Prepare for your Software Engineer, Security interview. Understand the required skills and qualifications, anticipate the questions you may be asked, and study well-prepared answers using our sample responses.
The OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities are a list of the most common security issues in software development. The interviewer may ask this question to see if you have experience with these vulnerabilities and how you would address them in your work. In your answer, try to explain what each vulnerability is and how you would fix it in your projects.
Answer Example: “The OWASP top 10 vulnerabilities are a great resource for security professionals. I am very familiar with these issues and have used them as a guide when developing secure software.”
This question allows you to demonstrate your knowledge of the different types of security assessments and how they’re used in the software engineering process. You can answer this question by listing the different types of assessments, explaining what each type does and providing examples of each type.
Answer Example: “There are three main types of security assessments—vulnerability, penetration and compliance. Vulnerability assessments are used to identify potential weaknesses in an application or system that could be exploited by hackers. Penetration testing is similar to vulnerability assessment but goes one step further by actually trying to exploit the identified vulnerabilities. Compliance assessment ensures that the application or system meets industry standards for security. For example, if an organization is required to comply with HIPAA regulations, they would need to conduct a compliance assessment to ensure their system meets those standards.”
This question can help the interviewer understand how you would integrate security into the development process and ensure it’s implemented throughout the entire software engineering process. Use examples from your experience to show how you’ve used security best practices in the past and what steps you would take to implement security into the development process.
Answer Example: “I believe in a proactive approach to security implementation. I would start by creating a security plan for the project, which includes defining the security requirements and objectives, identifying potential threats, and developing countermeasures to mitigate those threats. This helps me identify potential risks early on and develop strategies to mitigate them.”
