Network Security Mock Interview

Master 23 Network Security interview questions covering firewalls, threat detection, and encryption protocols.

Question 16 of 23

The three key components of network security are securing the network infrastructure, user policies, and physical access. You've addressed how to secure the network infrastructure, so how do you address the other two challenges?

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William Swansen has worked in the employment assistance realm since 2007. He is an author, job search strategist, and career advisor who helps individuals worldwide and in various professions to find their ideal careers.

"I have found that protecting the network infrastructure from online intrusion is the easiest part of my job. This is because there are many tools and resources available to address this and the IT organization has complete control of this component of network security. Creating policies and procedures for the organization's other stakeholders and preventing unauthorized physical access to the network is more difficult. This is due to the need to work with a wide range of stakeholders and having to negotiate for their cooperation and the necessary resources. What has been effective for me is to provide the other decision-makers with compelling reasons to cooperate with our group, demonstrating the benefits to their departments and the consequences of not fully securing the organization's information assets."

William Swansen

This question is two-fold; it is attempting to both discover your expertise in completely securing the network while also exploring your ability to collaborate with other organizations whose resources will be needed and over whom you have no direct control. Make sure your answer addresses both of these issues.

William Swansen

"You're correct, in order for the network to be secure, measures must be taken to prevent unauthorized access to the information from online, internal and physical threats. Online is actually the easiest to manage since it is addressable with a wide array of technical resources. Creating user policies such as authorizations, password policies and information sharing within the organization requires the cooperation of other departments within the company. The same is true when preventing unauthorized persons from physically accessing the network infrastructure. My approach to this is to develop strong relationships with all the stakeholders and create policies and procedures which enable them to accomplish their business objectives while still ensuring the security of the information the company depends on."

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23Network Security Interview Questions & Answers

1.Since you are interviewing for a position in which you will make recommendations to customers about protecting their company's network, I'm curious about what you do to protect your own network at home.

2.As I understand it, the network is the most vulnerable part of a company's IT infrastructure. What is your opinion of this and how would you define the threat and risk to a company in terms of network security?

3.Many of our clients have been subject to repeated attempts to access their network from unauthorized sources. One type of attack we often see is brute force logins. How do you recommend they defend against this type of attack?

4.Although you are not an experienced network administrator, you should be fluent in the terminology used in our industry. Can you explain to me the difference between symmetric and asymmetric encryption and the benefits of each one?

5.We recently had a situation occur where a security problem occurred on our network and the person who detected it wasn't directly responsible for resolving it, even though they had the skills to do so. How would you have handled this situation?

6.Why should I hire you from the outside when I could promote someone from within?

7.What motivated you to enter the field of Network Security?

8.Why are you looking to change jobs?

9.How do you determine if a Network Security project has been successful? How do you measure up to your own definition?

10.What do you consider the greatest obstacle you've had to overcome as a Network Security Professional thus far? What steps did you take to overcome it?

11.What do you see as the primary business objective of someone in this position?

12.Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology, or idea at work that was a major departure from the old way of doing things.

13.What are the three things that are most important to you in a job?

14.Tell me about a project that you planned. How did you organize and schedule the tasks?

15.Tell me about a time when you had to juggle several projects at the same time. How did you organize your time? What was the result?

16.The three key components of network security are securing the network infrastructure, user policies, and physical access. You've addressed how to secure the network infrastructure, so how do you address the other two challenges?

17.Can you discuss the key features of a Class 1 Firewall?

18.Are you familiar with the concept of 'Unified Threat Management' and can you describe it?

19.Give me an example of your analytical skills and how you apply them in the field of network security.

20.What's the most difficult part of being a Network Security Manager?

21.What would you do if a fellow manager on your own level wasn't pulling their weight and this was hurting your department?

22.What immediate changes would you make if you came on board?

23.Describe a situation in which you embraced a new system, process, technology, or idea at work that was a major departure from the old way of doing things.