20 Vulnerability Scanning Interview Questions and Answers

Vulnerability scanning is the process of identifying, classifying, and prioritizing vulnerabilities in computer systems, networks, and software. This process is important for securing systems and preventing attacks. When interviewing for a position that involves vulnerability scanning, it is important to be prepared to answer questions about your experience and knowledge. In this article, we review some common questions that you may be asked during a job interview.

Vulnerability Scanning Interview Questions and Answers

Here are 20 commonly asked Vulnerability Scanning interview questions and answers to prepare you for your interview:

1. What is a vulnerability scan?

A vulnerability scan is a type of security assessment that is used to identify potential security vulnerabilities in a system or network. This can be done manually or through automated tools, and usually involves looking for known weaknesses that can be exploited.

2. What are some common vulnerabilities that can be scanned for using an automated tool?

Some common vulnerabilities that can be scanned for using an automated tool include SQL injection, cross-site scripting (XSS), and cross-site request forgery (CSRF).

3. Can you explain how to perform a basic security scan on a website?

In order to perform a basic security scan on a website, you will need to use a vulnerability scanner. This is a tool that will scan the website for any known vulnerabilities and report back any findings. There are many different vulnerability scanners available, so it is important to choose one that is reputable and has good reviews. Once you have chosen a scanner, you will need to configure it to scan the website. This will usually involve providing the URL of the website and specifying which types of vulnerabilities to look for. Once the scan is complete, the scanner will report any findings.

4. How do you ensure the accuracy of your scans?

There are a few ways to ensure that your scans are accurate. The first is to make sure that you are using the most up-to-date version of your scanning software. The second is to regularly test your scans against known good and bad targets. This will help you to identify any false positives or false negatives in your results. Finally, you should also cross-check your results with other scanning tools to get a second opinion.

5. When should you run a vulnerability scan?

You should run a vulnerability scan whenever you are making changes to your system, whether that be adding new software, changing configurations, or patching vulnerabilities. You should also run regular scans even if you aren’t making any changes, just to ensure that your system is secure.

6. How often should a vulnerability scan be performed?

The frequency of vulnerability scans will depend on the organization’s needs. For example, if an organization is required to comply with PCI DSS, then they will need to perform quarterly scans at a minimum. However, many organizations choose to scan more frequently than this in order to identify and remediate vulnerabilities in a timely manner.

7. What information does a scanner gather during a vulnerability scan?

A vulnerability scanner will gather a variety of information during a scan, including but not limited to: open ports, running services, operating system information, and installed software. This information is then used to determine which vulnerabilities may be present on the system.

8. What’s the difference between vulnerability scanning and penetration testing?

Vulnerability scanning is a process of identifying potential security weaknesses in a system. Penetration testing is a process of trying to exploit those identified weaknesses to gain access to the system.

9. Why would you want to use a static analysis tool to supplement your vulnerability scans?

Static analysis tools can help to supplement your vulnerability scans by providing an additional layer of analysis. By looking at the code of a program, static analysis tools can help to identify potential vulnerabilities that might not be detectable through other means. This can be especially useful in identifying potential vulnerabilities in custom-built or otherwise unique applications.

10. Do all scanners detect the same types of vulnerabilities?

No, all scanners do not detect the same types of vulnerabilities. Each scanner has its own strengths and weaknesses, and will therefore detect different types of vulnerabilities. Some scanners may be better at detecting SQL injection vulnerabilities, while others may be better at detecting cross-site scripting vulnerabilities. It is important to choose a scanner that is well-suited to the types of vulnerabilities that you are most concerned about.

11. What is “false positive” in context with vulnerability scanning?

A false positive is when a vulnerability scanner identifies a potential issue but there is actually no issue present. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but is often due to the way the scanner interprets the data it is scanning. False positives can be frustrating because they can waste time and resources, but it is important to remember that they are not always indicative of a problem with the scanner itself.

12. For what type of systems and applications is vulnerability scanning most useful?

Vulnerability scanning is most useful for identifying potential security vulnerabilities in systems and applications. By identifying these potential vulnerabilities, organizations can then take steps to mitigate or eliminate them.

13. What are the different components of a vulnerability management program?

A vulnerability management program typically contains four key components:

1. Asset management: In order to effectively scan for vulnerabilities, you need to first know what assets you have and where they are located. Asset management is the process of identifying and tracking all of the assets in your environment.

2. Vulnerability assessment: Once you know what assets you have, you need to assess them for vulnerabilities. This can be done through manual inspection, automated scanning, or a combination of both.

3. Risk management: Once you have identified the vulnerabilities present in your environment, you need to prioritize them based on the level of risk they pose. This will help you determine which vulnerabilities need to be addressed first.

4. Remediation: Once you have prioritized the vulnerabilities, you need to put a plan in place to address them. This may involve patching, configuration changes, or other mitigation measures.

14. What is the best way to keep track of and manage vulnerabilities detected from multiple sources?

The best way to keep track of and manage vulnerabilities detected from multiple sources is to use a central repository. This repository can be used to track vulnerabilities, store information about them, and provide a way to share information between different stakeholders. Additionally, the repository can be used to generate reports and track trends over time.

15. What tools or utilities do you need to perform vulnerability scans?

In order to perform a vulnerability scan, you will need some sort of vulnerability scanner. This can be a commercial tool, such as QualysGuard, or a open source tool, such as Nessus. You will also need some sort of network mapping tool, such as Nmap, to help you identify which systems and services are running on your network.

16. What is the first step involved in creating a vulnerability management program?

The first step in creating a vulnerability management program is to identify what assets need to be protected and what vulnerabilities exist. This can be done through a variety of means, including asset inventory, network discovery, and vulnerability scanning. Once the assets and vulnerabilities have been identified, you can then begin to put together a plan to mitigate or eliminate the vulnerabilities.

17. Is it possible to fully automate vulnerability scanning? If yes, then how?

Yes, it is possible to automate vulnerability scanning. This can be done by using a tool that can be configured to automatically scan for vulnerabilities and then report the results.

18. What are some metrics used to measure the effectiveness of a vulnerability management program?

Some metrics that are used to measure the effectiveness of a vulnerability management program are the number of vulnerabilities that are found and patched, the time to patch, the number of false positives, and the number of false negatives.

19. What is the role of a threat intelligence feed in a vulnerability management program?

A threat intelligence feed can help a vulnerability management program in a few different ways. First, it can provide information on new vulnerabilities as they are discovered, which can help the program to prioritize which vulnerabilities to address first. Additionally, a threat intelligence feed can provide information on which vulnerabilities are being exploited in the wild, which can help the program to focus on vulnerabilities that are more likely to be exploited.

20. What steps can you take to reduce the number of false positives generated by a vulnerability scanner?

In order to reduce the number of false positives generated by a vulnerability scanner, you can take a few different steps. One is to ensure that you are running the latest version of the scanner, as they are constantly being updated to improve accuracy. You can also try to fine-tune the scanner’s settings to be more specific to your environment. Finally, you can manually review the results of the scan to confirm that they are actually vulnerabilities and not false positives.