Get ready for your upcoming DevSecOps Engineer virtual interview. Familiarize yourself with the necessary skills, anticipate potential questions that could be asked and practice answering them using our example responses.
Updated April 21, 2024
The STAR interview technique is a method used by interviewees to structure their responses to behavioral interview questions. STAR stands for:
Situation: Describe the context or background of the situation you were in.
Task: Explain the challenge or task you were faced with.
Action: Detail the specific actions you took to address the task or challenge.
Result: Share the results or outcomes of your actions.
This method provides a clear and concise way for interviewees to share meaningful experiences that demonstrate their skills and competencies.
Can you discuss your experience with various security tools and frameworks?
Knowing various security tools and frameworks is vital for this role. This assesses your familiarity and expertise with tools used to safeguard systems.
Dos and don'ts: "To answer the question about security tools and frameworks, discuss your hands-on experience. Highlight any certifications or specialized training you may have."
Suggested answer:
Situation: When I was working with a software company, we were using various tools for different security tasks which was not efficient.
Task: I was tasked with streamlining the process and ensuring efficient use of resources.
Action: I introduced unified security frameworks like OWASP Zap and SonarQube, which offered various security testing capabilities under one umbrella.
Result: This led to a more streamlined and efficient security process and allowed us to easily manage and monitor various aspects of security.
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Can you provide an example of a time when you identified and mitigated a security vulnerability in a DevOps context?
This showcases your ability to identify security vulnerabilities and resolve them, proving your problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Dos and don'ts: "In discussing a time when you identified and mitigated a security vulnerability, provide a comprehensive example following the STAR method."
Suggested answer:
Situation: In my prior role, a significant security vulnerability was discovered during an internal penetration testing process on our company's main application.
Task: I was tasked with identifying and mitigating the discovered vulnerability.
Action: I collaborated with the development team, implementing a code fix that addressed the vulnerability. Then, I modified the CI/CD pipeline to include a security test for this specific type of vulnerability.
Result: The issue was quickly resolved without any impact on our users, and the added test in our pipeline helped us prevent similar vulnerabilities in the future.
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Can you explain your understanding of DevSecOps and its role in the software development lifecycle (SDLC)?
Understanding DevSecOps and its role in the SDLC is fundamental to the role you're applying for. Interviewers need to know you understand the concept and its importance.
Dos and don'ts: "For the first question, you should give a concise yet comprehensive explanation of DevSecOps and its place in the SDLC. Use simple language and ensure your understanding aligns with industry standards."
Suggested answer:
Situation: In my previous role as a DevOps engineer at a mid-sized fintech firm, I was part of a team responsible for incorporating security into our SDLC.
Task: The aim was to integrate security measures early on, creating a culture that values 'security as code' and ensuring faster, safer software delivery.
Action: I played a significant role in incorporating security measures at every stage, starting from planning, coding, building, testing, release, deploy, operations, to monitoring, following the DevSecOps principles.
Result: The outcome was a more robust and secure software delivery lifecycle, which reduced vulnerabilities and improved our response to security threats.
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What experience do you have with implementing security measures in the DevOps pipeline?
Interviewers are interested in your hands-on experience with integrating security into DevOps. Your answer helps determine your ability to handle security concerns in real-world scenarios.
Dos and don'ts: "In discussing your experience with implementing security measures, share specific examples where your contributions improved the overall security posture. Be honest and avoid exaggerating your role or success."
Suggested answer:
Situation: At the same fintech firm, we had a well-established DevOps pipeline, but security wasn't tightly integrated.
Task: I was tasked to implement security measures within our DevOps pipeline to reduce vulnerabilities and mitigate security risks.
Action: I introduced automated security tools into the pipeline, enabling static code analysis, dynamic testing, and dependency checks to be performed during the build process.
Result: As a result, we could identify potential vulnerabilities early on in the process, thereby reducing the risk and impact of security incidents.
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How have you implemented automation in order to improve security in previous projects?
The automation of security processes is crucial in DevSecOps. Your experiences here help assess your technical and strategic expertise in this area.
Dos and don'ts: "When discussing automation for improving security, focus on tools or scripts you have used. Describe the improvements these brought about, including any quantifiable impact."
Suggested answer:
Situation: In a previous project, the security testing was manual and was carried out separately from the development process.
Task: Our objective was to improve security while reducing the time and resource requirements for testing.
Action: I introduced automated security testing tools, integrating them directly into the CI/CD pipeline, enabling us to perform security checks for every code commit.
Result: This approach significantly reduced the time taken for security testing and allowed us to identify and fix security issues early, leading to more secure and reliable software.
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How do you approach threat modeling in the context of DevSecOps?
Threat modeling is a proactive way of managing potential threats. Interviewers want to understand your ability to anticipate and mitigate security risks.
Dos and don'ts: "For threat modeling, explain your process clearly. Describe a specific example that highlights the effectiveness of your approach."
Suggested answer:
Situation: While working on a complex, high-risk project in a fintech company, we needed to assess potential security threats systematically.
Task: The responsibility fell on me to implement threat modeling to identify potential threats and vulnerabilities.
Action: I took the lead in creating a threat model using the STRIDE methodology. We examined the system architecture, identified potential threat agents, and assessed each component's vulnerabilities.
Result: As a result, we were able to identify and address significant threats early in the project lifecycle, thereby improving the security and resilience of the final product.
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Describe how you incorporate continuous security monitoring into the SDLC.
Continuous security monitoring is a key part of DevSecOps. Your approach to this task demonstrates your commitment to maintaining secure systems.
Dos and don'ts: "When explaining your approach to continuous security monitoring, give a detailed overview of the methods and tools you typically employ. Be sure to emphasize the benefits they have brought to projects you've worked on."
Suggested answer:
Situation: At a software development company, we noticed that our security issues often arose from code changes that weren't adequately monitored for potential vulnerabilities.
Task: I was tasked with implementing a process for continuous security monitoring.
Action: I integrated tools like SonarQube and Nessus into our SDLC, providing continuous security inspection of our code and infrastructure. Additionally, I set up automated alerts to notify the team of any significant security findings.
Result: This initiative significantly improved our security posture by ensuring that potential vulnerabilities were quickly identified and addressed, reducing the risk of security breaches.
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What strategies do you use to ensure code is developed with security in mind from the outset?
Secure coding is an important preventive measure. This question tests your ability to instill best practices and keep security a priority from the start.
Dos and don'ts: "To discuss your strategies for secure coding, discuss the guidelines and practices you adhere to. You can also share any training or education efforts you've initiated."
Suggested answer:
Situation: I was part of a project team that was developing a new application in a high-security environment.
Task: It was essential to ensure that the code was developed with security in mind from the outset.
Action: I implemented secure coding practices, such as peer reviews and security-focused linters. Additionally, I set up regular training sessions on secure coding for the development team.
Result: These strategies enhanced the security consciousness of the team, which led to a more secure application and fewer security-related bugs during testing.
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How have you dealt with incident response and recovery in a DevSecOps context?
Incident response and recovery are crucial when things go wrong. Your experience here speaks to your crisis management skills and resilience.
Dos and don'ts: "For incident response and recovery, recount a specific incident, focusing on your role, actions, and the outcome."
Suggested answer:
Situation: In a previous role at a software company, a breach occurred, and sensitive customer data was at risk of being exposed.
Task: As the lead DevSecOps engineer, it was my responsibility to oversee the incident response and recovery processes.
Action: I initiated our incident response plan, working closely with the security and development teams. We first contained the breach, then identified and remediated the security vulnerability that led to the incident. I led post-incident analysis to understand the root cause and introduced additional security measures to prevent a recurrence.
Result: We were able to respond swiftly to the incident, minimizing the impact on our customers. This experience led to substantial improvements in our security posture and incident response capabilities.
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Can you discuss your experience with cloud security and compliance?
Cloud environments have unique security challenges. Interviewers need to know you understand these and can ensure compliance with relevant regulations.
Dos and don'ts: "When discussing cloud security and compliance, focus on the specific tools, practices, and regulations relevant to the cloud services you have worked with."
Suggested answer:
Situation: While working for a company that was transitioning to a cloud-based infrastructure, there were concerns about potential security vulnerabilities.
Task: My role was to ensure the secure migration of services to the cloud while maintaining compliance with industry regulations.
Action: I implemented robust cloud security measures, including encryption at rest and in transit, IAM roles, and security groups. I also used compliance monitoring tools to ensure we were adhering to relevant standards and regulations.
Result: Our transition to the cloud was carried out securely and in full compliance with regulatory requirements, giving both our team and customers confidence in our data's security.
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What methods have you used to educate a development team about security best practices?
Teaching others about security is part of integrating DevSecOps. Your method shows your communication skills and commitment to a secure culture.
Dos and don'ts: "In explaining how you educate others about security, mention specific trainings, workshops, or materials you have developed or used."
Suggested answer:
Situation: I worked for a rapidly growing startup where developers were not fully aware of the importance of security best practices.
Task: I was tasked with educating the team about security and making it an integral part of their development workflow.
Action: I started conducting regular security workshops and shared relevant resources for self-learning. I also worked to integrate security checks into our CI/CD pipeline, reinforcing the importance of secure development practices.
Result: As a result, developers became more mindful of security in their coding practices. This led to a reduction in the number of security bugs found in our applications, and it increased our overall software quality.
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How do you balance the need for speed in a DevOps environment with the need for security?
This question tests your ability to deliver secure and efficient solutions, gauging how you manage conflicting priorities.
Dos and don'ts: "To balance speed and security in DevOps, provide concrete examples showing how you have managed these conflicting priorities effectively."
Suggested answer:
Situation: In my prior role at a high-paced tech startup, the focus was heavily on rapid feature release, which occasionally led to security considerations being overlooked.
Task: My task was to ensure that the speed of the DevOps processes didn't compromise our security standards.
Action: I introduced security measures into every step of the DevOps pipeline, creating a DevSecOps environment. I implemented automated security scans during code commits and configured the CI/CD pipeline to fail builds if critical vulnerabilities were found.
Result: This initiative helped us strike a balance between speed and security. It enhanced the security posture of our applications without sacrificing the pace of development and deployment, ensuring that quality software was delivered at high speed.
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How would you handle a situation where a team is resistant to integrating security measures into their DevOps practices?
Overcoming resistance to change is a common challenge. Your answer provides insight into your persuasion skills and your ability to advocate for security.
Dos and don'ts: "In a situation where a team resists integrating security measures, recount a similar situation you faced and how you managed to persuade and educate the team."
Suggested answer:
Situation: In my previous company, I encountered resistance from the development team when trying to introduce new security measures into their DevOps practices.
Task: It was my responsibility to ensure the successful implementation of these measures.
Action: I approached this challenge through education and communication. I set up workshops to demonstrate the benefits of these security measures, showing how they could reduce potential vulnerabilities and mitigate risks. I also took the time to listen to their concerns and tailored my approach to address them.
Result: As a result, the development team became more receptive to integrating security into their practices. The project demonstrated the efficacy of the new security measures, which improved the overall security posture of our development cycle.
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Describe a situation where you had to use your knowledge of the latest security threats to update or change a company’s security strategy.
The security landscape is constantly changing. Interviewers want to know that you can adapt strategies to meet evolving threats.
Dos and don'ts: "When discussing the latest security threats, give specific examples of how you stay informed and apply this knowledge in your role."
Suggested answer:
Situation: When a new ransomware threat surfaced in the tech industry, my previous employer was concerned about our vulnerability to this threat.
Task: As a key member of the security team, it fell to me to analyze this new threat and determine the necessary adjustments to our security strategy.
Action: I conducted a thorough analysis of the ransomware, studying how it works and its potential impact on our systems. I then introduced additional security measures including stronger access controls, enhanced intrusion detection, and more frequent backups.
Result: These proactive steps significantly strengthened our resilience to such threats. The updated security strategy increased the confidence of stakeholders in our security posture, making the company safer from the emerging threat landscape.
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Given what you know about our company and its needs, how would you improve our current security measures in the context of DevOps?
Finally, your answer to this question will show your ability to apply your skills and knowledge to the specifics of the company, demonstrating your suitability for the role.
Dos and don'ts: "For improving the company's current security measures, focus on understanding the company’s needs and provide thoughtful, realistic recommendations based on best practices in DevSecOps. Tailor your answer to the specific context of the company."
Suggested answer:
Situation: Given what I understand about your company, it appears you're transitioning more towards a cloud-native architecture and have a number of microservices running in containers.
Task: The key task here would be to enhance your security measures, in alignment with this new architecture, ensuring that the transition doesn't introduce new vulnerabilities into your systems.
Action: My approach would involve implementing security at every stage of the DevSecOps pipeline. At the code level, I'd introduce static and dynamic code analysis tools. For your container orchestration, I'd ensure that security policies and access controls are well-configured. For cloud environments, I'd implement a Cloud Access Security Broker (CASB) to provide visibility and control over your cloud services. I'd also advocate for regular training and awareness programs to keep the team updated about the best security practices.
Result: This multi-layered security approach, combined with ongoing team education, would reinforce your company's security posture. It would lead to fewer vulnerabilities and more secure software deployment, ensuring the integrity of your DevSecOps operations.
