Hacking Interview Questions for Fresher with Answers – Hacking, in the context of cybersecurity, involves understanding how to identify and protect against security vulnerabilities in systems and networks. For freshers, hacking interview questions (often termed “ethical hacking” questions) focus on foundational concepts in cybersecurity, network security, and common hacking techniques used to test system defenses.

You may be asked about the basics of ethical hacking, including different types of hacking (such as white-hat, black-hat, and gray-hat hacking) and key phases of ethical hacking (reconnaissance, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, and covering tracks). Interviewers might cover topics like network protocols (TCP/IP, HTTP), encryption, firewalls, and intrusion detection systems (IDS).

Questions can also involve understanding common security threats, such as malware, phishing, and SQL injection, and tools like Wireshark, Metasploit, or Nmap for vulnerability scanning and network analysis. Familiarity with basic scripting (such as Python or Bash) and concepts like penetration testing and risk assessment will be valuable. Showing a solid understanding of ethical hacking principles, tools, and techniques used in cybersecurity is key to answering hacking-related questions effectively.

Here the most important Hacking Interview Questions for Fresher with Answers .

1. What is hacking?

Hacking is the practice of identifying and exploiting weaknesses in a computer system, network, or application to gain unauthorized access. It can be for malicious or ethical purposes.

2. What is ethical hacking?

Ethical hacking is authorized hacking to test and strengthen system security by finding vulnerabilities before malicious actors can exploit them. Certified ethical hackers often conduct these tests.

3. What is penetration testing?

Penetration testing simulates real attacks to evaluate and improve a system’s security defenses. It identifies weak spots by replicating attack scenarios.

4. What are black hat, white hat, and gray hat hackers?

White hats hack legally for security, black hats hack with malicious intent, and gray hats operate in both ethical and unethical areas based on circumstance.

5. What is a vulnerability?

A vulnerability is a flaw or security weakness in a system that attackers can exploit to gain unauthorized access or cause harm.

6. What is malware?

Malware is a general term for malicious software like viruses, worms, Trojans, designed to cause damage or access data illegally.

7. What is a virus?

A virus is malware that attaches itself to programs or files and spreads when the infected file is accessed, potentially damaging data.

8. What is a Trojan?

A Trojan disguises itself as legitimate software but performs malicious activities once installed, often used for data theft or surveillance.

9. What is ransomware?

Ransomware encrypts a user’s data and demands a ransom for decryption, typically locking access until payment is made.

10. What is phishing?

Phishing is a social engineering attack where attackers use fake messages or websites to trick users into revealing sensitive information.

11. What is SQL injection?

SQL injection is an attack where malicious SQL code is injected into a database query to access sensitive data or alter databases.

12. What is cross-site scripting (XSS)?

XSS injects malicious scripts into websites to run in users’ browsers, allowing attackers to steal data or perform actions as the user.

13. What is a brute-force attack?

A brute-force attack attempts to crack passwords or keys by systematically trying all possible combinations until the correct one is found.

14. What is a DDoS attack?

A DDoS attack overwhelms a target system or network with massive traffic to exhaust resources and make it inaccessible to legitimate users.

15. What is social engineering?

Social engineering manipulates people into sharing confidential information through deception and exploiting human trust.

16. What is a zero-day vulnerability?

A zero-day vulnerability is a newly discovered security flaw unknown to vendors, making it immediately exploitable by attackers.

17. What is encryption?

Encryption transforms data into unreadable code to protect it from unauthorized access, using algorithms and keys.

18. What is decryption?

Decryption is the process of converting encrypted data back into its original, readable format using a decryption key.

19. What is a firewall?

A firewall is a network security tool that monitors and filters traffic based on a set of security rules.

20. What is a proxy server?

A proxy server acts as an intermediary between a user and the internet, masking the user’s IP address to enhance privacy.

21. What is a honeypot?

A honeypot is a decoy system set up to attract attackers and analyze their techniques without risking real data.

22. What is an intrusion detection system (IDS)?

An IDS detects suspicious network activities and sends alerts, helping to monitor potential security breaches.

23. What is an intrusion prevention system (IPS)?

An IPS actively blocks malicious activities on a network, stopping attacks as they happen, unlike an IDS, which only detects them.

24. What is network sniffing?

Network sniffing captures and analyzes network packets, potentially revealing sensitive information like passwords or data.

25. What is a hash function?

A hash function generates a unique value or “hash” from data, used for data verification and integrity checks.

26. What is SSL/TLS?

SSL/TLS are protocols for securing data transmission over the internet, providing encryption between clients and servers.

27. What is a man-in-the-middle (MITM) attack?

An MITM attack intercepts communication between two parties, allowing the attacker to read or modify the exchanged data.

28. What is data exfiltration?

Data exfiltration is the unauthorized transfer of data from a system by an attacker, usually for data theft or espionage.

29. What is privilege escalation?

Privilege escalation is gaining higher access rights within a system, allowing an attacker to access restricted areas.

30. What is steganography?

Steganography hides information within another medium, like an image or audio file, making it difficult to detect.

31. What is a botnet?

A botnet is a network of compromised devices controlled remotely, often used for DDoS attacks or spam.

32. What is a rootkit?

A rootkit is a hidden program that grants attackers remote access to a system while remaining undetected.

33. What is packet spoofing?

Packet spoofing involves altering a packet’s IP address to disguise the sender’s identity or mimic another source.

34. What is a vulnerability scan?

A vulnerability scan checks systems for known security weaknesses and helps identify potential threats.

35. What is a backdoor?

A backdoor is an intentionally created or malware-installed way to bypass security, granting attackers unauthorized access.

36. What is a logic bomb?

A logic bomb is malicious code that activates under specific conditions, causing harm when certain triggers are met.

37. What is malware analysis?

Malware analysis studies malware behavior to understand threat impact and develop protection methods.

38. What is two-factor authentication (2FA)?

2FA requires two methods of verification (like a password and a code) to improve account security beyond just passwords.

39. What is ransomware as a service (RaaS)?

RaaS provides ransomware kits for attackers, allowing them to launch ransomware attacks without needing technical skills.

40. What is a sandbox in cybersecurity?

A sandbox is an isolated environment for testing and analyzing suspicious software safely without system risk.

41. What is phishing vs. spear phishing?

Phishing targets large audiences, while spear phishing is more targeted, focusing on specific individuals or organizations.

42. What is pharming?

Pharming redirects users from a legitimate site to a malicious site to gather sensitive information like login details.

43. What is cryptojacking?

Cryptojacking hijacks a victim’s device for cryptocurrency mining, typically using resources without permission.

44. What is a phishing kit?

A phishing kit is a set of pre-made tools that help attackers create fake websites and emails to steal data.

45. What is fileless malware?

Fileless malware operates in memory only, leaving no file traces, making it harder for antivirus software to detect.

46. What is a rainbow table?

A rainbow table is a precomputed table of hashes used to crack hashed passwords, saving time over brute-force.

47. What is cybersecurity resilience?

Cybersecurity resilience is the ability to recover from cyber incidents and continue normal operations.

48. What is a bug bounty?

A bug bounty program offers rewards for finding and reporting security vulnerabilities in a system.

49. What is cyber threat intelligence?

Cyber threat intelligence is data on cyber threats, helping organizations prepare for and prevent potential attacks.

50. What is endpoint security?

Endpoint security protects devices like computers and mobile phones from various cyber threats.