Cybersecurity Engineers are responsible for building secure infrastructure that helps protect organizations from security threats. Alongside that, they are also involved in security testing activities, like vulnerability scanning and building and implementing security policies and procedures, as well as in incident response and ensuring compliance.

The specific job tasks you do as a Cybersecurity Engineer might vary based on the organization because each organization has different security goals, business objectives, and technology stacks. Other factors like industry best practices and compliance requirements can impact how an organization approaches security, which can impact your daily tasks as a cybersecurity engineer.

These factors can lead to Cybersecurity Engineers performing tasks that could range from network security to compliance and being involved in audits. It is important to look at the job description carefully to see what skills the company is asking you to have and what some of your key tasks will be.

For example, your job title might be Product Security Engineer, and in this role, you would work closely with the software development team to build more secure software. One of your friends might have the job title, Cybersecurity Engineer and be focused on building secure network architecture for their organization.

There are several cybersecurity roles that might include responsibilities from cybersecurity engineering. These other possible job titles include the following:

• Security Engineer: A security engineer designs, implements, and manages security solutions to help protect an organization’s digital assets and infrastructure from threats.
• Product Security Engineer: Product security engineers develop and integrate security measures specifically for software products, ensuring that they are safe from cyber threats throughout their lifecycle.
• Cybersecurity Architect: A cybersecurity architect designs comprehensive cybersecurity architecture that aligns with business needs, while effectively mitigating security risks.
• Security Automation Engineer: A security automation engineer develops automated tools and systems to help security operations teams perform their tasks efficiently. This helps the teams focus on the most important alerts.

It is important to keep in mind that the organization you wish to work at might have a different job title and job responsibilities than the ones listed in this book. Cybersecurity Engineers work closely with various teams across an organization, ensuring that security measures are integrated into all aspects of business operations and technology infrastructure. This collaboration is important because security is not just a technical issue but also a business one, impacting everything from compliance and risk management to operational efficiency and reputation.

Cybersecurity Engineer salaries can vary significantly by location, company, and other factors. In the United States, you can expect to make between $72,000 and $146,000+ for a Cybersecurity Engineer position. The alternate job titles listed above can have a wide range of compensation available. It’s important to search for the specific job title and company you want to work at to see the estimated compensation.

A career as a Cybersecurity Engineer builds a solid skill set and can help you prepare for many cybersecurity careers. Some examples are:

• Malware Reverse Engineer
• Penetration Tester
• Cloud Security Engineer
• Cybersecurity Manager

In the following section, you will learn about the common interview questions for a Cybersecurity Engineer. I have also included a few behavioral interview questions and explained what the interviewer is looking for by asking the question. This book has an entire chapter dedicated to behavioral interview questions, so please be sure to read through that chapter before your next job interview.

Remember that clear and concise answers make the interview nice.

General Cybersecurity Engineer knowledge questions

In this section, you will see some general questions that might be asked in a Cybersecurity Engineer job interview. The following questions are separated by job title and reflect questions you might be asked, based on real-life job postings.

Can you describe a cybersecurity incident you have resolved in the past and explain the steps you took to mitigate risk?

Example answer:

In a previous role, I encountered a massive, Distributed Denial-of-Service (DDoS) attack. I identified the attack vectors through real-time monitoring and log analysis, implemented rate limiting, and deployed additional firewall rules to mitigate the attack. Post-incident, I led a review that resulted in an enhanced DDoS mitigation strategy, including better traffic analysis and response plans.

How do you manage and secure Microsoft environments, specifically with MS Defender products across different platforms, such as O365, cloud, and identity management?

Example answer:

I have managed Microsoft environments by leveraging MS Defender across various platforms. For example, in O365, I ensured the configuration of Defender for Office 365 against phishing and malware. For cloud environments, I implemented Defender for Cloud to secure Azure services, and integrated Defender for Identity to protect against identity-based threats.

Explain how you have utilized the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) framework in a previous role to improve a security posture. Can you provide a specific example of a policy or procedure you developed based on NIST guidelines?

Example answer:

At my previous job, I integrated the NIST Cybersecurity Framework by aligning our security policies with its core functions: Identify, Protect, Detect, Respond, and Recover. I developed an incident response strategy that reduced our mean time to detect and respond to incidents by 30%, significantly enhancing our resilience to cyber threats.

Can you give an example of a security policy you wrote?

Example answer:

I led the build of a new data encryption policy that required the use of AES-256 encryption for data at rest. It also required the organization to use TLS 1.2 or higher for data in transit. I also helped ensure we remained compliant by holding quarterly training sessions with the team and used continuous monitoring solutions to ensure everyone was following the policy.

How do you administer and monitor security profiles and policies?

Example answer:

I review access to ensure only the minimum amount of access needed to perform a function or task is used. I also use tools like Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) to monitor and analyze security logs and aggregate this data in a centralized dashboard. In my last role, I led an investigation team that investigated policy and access violations.

Since the job responsibilities for a Product Security Engineer can vary so greatly across organizations and industries, the question examples below focus on a Product Security Engineer role at a healthcare organization.

Can you describe a scenario from your experience where you identified a critical vulnerability in a medical device? How did you assess the risk, at a high level, and what steps did you take to mitigate it?

Example answer:

In my previous role, I identified a buffer overflow vulnerability in a defibrillator’s software. I conducted a risk assessment using a threat modeling approach, determining that the vulnerability could allow unauthorized access to device settings, which meant an attacker could turn off the defibrillator function, thereby risking patient safety. I worked with our software development team to redesign the input validation process and implement secure coding best practices. We then conducted testing of the changes to ensure that the vulnerability had been resolved.

Tell me about a time when you influenced the architecture and design of a product to enhance its security. What were the security considerations you ensured were incorporated?

Example answer:

In a project designing a new insulin pump, I led the security architecture discussions, ensuring that all security considerations were integrated. I advocated for and implemented secure communication protocols and encryption for data at rest and in transit, helping us ensure compliance with both safety and privacy regulations.

How do you ensure your design documentation meets the industry standards for medical device software, such as IEC 62304 (https://www.iso.org/standard/38421.html)? Can you describe the process you follow?

Example answer:

For compliance with IEC 62304, I maintain thorough documentation throughout the software development process. This includes detailed design specifications, risk analysis reports, and validation and verification plans.

Regular audits and reviews by a separate team ensure that all documents meet the stringent standards required for medical device software, as outlined in IEC 62304.

Give an example of a security solution you implemented in a medical device. What challenges did you face, and how did you overcome them?

Example answer:

I led a team that implemented a multi-factor authentication (MFA) solution in a wearable health device, which was challenging due to device limitations and user interaction constraints. My team overcame these challenges by using lightweight cryptographic protocols and optimizing the authentication process to balance security with user convenience.

Can you describe your experience with Security Operations Center (SOC) technologies, particularly SIEM and SOC automation, and how did you implement these technologies in past projects to reduce incident response times?

Example answer:

In my previous role, I implemented an SIEM solution that integrated with existing SOC automation tools to streamline our incident response. This included setting up correlation rules that automatically detected anomalies and triggered security workflows, reducing our response times by 17%.

Given your cross-domain knowledge and experience, can you discuss how you integrated endpoint security and identity and access management (IAM) solutions in a previous role to improve an organization’s overall security posture?

Example answer:

I integrated endpoint security with IAM by deploying unified endpoint management that enforced device compliance, before granting access to corporate resources. This approach reduced the attack surface and improved the security posture by ensuring consistent security policies across all devices.

How do you approach building security architectures that span multiple cloud platforms? What challenges did you face in the past, and how did you address them?

Example answer:

I have designed security architectures across AWS, Azure, and GCP by utilizing each platform’s native security tools and ensuring that all configurations adhere to best practices. My approach often involves using a centralized security management tool to ensure visibility and control over all platforms.

Describe your experience designing security for hybrid environments that include on-premises, co-located, and cloud-hosted architectures. What specific strategies did you employ to manage security across these varied environments?

Example answer:

For a hybrid environment, I developed a security strategy that included unified threat management, providing seamless security across on-premises and cloud components. Key tactics included consistent encryption policies and the use of cloud access security brokers (CASBs) to monitor and control data movement.

Can you describe your experience with Security Orchestration, Automation, and Response (SOAR) platforms? Specifically, how have you developed and deployed playbooks in your previous roles?

Example answer:

In my previous role, I utilized Splunk Phantom extensively to create automated playbooks. I developed a playbook for incident response that automated the initial triage of alerts, gathered additional context from various sources, and executed predefined mitigation steps. This reduced our average response time from hours to minutes and significantly decreased manual efforts.

Tell me about a script you wrote to automate a security process? What was the challenge, and what impact did your script have?

Example answer:

I created a Python script that automated the process of log collection and parsing across multiple systems, which are part of our security operations. The script consolidated logs in a central repository where further analysis could be conducted. This automation saved time and improved our log management process’s consistency and reliability.

Describe a time when you integrated multiple cybersecurity vendor tools using APIs.

Example answer:

I worked on a project integrating CrowdStrike with our SIEM solution, and we used RESTful APIs. The main challenge was ensuring that the data from CrowdStrike’s EDR was ingested in a format that the SIEM could manage. To solve this challenge, I developed a middleware layer that put the data into a format that could be read by the SIEM.

How have you used cyber threat intelligence in the context of security automation to mitigate threats?

Example answer:

I used SOAR with our threat intelligence feeds to give more context to the information we were seeing. By pulling contextual information automatically, my team could prioritize incidents more accurately (reduce false positives and false negatives) and respond faster to active incidents. One example of how this proved to be helpful is during a ransomware attack, where having this additional data helped the team respond faster and isolate the affected systems.

Give me an example of how you have automated security across a public cloud environment.

Example answer:

In the AWS cloud, I automated security group audits and remediations. I did this by using Lambda functions triggered by scheduled events, which ensured the system would verify compliance with our security policies and adjust security groups automatically to close any unauthorized access.

Walk me through your approach to developing automated workflows for security operations. How do you ensure these workflows are effective and efficient?

Example answer:

To develop effective automated workflows, I use a combination of process mapping and pilot testing. Each workflow is initially mapped out, with existing manual processes considered, and then tested in a controlled environment. Adjustments are made based on performance metrics and feedback from stakeholders, and everything is tested again before full deployment in production.

Tell me about a time you had to change legacy systems or processes in an organization. How did you approach stakeholder management and ensure the transition was smooth?

Example answer:

To transition from legacy processes, I focus on comprehensive stakeholder engagement and clear communication. For example, when automating data extraction processes, I conducted workshops with the IT team to understand their concerns and requirements, ensuring the new system addressed these specifications.

In addition to the technical questions that may be asked for a specific job role, you might be asked how you stay up-to-date with trends and emerging threats in cybersecurity:

How do you stay current on cybersecurity trends?

The answer to this question depends on which sources you use for cybersecurity news and trends. The interviewer is just looking to see if you stay up to date on things that are happening, as competent security professionals must remain current on the latest threats that could impact their organization.

Some sources of information include new websites, social media (i.e. LinkedIn or X), blogs, podcasts, white papers, your peers, and newsletters.

The goal here is not for you to try and consume every possible piece of cybersecurity-related content out there. The goal is to just ensure that you have some method to stay current on emerging threats. For example, you might find that the interviewer and you have a shared favorite podcast. This shared interest can help you overcome the similar-to-me bias that some interviewers have.

In this chapter, you learned about the Cybersecurity Engineer career and the average salary range in the United States. There are several job titles you might see online that have cybersecurity engineering responsibilities, including Security Engineer, Product Security Engineer, Cybersecurity Architect, and Security Automation Engineer. You also learned how cybersecurity engineering roles can be a stepping stone to other cybersecurity careers, like malware reverse engineer, and you learned common interview questions asked for Cybersecurity Engineer roles.

In the next chapter, you will learn about a career as a SOC Analyst, including common knowledge-based interview questions you might be asked.

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