil Twin in Wireless Networks?
An evil twin is an access point that is a clone of an authorized access point and will make the users connect to it. After gaining the link, the attackers can intercept data or indulge in man-in-the-middle attacks.
20. What Is CoWPAtty in Ethical Hacking?
CoWPAtty is a tool used for brute-forcing WPA-PSK (Wi-Fi Protected Access) passwords in wireless networks, exploiting weak passphrases in network configurations.
21. What Is a Google Hacking Database?
The Google Hacking Database (GHDB) refers to a collection of search queries (Google Dorks) used by hackers to find sensitive information through search engines. These queries exploit poorly configured websites to expose confidential data.
22. What Are the Types of Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)?
- Reflected XSS: Injected script is reflected off a web server.
- Stored XSS: Malicious scripts are permanently stored on a target server.
- DOM-Based XSS: Vulnerability exists in the Document Object Model.
23. What Is CSRF (Cross-Site Request Forgery)?
CSRF takes advantage of a victim and makes them carry out undesired actions through compromised links. Attackers conduct unauthorized actions using the victim’s already authenticated session in web applications.
24. What Are NetBIOS DoS Attacks?
NetBIOS DoS attacks involve overwhelming a system with NetBIOS queries, causing denial of service. This can cripple network-dependent services like file sharing and communication.
25. What Are the Components of Physical Security in Ethical Hacking?
Physical security includes measures such as:
- Access control: Restricting entry to sensitive areas.
- Surveillance systems: Monitoring activities.
- Data encryption: Protecting stored and transmitted data.
26. What Is Dumpster Diving?
Dumpster diving is a social engineering attack where an attacker rummages through a victim’s trash in search of passwords, documents or other pieces of information, such as financial data.
27. What Are the Steps in Performing Enumeration?
Enumeration involves identifying open ports, services, and system details to map out a network. This includes probing for:
- Usernames and passwords.
- Network shares and services.
- Running applications.
28. What Are Countermeasures Against Trojan Horses?
To prevent Trojan horse attacks:
- Install trusted software only.
- Use updated antivirus tools.
- Regularly update software and security patches.
- Avoid opening untrusted email attachments or files.
29. What is the Target of Evaluation (TOE)?
The target of Evaluation is the system, software, or network component under testing in a security audit exercise. It is used by ethical hackers to outline what will be tested and strengthen the view of the extent of vulnerabilities testers will find.
30. What Are the Differences Between Banner Grabbing and OS Fingerprinting?
- Banner Grabbing: Collects service information from a target system (e.g., web server version).
- OS Fingerprinting: Identifies the operating system based on network responses and system configurations.
Conclusion
In 2024, ethical hacking remains essential for cybersecurity. Mastering these interview questions can help you understand key concepts, tools, and techniques used in the field. By preparing thoroughly, you’ll be better equipped to tackle security challenges, protect systems, and advance your career in ethical hacking.
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