Shadowing Practice: SOC Analyst: Top Interview Questions & Answers (2025) - Learn English Speaking with Video

Welcome guys.

So today we're going to be talking about the top SOC analyst interview questions that you will be asked.

I'm going to go through...

some of the top questions I've gathered from the online sources I have as well as through my own interviewing experiences.

I will also be providing the answer to these questions as well

so that you can go through and just study this video.

So the first question we're going to go over is actually a question I've been asked a few times

and it's all over the internet as a very common question and that is What are network ports?

So port 22, port 23, port 80, these common ports, right?

There's Obviously, you know hundreds and even thousands of ports, but the most common ones.

So they'll ask you about port 80 which is HTTP, port 443 which is HTTPS,

you have port 22 which is SSH, port 23 which is Telnet, port 21 and 20, our FTP,

Etc. Okay, so if you can name those ports you'll be great.

Port 53 is DNS okay.

as well as checking online to see What the common ports are is going to help you a lot, but the ports

that I just shared with you will probably be the extent of it They might throw a curveball or two.

So that's why I suggest that heading online just to familiarize yourself with them.

Now with a lot of these questions, of course it's going to be kind of second nature to you at this point.

If you got the interview then you've probably shown in your resume some amount of knowledge.

But another question they might ask is something like port scanning.

what is port scanning, right?

And that would be just the scanning of ports in order to gain information on those ports.

So in a question like that,

I would say keywords like Port scanning can be used to enumerate a network or a system in order to determine

a vulnerability on that target.

All right.

Thank you.

it's going to be very imperative that you use keywords like the one I just stated,

which is enumeration right they want to know you deeply understand what this is,

and why it's important that you know that.

So I've never really seen a person talk too much, okay?

They ask you any question and you get very technical.

that's even better.

It's going to help your case even more.

Another question I was asked which the first time I was asked this I did not know the answer to.

So, I'm going to tell you what to do if you don't know the answer.

to a question at the end of the video.

But the question was, Thank you.

What is a sign? of a malicious PowerShell command.

- Yeah.

Now the answer to this could be something like you see obfuscated code within the command,

base 64 encoding or Camel casing if you see something like a IEX, which is invoke expression.

That could be a sign of potentially malicious activity.

Obviously, you would have to see the command and be able to decipher it yourself.

Is there an IP address?

in the command that's being reached out to?

Is there a website that's being reached out to?

Right?

If you answered that question in the way that I just did.

You would pass that question for sure.

Another question they might ask is do you know any programming languages and it's not like you would really need

to know them for the job if you're trying to be a SOC analyst or a security analyst.

It might help you perform certain automations if you want, but it's never really needed for the job.

When they ask that question,

they ask so that they can determine if you can read a potentially malicious command from a programming language, right?

So if you know a programming language, it would help you determine.

the a suspicious command line.

So if you've ever done any kind of project using scripting languages or programming languages,

you would then bring it up with that question, right?

And if you have no experience with programming languages, I do suggest to have some projects under your belt.

It's very easy to go to sources like YouTube for free project walkthroughs.

And I suggest to go through a project of Python and JavaScript would be a very good one as well. And...

Those two would be the best.

to kind of understand in terms of like programming or scripting language Of course,

understanding PowerShell and bash would definitely help as well.

to just have a general understanding of those and to have a project

that you've gone through so that you can bring it up in the interview, if they ask you, if you know about programming languages.

Now let's say they ask you about specific security tools.

Okay, so they might say, What's your experience with Microsoft Sentinel?

What's your experience with Splunk?

Now, this is where your homework had to come into play.

Okay.

If you're applying for a job before the interview, okay.

Typically you have like a day to a week in order to really prepare for that interview.

Now, I would go back through...

what you...

Yeah applied for and if you do not have direct experience with one or more of the security tools,

go through there's plenty of free resources online go through and just get a

a familiarization with that security tool so that you can at least speak on it, right?

To have an answer, It's better than to not have an answer.

Now, in the same vein, it's OK to say, I don't know.

But again, we'll get to what to do in that situation at the end.

So for example, I did not know about Q -Radar.

I applied for this job.

I had most of the qualifications, so I applied for it, of course.

And before the interview, I made sure

and I went through a few YouTube videos about Q Radar and just saw the way they spoke about the tool, right?

And learned the vocabulary of that tool so I could speak on it in the interview and it helped me a lot.

Now I'm going to go through one more pretty big question

before I get into some of the more technical questions you might get.

And that question is, How would you explain the difference between blue team and red team?

And the way I would describe it is two teams fighting for the same cause.

So blue team is the defensive, red team is the offensive.

Red team is.

testing certain protocols and software in order to determine vulnerabilities.

Okay, and the blue team is then protecting against any adversary that might be trying to exploit those protocols or vulnerabilities.

Both teams are providing valuable information to the customer.

Red Team is saying...

here are these issues we found.

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These need to be changed.

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Certain softwares need to be updated or changing Drivers, for example, is a big one I see.

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And Blue Team, is saying, hey, this person is doing something strange in your network.

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this this suspicious PowerShell command line is reaching out to this external host.

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We have not seen the user perform this before.

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Blue team sees that they analyze it and they perform remedial actions accordingly.

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All right, so the technical question, they might ask you to walk them through and alert.

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And the alert could be something like, You receive an alert through a scene, which could be Splunk.

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And this alert.. is indicating that there's a potential adversary attempting login to a server.

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The login was failed.

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What would you do?

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So step one you would investigate the details you would perform some OSINT on the initiating IP address you would

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determine the user that attempted to log in and you would see what type of protocol they used to attempt this login.

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Was it RDP?

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Was it SSH?

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You would figure that out through the sim itself.

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You would then check the user and login history.

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So you would see if the user has ever attempted login from that IP address or maybe

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You can check the IP address they typically log in from and

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Compare it to the one that they're currently trying to log in on to determine the location.

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Okay, so if they're both in California, and it's only an hour away from each other in terms of the locations.

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That would be something important to note because that would change the way you look at the alert.

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And obviously if they typically sign into California, but this time they're signing in from Russia, That would be an anomaly to note.

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Now this next step is where it gets tricky and it's up for debate.

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It's...

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kind of dependent on the organization itself.

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So we know that the IP address is failed.

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Okay.

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That means there's not necessarily a direct...

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threat because they did not access the account.

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So you could go through and perform um a block on the IP address through the firewall.

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Okay.

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You could also preemptively reset the user credentials.

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Okay, because if they failed login from a suspicious location,

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that might entail that some what of their credentials have been compromised.

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Okay, just because it's failed,

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doesn't mean They don't have a sensitive credential, right? obviously they have something for the alert to have popped off.

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So you could do that and call it good.

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You could also, depending on...

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what your organization typically does.

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You could isolate but it's a server, right?

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So you don't just isolate servers.

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That has to be something your organization is okay with doing.

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And it was never successful.

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Okay. So...

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Some people want that answer Some organizations want you to say, oh, I would isolate if it was from you know,

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failed different suspicious country.

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So I would bring it up in the interview.

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But I don't.. agree with that right because there's no direct threat so i would include all of that in the interview.

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Then of course, regardless of outcome, we would escalate this activity to the organization.

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As a SOC analyst, Typically you are monitoring alerts for various organizations.

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Now if you work directly with an organization, You might just be able to get away with,

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um, performing remedial actions and then calling it good but most times you're having to escalate.

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So when you escalate, you would then document all of your findings It escalated.

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So that's one technical question example that you might receive as well as the answers and steps that you should take.

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Alright now the question that I've been saving for us.

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What happens if you do not have the answer to a question?

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This is what I did in an interview.

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And it got me the job.

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Uh...

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They asked, because at the time I did not really have any PowerShell malicious PowerShell experience.

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I had PowerShell experience just I never performed anything malicious and I had never seen it.

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So I didn't have an answer to the question of explain what would be an indication of a malicious PowerShell script.

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I said this: I said, I don't know.

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but I will find the answer and I'll email it to you at the end of this interview.

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And that's what I did.

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I remembered it.

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and Also, never be afraid to take notes during an interview.

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Okay, so if there's a question that you did not know, Write that question down it shows that you're a problem solver.

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Okay?

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So, They say, hey, I don't know right now, but I'll get you the answer at the end of this interview.

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I'll send you an email.

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That's what I did.

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I sent an email, I provided a direct example of a potentially malicious PowerShell script, and then I even provided them what...

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I found to be malicious and what I would do if I saw that script, okay?

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So that's answering.

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the question to its full extent.

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Because a big thing in these tech jobs in general, but specifically to be a security analyst, you use Google all the time.

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Okay, so if you don't know an answer, you're going to Google it.

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So Of course, in the interview, you can't say, I don't know, to every single question. But.

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I answered I don't know to that one question.

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The rest of the questions they asked I sat and I thought on them for a second.

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If you don't have the answer immediately, That's okay, right?

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nerves and anxiety can really get in into your head here and Don't don't rush the questions if they ask.

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You say, "Okay, let me think." I would never say good question.

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I wouldn't say that.

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I would just say Give me one second to think if It requires that.

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It's perfectly okay.

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They just want to see your problem solver, and you can analyze and then execute effectively.

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All right, so these have been a few of the top questions and answers.

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that are asked on SOC analysts, security analyst, interviews.

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Of course, if you have any questions, feel free to comment, subscribe if you're new, and like the video.

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Thank you.

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Real-World English in Action: A SOC Analyst Interview Prep Session

Imagine sitting in a room, preparing for a critical job interview as a SOC analyst. The video we’re exploring captures this scenario, with a mentor breaking down tough questions and sharing expert answers. This isn’t just about cybersecurity—it’s a goldmine for English speaking practice, packed with technical vocabulary, natural phrasing, and conversational flow. Whether you’re prepping for IELTS speaking or real-world professional communication, the dialogue shows how to explain complex ideas clearly, a skill that matters in any field.

Useful Chunks & Collocations to Master

"throw a curveball": To surprise someone with an unexpected question. Example: "Interviews might throw a curveball, so stay calm."
"second nature": Something done without thinking. Example: "After practice, explaining ports will be second nature."
"deeply understand": To grasp a concept thoroughly. Example: "Employers want to know you deeply understand network security."
"pass that question": To answer a question successfully. Example: "If you use key terms, you’ll pass that question easily."
"gain information": To collect data. Example: "Port scanning helps gain information about a network."

Your Shadowing Challenge: Mimic the Mentor’s Tone & Clarity

Ready to try the shadowing technique? Here’s your task: Watch the video segment where the mentor explains "malicious PowerShell commands." Pause after each sentence, then repeat it aloud, matching their pace, stress, and intonation. Focus on phrases like "obfuscated code" and "invoke expression"—say them until they feel natural. This is how shadowspeak (the art of mirroring speech) builds fluency. For extra practice, record yourself and compare it to the original. A shadowing site can help track your progress, but even this simple exercise will boost your confidence in explaining complex ideas. Whether for IELTS speaking practice or a job interview, shadowing turns passive listening into active mastery.

Grammar in this video

The structures the speaker uses most, with the exact words from the video:

Structure	In the video
Conditional sentences if + clause, will/would + verb — a condition and its result	if you can name those ports you'll be
Present perfect have/has + past participle — a past action that still matters now	I've gathered · I've been asked · you've probably shown
Passive voice be + past participle — the focus is on what happens, not who does it	will be asked · I've been asked · was asked

What is the Shadowing Technique?

Shadowing is a science-backed language learning technique originally developed for professional interpreter training and popularized by polyglot Dr. Alexander Arguelles. The method is simple but powerful: you listen to native English audio and immediately repeat it out loud — like a shadow following the speaker with just a 1–2 second delay. Unlike passive listening or grammar drills, shadowing forces your brain and mouth muscles to simultaneously process and reproduce real speech patterns. Research shows it significantly improves pronunciation accuracy, intonation, rhythm, connected speech, listening comprehension, and speaking fluency — making it one of the most effective methods for IELTS Speaking preparation and real-world English communication.

Shadowing technique: read the full step-by-step guide →

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Grammar in this video

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