Top 30 Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers

Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers

If you are getting ready for a job interview in web application security, you need to be well-prepared. To do that, you can read this article titled “Top 30 Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers.”

Moreover, you will be able to grasp how hard the questioning could be at the interview session. In the end, we talked about a training institute. This is for people new to cybersecurity. They want to learn skills for web application security. Let’s get straight to the topic!

What is Web Application Security?

The techniques and tools used to defend web applications against online dangers like illegal access, data breaches, and attacks like SQL injection and cross-site scripting (XSS) are collectively referred to as web application security.

It guarantees data and service availability, confidentiality, and integrity. Regular vulnerability assessments, encryption, authentication, and input validation are examples of security measures.

The Top 30 Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers can help you to be well-prepared before the interview day. Let’s get forward!

Top 30 Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers

The following are the Top 30 Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers:

1. What is web application security, and why is it important?

The goal of web application security is to defend web apps and the infrastructure that supports them against online dangers such as malicious attacks, data breaches, and hacking. Moreover, it is important because of the following reasons:

1. Data Protection,
2. Brand Reputation,
3. Business Continuity,
4. Financial Losses, and
5. Competitive Advantage.

2. Explain the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities.

Following are the OWASP Top 10 vulnerabilities:

1. Broken Access Control,
2. Cryptographic Failures,
3. Injection,
4. Insecure Design,
5. Security Misconfiguration,
6. Vulnerable and Outdated Components,
7. Identification and Authentication Failures,
8. Software and Data Integrity Failures,
9. Security Logging and Monitoring Failures, and
10. Server-Side Request Forgery (SSRF).

3. What is the difference between authentication and authorization?

Authorization establishes what resources or actions a user is allowed to access (what they can do), whereas authentication confirms a user’s identity (who they are).

4. Define Cross-Site Scripting (XSS). What are its types?

A type of web security flaw known as Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) makes it possible for malicious scripts to be introduced into reliable websites, potentially leading to user data theft, session hijacking, or redirection to malicious websites. The following are its types:

1. Reflected XSS,
2. Stored XSS, and
3. DOM-Based XSS.

5. What is SQL Injection, and how can it be prevented?

A form of cyberattack known as SQL Injection gives attackers access to or control over data in a database by inserting malicious SQL code into an entry field for execution. In the following ways, SQL Injection:

1. Prepared Statements,
2. Input Validation and Sanitization,
3. Least Privilege,
4. Regular Security Audits, and
5. Keep Software Updated.

6. What is Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF)? How can it be mitigated?

A web security flaw known as Cross-Site Request Forgery (CSRF) deceives a user’s browser into performing an undesirable action on a reliable website. In the following ways, it can be mitigated:

1. Implement CSRF Tokens,
2. HTTP Referer Header,
3. Double Submit Cookie,
4. Asynchronous Requests, and
5. User Education.

7. What are HTTP security headers? Name a few and their uses.

Web servers can increase the security of web applications and shield them from different threats by setting HTTP security headers, which are special response headers. Following are some of the types of HTTP security headers:

1. Content-Security-Policy (CSP): Prevents attacks like XSS and data exfiltration by limiting the resources (scripts, stylesheets, images, etc.) that a web page can load.
2. X-Frame-Options: Prevents clickjacking attacks by regulating whether a page can load inside an iframe.
3. Strict-Transport-Security (HSTS): Instructs browsers to always use HTTPS to access a website, even if the user makes an HTTP request at first.
4. X-XSS-Protection: Activates the built-in XSS filtering features of the browser.
5. HTTP Public Key Pinning (HPKP): Gives websites the ability to instruct browsers on which public keys to trust when establishing HTTPS connections.
6. Referrer-Policy: Reduces information leakage by regulating the amount of referrer information sent in HTTP requests.
7. Permissions-Policy: Gives website owners the ability to manage browser functions like microphone, camera, and geolocation access.

8. What is the Same-Origin Policy (SOP)? Why is it important?

A web browser security feature called the Same-Origin Policy (SOP) limits the way JavaScript code on one page can communicate with resources from a different origin (domain, protocol, or port). It is important for the following reasons:

1. Data Isolation,
2. Cross-Site Scripting (XSS) Mitigation,
3. User Privacy,
4. Data Security, and
5. Improved Security Posture.

9. Explain the concept of input validation and its role in security.

To stop malicious data from being processed by the application, input validation entails closely reviewing and filtering user input to make sure it complies with expected formats, data types, and constraints. The following are the roles of input validation in security:

1. Preventing Injection Attacks,
2. Maintaining Data Integrity,
3. Enhancing System Stability,
4. Protecting User Privacy, and
5. Improving User Experience.

10. What is the principle of least privilege, and how does it apply to web applications?

According to the least privilege principle, systems and users should only be given the minimal amount of access required to carry out their mandated tasks. It is applied to web applications in the following ways:

1. User Accounts,
2. Data Access Controls,
3. API Permissions,
4. Session Management, and
5. Regular Reviews.

11. What tools do you use for web application security testing?

Following are some of the tools used for web application security testing:

1. Burp Suite,
2. OWASP ZAP,
3. Nikto,
4. Nmap, and
5. Wireshark.

12. Explain the purpose of a Web Application Firewall (WAF).

By filtering and monitoring HTTP traffic between a web application and the internet, a Web Application Firewall (WAF) guards against malicious requests and shields the application from attacks such as SQL injection, XSS, and CSRF.

13. What is penetration testing, and how does it differ from vulnerability scanning?

Vulnerability scanning finds possible flaws in a system, while penetration testing mimics an actual attack to exploit vulnerabilities.

14. How do you secure sensitive data in a web application?

In the following ways, you can secure your sensitive data in a web application:

1. Encryption,
2. Input Validation & Sanitization,
3. Access Control,
4. Regular Security Audits & Penetration Testing, and
5. Secure Coding Practices.

15. What is SSL/TLS, and why is it necessary for web applications?

A cryptographic protocol called SSL/TLS (Secure Sockets Layer/Transport Layer Security) enables safe network communication. For the following reasons, it is necessary for web applications:

1. Data Encryption,
2. Data Integrity,
3. Authentication,
4. User Trust, and
5. Search Engine Optimization (SEO).

16. What are some methods for securely storing passwords?

Following are some of the methods for securely storing passwords:

1. Hashing,
2. Salting,
3. Password Managers,
4. Two-factor authentication (2FA), and
5. Regular Password Changes.

17. What is code injection, and how can it be prevented?

A cyberattack known as “code injection” occurs when malicious code is introduced into a system to take advantage of security flaws and obtain unapproved access or control. In the following ways, you can prevent code injection:

1. Input Validation & Sanitization,
2. Prepared Statements,
3. Least Privilege,
4. Regular Security Audits & Penetration Testing, and
5. Keep Software Updated.

18. What are the common attacks on APIs, and how do you secure them?

Injection attacks (SQL, XSS), data breaches, incorrect authentication/authorization, and denial-of-service attacks are examples of common API attacks. Use rate limiting, robust authentication, input validation, and frequent security audits to create secure APIs.

19. How do you detect and prevent session hijacking?

You can detect & prevent session hijacking in the following ways:

1. Strong Session Management,
2. HTTPS Encryption,
3. Input Validation & Sanitization,
4. Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA), and
5. Regular Security Audits & Monitoring.

20. Explain how to secure file uploads in a web application.

You can secure file uploads in a web application in the following steps:

1. Input Validation,
2. File Storage,
3. Security Scanning,
4. Access Control,
5. Regular Security Audits.

21. What is security misconfiguration, and how can it be avoided?

Inadequate or incorrect software, hardware, application, or network system configuration is known as security misconfiguration, and it can lead to vulnerabilities that hackers could take advantage of. You can avoid security misconfiguration in the following ways:

1. Implement Secure Default Configurations,
2. Principle of Least Privilege,
3. Regular Security Audits and Vulnerability Scans,
4. Change Management Processes, and
5. Security Awareness Training.

22. How would you secure a web application that uses cookies for session management?

You can secure a web application that uses cookies for session management in the following steps:

1. HTTPS Only,
2. HTTPOnly Flag,
3. Secure Flag,
4. Unique & Random Session IDs, and
5. Short Session Timeouts.

23. What is CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing), and how does it affect security?

A technique known as CORS (Cross-Origin Resource Sharing) enables a web page to send requests to a server located on a different domain than the one that hosted the page. It can affect security in the following ways:

1. Enforces Same-Origin Policy,
2. Controlled Access,
3. Data Exfiltration Prevention,
4. Misconfiguration,
5. Complexity, and
6. Attack Surface.

24. What are JSON Web Tokens (JWT)? How can you secure them?

An open standard for safely sending data as a JSON object between two parties is called JSON Web Tokens (JWT). You can secure JSON Web Tokens in the following steps:

1. Strong Signing Algorithms,
2. Short Expiration Times,
3. HTTPS Only,
4. Secure Storage, and
5. Revocation Mechanisms.

25. Explain the concept of secure coding practices.

The strategies and tactics used to create software that is immune to security flaws, shielding it from assaults and guaranteeing its availability, confidentiality, and integrity are known as secure coding practices.

26. What is the impact of insufficient logging and monitoring on web security?

The following are the impacts of insufficient logging and monitoring on web security:

1. Delayed Threat Detection,
2. Impeded Incident Response,
3. Difficulty in Compliance,
4. Reduced Visibility, and
5. Increased Risk of Data Breaches.

27. How do you perform threat modeling for a web application?

In the following steps, we perform threat modeling for a web application:

1. Define Scope & Objectives,
2. Create a Data Flow Diagram (DFD),
3. Identify Threats,
4. Evaluate & Prioritize Threats,
5. Define Countermeasures,
6. Document & Communicate, and
7. Implement and Test.

28. What are the best practices for securing APIs in microservices architecture?

Following are some of the practices for security APIs in microservices architecture:

1. Implement Strong Authentication and Authorization,
2. Secure Communication with TLS/ SSL,
3. API Gateways as a Central Security Layer,
4. Input Validation & Sanitization, and
5. Regular Security Audits & Monitoring.

29. How do you ensure security during the software development lifecycle (SDLC)?

In the following ways, I can assure you that the software development lifecycle (SDLC) is secure:

1. Incorporate Security into Every Phase,
2. Regular Security Testing,
3. Continuous Monitoring &Improvement,
4. Secure Development Environment and
5. Security Awareness Training.

30. What is a security vulnerability disclosure program, and why is it important?

An organized procedure for receiving and appropriately managing security vulnerability reports from outside researchers is known as a Vulnerability Disclosure Program (VDP). It is important because of the following reasons:

1. Proactive Vulnerability Identification,
2. Improved Security Posture,
3. Enhanced Reputation,
4. Legal Protection, and
5. Collaboration with the Security Community.

Conclusion

Now that you have read all the Top 30 Web Application Security Interview Questions and Answers, you might feel more confident about cracking the interview. Moreover, you will be able to guess what kind of questions the interviewer will ask.

Those who are beginners in the world of cybersecurity and want to start a career in the IT Industry with web application security skills can get in contact with Craw Security, offering a specially dedicated training & certification program, “Web Application Security Training in Delhi.” What are you waiting for? Contact Now!