Certified Authorization Professional (CAP) Interview Questions

The Certified Authorization Professional certification is a tried-and-true way to advance your career and demonstrate your knowledge of the risk management framework (RMF). It certifies your advanced technical abilities and knowledge for authorising and maintaining information systems inside the RMF utilising best practises, policies, and procedures developed by (ISC)2’s cyber security experts. Obtaining this certification will help you advance your career and boost your resume.

The interview process for a quality job in a top firm, on the other hand, can be difficult. Many people pass the exam yet are turned down for interviews. As a result, in this blog, we’ll go through the top Certified Authorization Professional (CAP) interview questions that can help you during the hiring process.

Can you explain your understanding of the Risk Management Framework (RMF) and the NIST SP 800-53 controls?

The Risk Management Framework (RMF) is a systematic approach for managing information security risk that is defined by the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Special Publication (SP) 800-37. The RMF provides a six-step process for managing information security risk, including:

1. Categorize Information Systems: Categorize the information system based on the potential impact to organizational operations, assets, individuals, and the nation if the information system were to be compromised.
2. Select Security Controls: Select security controls to be implemented based on the risk assessment results and the system’s security categorization.
3. Implement Security Controls: Implement the security controls in accordance with the security plan and the security assessment report.
4. Assess Security Controls: Assess the security controls to determine their effectiveness and compliance with the security requirements.
5. Authorize Information System: Authorize the information system for processing based on the results of the security assessment and the risk determination.
6. Monitor Security Controls: Monitor the security controls on an ongoing basis to ensure they remain effective and to identify and remediate security control weaknesses.

The NIST SP 800-53 controls are a set of security controls defined by NIST for federal information systems and organizations. The controls are organized into 18 control families, each addressing a specific aspect of information security, including access control, incident management, risk assessment, security assessment and authorization, system and services acquisition, and systems and communications protection. The controls are intended to be tailored to the specific security needs of individual information systems and organizations, and to be integrated into the RMF process to provide a comprehensive approach to managing information security risk.

How do you stay up-to-date with changes in security regulations and best practices?

Staying up-to-date with changes in security regulations and best practices requires a proactive and ongoing effort. Here are some methods that can be used:

1. Attend Conferences and Training Programs: Attend conferences and training programs related to information security, to learn about new regulations, best practices, and emerging security threats.
2. Subscribe to Security Newsletters and Websites: Subscribe to security newsletters and websites, such as the SANS Institute, Dark Reading, and SC Magazine, to receive regular updates on the latest security news, trends, and best practices.
3. Join Professional Organizations: Join professional organizations such as the International Association of Computer Security Professionals (ISC)2, the Information Systems Security Association (ISSA), and the Cloud Security Alliance (CSA), to network with other security professionals and stay informed about the latest security trends and best practices.
4. Read Research Papers and Whitepapers: Read research papers and whitepapers produced by security experts, universities, and government agencies, to stay informed about the latest security technologies, techniques, and best practices.
5. Participate in User Groups and Online Forums: Participate in user groups and online forums, such as Reddit and LinkedIn, to engage with other security professionals, share experiences, and learn about new security technologies and best practices.

By following these methods, security professionals can stay informed about changes in security regulations and best practices, and continue to enhance their knowledge and skills to maintain the security and confidentiality of information and systems.

Can you describe a time when you had to perform a security assessment and authorization process for a system or network?

1. Gather Information: Collect information about the system or network, including the hardware and software components, the data stored and processed by the system, and the security controls in place.
2. Assess Security Requirements: Assess the security requirements for the system or network, taking into consideration relevant security regulations, standards, and guidelines.
3. Perform Vulnerability Scanning: Conduct a vulnerability scan of the system or network, using tools such as vulnerability scanners, penetration testing tools, or manual testing techniques.
4. Evaluate Security Controls: Evaluate the security controls in place, including firewalls, intrusion detection systems, access controls, and data encryption, to determine their effectiveness in protecting the system or network.
5. Prepare a Security Assessment Report: Prepare a security assessment report that summarizes the results of the security assessment, including any vulnerabilities or security gaps identified and the recommendations for remediation.
6. Conduct a Risk Assessment: Conduct a risk assessment to evaluate the potential impact of the vulnerabilities or security gaps, taking into consideration the likelihood of an attack, the potential damage, and the complexity of the issue.
7. Develop a Security Plan: Develop a security plan that outlines the steps that need to be taken to bring the system or network into compliance with the security requirements, including any remediation activities and security controls that need to be implement.
8. Obtain Authorization: Obtain authorization to operate the system or network, taking into consideration the results of the security assessment and authorization process, the risk assessment, and the security plan.

How do you handle a situation where a system does not meet security requirements and needs to be re-mediate?

Handling a situation where a system does not meet security requirements and needs to be re-mediate requires a systematic and organized approach. Here are the general steps you could follow:

1. Assess the security gap: Assess the system to identify the specific security requirement(s) that are not being met and the root cause of the issue.
2. Evaluate the risk: Evaluate the risk posed by the security gap, taking into consideration the potential impact, likelihood, and complexity of the issue.
3. Develop a remediation plan: Based on the assessment and risk evaluation, develop a remediation plan that outlines the steps that need to be taken to bring the system into compliance with the security requirements.
4. Prioritize the remediation plan: Prioritize the remediation plan based on the risk posed by the security gap, the impact on business operations, and the available resources.
5. Implement the remediation plan: Implement the remediation plan, taking the necessary steps to bring the system into compliance with the security requirements.
6. Test the remediation: Test the remediation to ensure that the system meets the security requirements and that the issue has been fully address.
7. Document the remediation: Document the remediation process, including the steps taken, the outcome, and any lessons learned.
8. Monitor the system: Monitor the system to ensure that it continues to meet the security requirements, and to detect and respond to any future security incidents.

By following these steps, organizations can effectively address security incidents and bring systems into compliance with security requirements, improving their overall security posture and reducing the risk of future security incidents.

Can you describe your experience with security tools and technologies such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and security information and event management (SIEM) systems?

I have been trained on general information and can provide an understanding of the following:

1. Firewalls: A firewall is a network security system that monitors and controls incoming and outgoing network traffic based on predetermined security rules and policies. Firewalls can be hardware-based, software-based, or a combination of both. They are used to prevent unauthorized access to systems and applications, and to protect against malicious attacks.
2. Intrusion Detection Systems (IDS): An intrusion detection system (IDS) is a type of security software that monitors network traffic for signs of intrusion or malicious activity. The IDS can be configured to alert administrators of suspicious activity, or to automatically respond to incidents. There are two types of IDS: network-based IDS (NIDS) and host-based IDS (HID).
3. Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) Systems: A Security Information and Event Management (SIEM) system is a type of security software that collects and analyzes security-related data from various sources, such as firewalls, intrusion detection systems, and application logs. The SIEM system aggregates and correlates the data, and provides real-time alerts and reports on security incidents. SIEM systems are use to improve visibility into the security posture of an organization and to detect and respond to security incidents more quickly.

By using these security tools and technologies, organizations can improve their overall security posture, detect and respond to security incidents more quickly, and ensure compliance with relevant security regulations and standards.

How do you approach developing and implementing security policies and procedures for an organization?

Developing and implementing security policies and procedures for an organization requires a systematic and organized approach. Here are the general steps you could follow:

1. Assess the organization’s current security posture: Assess the organization’s current security posture to identify any existing policies, procedures, and controls, and determine any gaps or areas for improvement.
2. Determine the scope of the security policies and procedures: Identify the systems, data, and applications that need to be protect, and define the scope of the security policies and procedures.
3. Gather relevant regulations and standards: Review relevant regulations and standards, such as industry-specific regulations, data privacy laws, and security standards, to ensure the security policies and procedures meet these requirements.
4. Engage stakeholders: Engage stakeholders from different departments within the organization, such as IT, security, legal, and HR, to gather their input and ensure the policies and procedures are align with the organization’s goals and objectives.
5. Draft the security policies and procedures: Based on the information gathered in the previous steps, draft the security policies and procedures, including the purpose, scope, responsibilities, and specific security controls.
6. Review and approve the policies and procedures: Have the security policies and procedures reviewed and approved by relevant stakeholders, including legal and executive management.
7. Implement the policies and procedures: Implement the security policies and procedures by distributing them to relevant personnel, conducting training sessions, and updating the security controls and systems to align with the policies and procedures.
8. Monitor and enforce compliance: Monitor compliance with the security policies and procedures, and enforce compliance by conducting regular audits and assessments, and taking appropriate action for any violations.

By following these steps, organizations can develop and implement effective security policies and procedures that help to protect their systems, data, and applications and meet relevant regulations and standards.

Can you explain your understanding of the concept of least privilege and how it is apply in a security environment?

The principle of least privilege (POLP) is a security concept that states that an individual or system should have the minimum set of permissions necessary to perform its intended functions. The idea behind least privilege is to reduce the attack surface of a system and limit the damage that can be done by malicious actors or accidental actions.

In a security environment, least privilege is applied by restricting access to systems, data, and applications to only those users who need it for their job responsibilities. This involves defining the minimum set of privileges necessary for a user to perform their job functions, and denying all other permissions.

For example, an employee who only needs to access specific files and directories to perform their job responsibilities would only be grant access to those files and directories, rather than having full administrative privileges on the system. Similarly, an application would only be grant the minimum set of permissions necessary to perform its intend functions, rather than having full access to the system.

Applying least privilege can help to prevent unauthorized access and protect against security threats such as malware, insider threats, and data breaches. By limiting the permissions of users and systems to only what is necessary, organizations can reduce the attack surface and minimize the risk of security incidents.

Can you describe a scenario where you had to respond to a security incident and how you handled the situation?

In the event of a security incident, the following steps should be taken to effectively respond and minimize the impact:

1. Containment: The first step is to contain the incident to prevent it from spreading or causing further damage. This may involve disconnecting systems from the network or shutting down specific services.
2. Identification: The next step is to identify the cause of the incident and determine the extent of the damage. This may involve conducting a forensic analysis to gather evidence and determine the root cause of the incident.
3. Assessment: Assess the impact of the incident and prioritize the response based on the severity of the impact. This may involve working with business stakeholders to understand the impact on critical systems and data.
4. Response: Implement the appropriate response to the incident, which may involve restoring systems and data, implementing patches or upgrades to address vulnerabilities, or revising security policies and procedures.
5. Recovery: Once the immediate response is complete, the focus should shift to recovery and restoring normal operations. This may involve conducting a post-incident review to identify areas for improvement and making changes to prevent similar incidents from happening in the future.
6. Communication: Throughout the incident response process, it’s important to keep stakeholders informed and updated on the status and outcome of the response. This helps to maintain transparency and build trust with stakeholders.

By following these steps, organizations can effectively respond to security incidents, minimize the impact, and improve their overall security posture.

How do you approach communication and collaboration with stakeholders during the security assessment and authorization process?

When communicating and collaborating with stakeholders during the security assessment and authorization process, it’s important to be clear, concise, and professional in your approach. Here are some steps you could follow:

1. Identify the key stakeholders: Determine who the stakeholders are and their role in the security assessment and authorization process. This could include IT staff, business owners, security personnel, and regulatory bodies.
2. Define the goals and objectives: Clearly communicate the goals and objectives of the security assessment and authorization process, including the purpose and scope of the assessment and the expected outcome.
3. Share information: Provide stakeholders with relevant information about the security assessment and authorization process, such as the assessment methodology, the assessment schedule, and any relevant security policies and standards.
4. Engage in open communication: Encourage open communication and collaboration by actively listening to stakeholder concerns and feedback, and being transparent about any issues or challenges that may arise during the assessment.
5. Foster collaboration: Foster collaboration among stakeholders by encouraging them to work together to address security risks and vulnerabilities and to develop strategies for mitigating these risks.
6. Provide regular updates: Keep stakeholders informed by providing regular updates on the progress of the security assessment and authorization process, and addressing any concerns or questions that may arise.

By approaching communication and collaboration with stakeholders in this way, you can help to build trust, establish a collaborative working relationship, and ensure the successful completion of the security assessment and authorization process.

Can you describe your experience with preparing and maintaining security documentation, including system security plans and security assessment reports?

Preparing security documentation typically involves documenting the current security measures in place for a system, identifying potential security risks and vulnerabilities, and creating a plan for mitigating these risks. This often includes creating a system security plan that outlines the security policies and procedures for the system, and a security assessment report that details the results of security assessments and penetration testing.

Maintaining security documentation involves regularly reviewing and updating the documentation to ensure that it remains accurate and relevant. This may involve updating the system security plan to reflect changes in the system or changes to security policies and procedures, and conducting regular security assessments to identify and address new security risks and vulnerabilities.

It is important to have accurate and up-to-date security documentation in order to effectively secure a system and demonstrate compliance with relevant security regulations and standards.

1. What are the Principles of information security?

Confidentiality, integrity, and availability are the fundamental pillars of information security. Every component of the information security program must be develop to implement at least one of these principles. They are known as the CIA Triad when they work together.

2. Explain the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST).

The National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) is a non-regulatory body of the United States Department of Commerce that conducts physical science research. Its purpose is to encourage American innovation and competitiveness in the industrial sector.

3. What is Risk Management Framework (RMF)?

The Risk Management Framework is a United States federal government guideline, standard, and process for risk management that was develop by the National Institute of Standards and Technology to aid with the security of information systems.

4. Explain Rand Report R-609?

The first widely acknowledge publish document to identify the role of management and policy issues in computer security was Rand Corporation Report R-609, which was the first widely recognize publish document to identify the role of management and policy issues in computer security.

5. What do you understand by Third-party hosted Information Systems (IS)?

Third-Party Host means that the servers where the Contractor’s software lives are in a physical location that is not under the Contractor’s control, often known as “managed hosting,” such as Amazon Web Service.

6. What is the definition of Computer Security?

From physical security to computer security, the scope of computer security has expanded to include:

• The data’s security preventing unauthorise access to that information
• Personnel from many levels of the organisation are involve.

7. Describe Information System (IS) purpose.

Users of information systems can collect, store, organize and distribute data, which can be use for a variety of reasons in businesses. Many companies utilize information systems to manage resources and increase efficiency. In addition, some businesses rely on information technology to compete in global marketplaces.

8. What is operations security?

Operations security is concerned with safeguarding the specifics of a specific operation or series of actions.

9. Who is the United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB)?

The United States Government Configuration Baseline (USGCB) is a project that aims to equip federal agencies with best practices for information security configuration.

The USGCB’s goal is to standardize IT configuration settings, minimize expenses, accelerate technology adoption rates, increase efficiency, and reinforce system hardening procedures in order to handle both present and future security threats. It also includes rules for power-management settings in order to save energy, reduce expenses, protect the environment, and comply with presidential orders.

10. Who is the Security Control Assessor (SCA)?

The person, group, or organization in charge of completing a security control evaluation.

11. Explain Security Control Assessment (SCA) plan.

• Firstly,an SCA is a formal assessment of a system against a set of controls.
• Secondly, it is carried out in conjunction with or independently of a comprehensive ST&E as part of the security authorization.
• Further, the SCA and ST&E will assess the implementation (or intended implementation) of the controls outlined in the SSP. The outcome is the risk assessment report. The areas of risk in the system will be document in this report.
• Last but not least, audits, security reviews, vulnerability scanning, and penetration testing are all examples of system tests that are perform.

12. Describe Initial Security Assessment Report (SAR).

One of the three major necessary documents for a system, or common control set, authorization package is the security assessment report or SAR. For the authorized official and system owner, the SAR appropriately reflects the results of the security control evaluation.

13. Explain  Interim Security Assessment Report (SAR).

Provides a disciplined and systematic approach for recording the assessor’s findings and recommendations for fixing any discovered flaws in security measures.

14. What are the critical information characteristics?

• Firstly, availability
• Secondly, accuracy
• Further, authenticity
• Next, Confidentiality
• Last but not least, Integrity

15. What do you understand by Plan of Action and Milestones (POAM)?

It describes the resources needed to complete the plan’s aspects, any milestones in achieving the tasks, and the scheduled completion dates for the milestones.

16. Explain Information System (IS) Risk.

Information system-related security risks are those that develop as a result of a loss of confidentiality, integrity, or availability of information or information systems and take into account the organization’s implications.

17.  What exactly is a risk matrix?

A risk matrix is a mechanism use to map the outcomes of a risk assessment process for proper handling. Risk treatment is often implement by an organization’s management for “Extreme” and “High” hazards. The risk appetite of the organization is frequently use to determine “medium” hazards.

18. What is risk?

To put it simply, the risk is the probability of something bad happening. Risk is uncertainty regarding the effects/implications of an activity in relation to something that humans value, with a concentration on negative, unfavorable outcomes.

19. Define Gap Analysis.

A gap analysis is a process by which a company compares its present performance to its intended, expected performance. This research is use to examine whether a company is achieving expectations and successfully utilizing its resources.

20. What is the distinction between process, guidelines, and policies?

• Firslty, Policy: A high-level document outlining senior management’s intent on security directions.
• Next, Procedure: A thorough step-by-step set of actions (SOP) must be completed in order to obtain the desire outcome.
• The term “guideline” refers to a series of recommendations/best practices that are optional to follow.

21. Define information security.

Information security, abbreviated as InfoSec, is the process of safeguarding information through limiting information threats. It’s a component of information risk management.

22. Explain vulnerability.

The traits and circumstances of a community, system, or asset that render it vulnerable to the destructive impacts of a hazard are vulnerability. There are numerous aspects of a vulnerability that result from physical, social, economic, and environmental issues.

23. What is a threat?

Software assaults, intellectual property theft, identity theft, equipment or information theft, sabotage, and information extortion are all examples of information security concerns.

A threat is something that can exploit a vulnerability to breach security and negatively change, erase, or injure an item or objects of interest.

24. What constituents make up an information system?

An Information System (IS) is more than just computer hardware; it is the full combination of software, hardware, data, people, and procedures required to use information as a resource in the company.

25. What does it mean to balance security and access?

• Firstly, security and access must be balance.
• Secondly, it is impossible to achieve perfect security; it is a process, not an absolute.
• Next, security should be view as a trade-off between protection and availability.
• To achieve balance, the level of security must permit appropriate access while while protecting against dangers.

26. Define SDLC.

• Firstly, the Life Cycle of Systems Development
• Secondly, information security must be control in the same way that any other key system in the firm is.
• Further, making use of a methodology
• Next, ensures a strict procedure
• Last but not least, prevents omission of steps

27. What are the three kinds of data ownership and what are their responsibilities?

• Data Owner – the person or organisation in charge of the protection and usage of a certain piece of data.
• Secondly, data custodian – the person or organisation in charge of storing, maintaining, and safeguarding information.
• Data Users – end-users who use information to execute their everyday tasks in support of the organization’s mission.

28. What is the distinction between a threat agent and a threat?

A threat is a type of thing, person, or other entity that poses a potential risk to an asset. Threats are never far away. A threat agent is an individual instance or component of a threat.

29. What exactly is an attack?

An attack is a deliberate or unintentional attempt to do harm or compromise information. A passive attack occurs when someone casually reads sensitive information that was not intend for his or her use. The attack is consider active when a hacker attempts to break into an information system.

30. What exactly is a security blue print?

The security blueprint is the organization’s plan for implementing new security measures. The blue print, also known as a framework, gives a structured approach to the security planning process.