System administrator interview questions
Linux
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Databases
- discuss the steps you would take to secure a [MySQL/PostgreSQL/MS SQL] installation, including best practices for setting up user accounts, implementing encryption, and configuring firewalls?
- how do you prevent lateral movement of a hacker who successfully attacked one of your database applications?
Firewall
- How does firewalld work on CentOS systems and which file format do the rulesets have?
- What is UFW on Debian?
- What is the difference between nftables and iptables?
- What is the role of systemd network namespaces?
- Can you explain how DKIM works in email security and how it can be used to prevent email spoofing and fraud?
- What are the steps for setting up DKIM for a domain and how does it interact with other email security technologies?
TLS Certificates
- How does the ACME DNS challenge work in the process of obtaining SSL/TLS certificates from a certificate authority?
- What are the benefits and limitations of using this challenge method?
Encryption
- What is the purpose of using GPG subkeys and how can they be used to enhance the security of GPG encryption?
VPN
- How does the IPSec protocol ensure secure and encrypted communication between two or more endpoints, and what are the differences between transport mode and tunnel mode?
- What are differences and use cases for OpenVPN and IPSec VPN?
- what are the benefits and challenges of each solution in terms of scalability, security, and compatibility?