Cyberark Interview Questions and Answers

Last updated on Nov 18, 2023

CyberArk, a prominent security tool, protects privileged accounts through robust password management. It safeguards organizational accounts by automating password maintenance. CyberArk's capability extends to storing and managing data by rotating credentials of key accounts, enhancing protection against malware and hacking threats. It also offers centralized, tamper-proof audit records for all privileged access activities. Also, it ensures individual accountability for using or accessing shared privileged accounts.

This article presents a collection of common CyberArk interview questions curated by industry experts at HKR Trainings. These interview questions are frequently faced in interviews and are designed to prepare candidates effectively. Whether you are a beginner or an experienced professional, for technical interviews, follow these top CyberArk interview questions and answers.

Now let's have a look into the cyberark interview questions for beginners and experienced, cyberark technical interview questions in detail.

Most Frequently Asked Cyberark Iinterview Questions

Cyberark Interview Questions for freshers

1. What is CyberArk?

Ans: CyberArk is a leading data security company specializing in Privileged Account Security, a critical aspect of IT security. It's widely utilized in financial services, energy, retail, and healthcare sectors. CyberArk boasts a clientele that includes a significant portion of the Fortune 500 companies. The company has its roots in Petah Tikva, Israel, with its primary operational hub in Newton, Massachusetts. This global presence underscores its role in securing sensitive data worldwide.

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2. What are the basic functions of Cyberark?

Ans: At the heart of CyberArk’s functionality is the CyberArk Enterprise Password Vault (EPV). This tool is a central component of CyberArk's suite of solutions for securing privileged accounts. The EPV is designed to manage sensitive account passwords completely, ensuring they are securely stored, routinely updated, and restricted access. This system is integral to securing IT environments across various enterprise systems, securing against unauthorized access and potential security breaches.

3. What is OPM?

Ans: OPM stands for On-Demand Privileges Manager, a versatile tool for Linux/Unix and Windows systems. It grants users limited command access based on the adaptable policies set within OPM. This tool balances user accessibility with security, ensuring users have the necessary permissions while maintaining tight control over system access.

4. Define Privileged Session Manager.

Ans:  Privileged Session Manager (PSM), a key module in CyberArk's suite, focuses on securing and monitoring access by privileged users to sensitive database and OS environments. It encompasses not just tracking user activities but also safeguards against unknown access to mainframe systems. The PSM centralizes control, meticulously logs user activities, and is a robust barrier against potential malware threats.

5. Who is a privileged user?

Ans: Privileged users in any system have significantly more capabilities than regular users, making their accounts high-value targets for cyber threats. These accounts often have administrative privileges, allowing them to make substantial changes across various apps and databases. Due to their elevated access levels, these accounts are particularly susceptible to hacking attempts, deepening the need for robust security measures.

6. What is CyberArk viewfinity?

Ans:  Viewfinity, CyberArk's Endpoint Privilege Manager (EPM), enhances organizational security by implementing least privilege policies. It allows system admins and business users to elevate authorized apps' privileges selectively. This approach minimizes accidental system damage and reduces the risk of security breaches by running untrusted apps in a restricted, controlled environment.

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7. What does CyberArk PSM's web form ability mean?

Ans: CyberArk PSM's web form capability allows for seamless integration with web apps using predefined conditions. It explicitly targets HTML login pages, enabling secure and streamlined access by recognizing form IDs, user/password input fields, and submit buttons, ensuring enhanced security in web-based access.

8. What is an AIM?

Ans: The Application Identity Manager (AIM), compatible with Linux and Windows, facilitates secure access to privileged passwords, eliminating the risky practice of hardcoding plaintext passwords in scripts, apps, or configuration files. AIM consists of two components: a secure password retrieval and storage provider and an SDK offering various APIs for seamless integration across multiple programming languages

9. What is Password Vault Web Access (PVWA) Interface?

Ans: The Password Vault Web Access (PVWA) Interface is a web-based portal that offers a centralized console for managing privileged account credentials within an organization. The PVWA's dashboard provides users with a comprehensive overview of activities within the Privileged Access Security Solution, enhancing operational visibility and control.

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11. What is viewfinity used for?

Ans:  Viewfinity is an integrated suite of management tools that simplifies the implementation of privilege management. It enhances organizational security by effectively managing user permissions on servers and endpoints, providing detailed control over who can execute specific functions, thereby bolstering overall IT security.

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[ Related Article: Cyberark architecture ]

12. What is identity and access management?

Ans: IAM (Identity and Access management) is a security and marketing feature which empowers the opportune people to get to the correct assets at the correct occasions and for the correct reasons.

Cyberark Interview Questions for experienced

13. How does Cyberark security work?

Ans: CyberArk employs a multi-layered encryption strategy to secure sensitive information. It includes encrypting each record with a unique file encryption key, which is then secured using a vault-specific encryption key. These keys are accessible only to users with proper authorization, ensuring high security for sensitive data. This approach is central to CyberArk's methodology in protecting against unauthorized access and ensuring data integrity.

14. Mention the steps needed to register a privilege account to CyberArk PIMS using PVWA?

Ans: To register a privileged account to CyberArk PIMS using PVWA, one must undertake several key steps:

    • Creating and defining a safe
    • Establishing a PIM Policy
    • Formulating CPM and PSM policies
    • Adding the account with its relevant properties, such as username, password, and address

    This process ensures comprehensive management and security of privileged accounts.

15. Mention the User Directories which are supported by CyberArk?

Ans: CyberArk supports a range of user directories, including Oracle Internet Directory, Novell eDirectory, Active Directory, and IBM Tivoli DS. This compatibility allows seamless integration with various directory services, enhancing user management and authentication processes.

16. Explain CPM.

Ans: The Central Policy Manager (CPM) automates the enforcement of security policies, eliminating the need for manual intervention. It achieves this by autonomously updating passwords on remote machines and securely storing the new credentials in the Enterprise Password Vault (EPV). This system is crucial in maintaining secure and up-to-date access credentials across an organization's IT infrastructure.

17. Can the password be changed in a text file?

Ans: CyberArk can change passwords in text files using a known encryption algorithm, whether in plain text or encrypted.

18. Explain SSH Key Manager

Ans: The SSH Key Manager is a crucial tool for preventing unauthorized access to private SSH keys, commonly used in Unix/Linux environments for authenticating privileged accounts. It manages and rotates these keys according to security policies and monitors access, thereby providing an additional layer of security in managing privileged accounts.

Cyberark Interview Questions-Technical

19. What is identity and access management?

Ans: IAM (Identity and Access management) is a security and marketing feature which empowers the opportune people to get to the correct assets at the correct occasions and for the correct reasons. 

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20. What do you understand by Privileged Account security?

Ans:  Privileged Account Security, or PIM, focuses on the unique needs of powerful and influential accounts within an organization's IT infrastructure. It involves managing and protecting superuser accounts, ensuring that their access privileges are not misused or exploited. PIM safeguards these critical accounts from unauthorized use and potential security breaches.

Releated Article: CyberArk Components

21. What should be done to create a pim policy ?

Ans: To create a PIM policy, it is essential to establish a comprehensive approach that includes creating a PIM Policy, a CPM Policy, and a PSM linkage component. Additionally, enabling PSM as needed is crucial to this process, ensuring a robust policy framework for privileged account security.

22. What is BYOC?

Ans: BYOC stands for Bring Your Own Client, a concept that allows users to utilize their preferred clients within a given technological framework or system.

23. Which CyberArk’s modules are responsible for recording sessions?

Ans: CyberArk's Privileged Session Manager (PSM) is the module responsible for recording sessions. It plays a critical role in monitoring and securing privileged user activities, ensuring comprehensive oversight and security of sensitive operations.

24. How many times can we access after the wrong password count?

Ans: CyberArk allows up to 99 attempts for access following incorrect password entries, providing a balance between security measures and user accessibility.

25. Which Component used on all Cyberark solutions?

Ans: The CyberArk Vault is a fundamental component utilized across all CyberArk solutions. It serves as the central repository and security mechanism, underpinning the entire suite of CyberArk's security products.

26. What are the abilities of PSM for SSH?

Ans: The abilities of CyberArk's PSM for SSH include video and control recording, offering an enhanced level of security and oversight for SSH sessions.

27. What are the CyberArk Vault assurance layers?

Ans: The CyberArk Vault is protected by multiple layers of security, including Firewall and Code-Data Isolation, Visual Security Audit Trail, Encrypted Network Communication, Strong Authorization, Granular Access Control, and File Encryption with Dual Control Security. These layers collectively ensure the highest level of security for stored data.

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28. What do you require to empower auto password reconciliation policy?

Ans:  To effectively implement an auto password reconciliation policy, it's essential to:

    • Activate password reconciliation for specific policies.
    • Ensure an additional account on the tracking server has sufficient rights.
    • Enable automated password checking.
    • Activate password reconciliation in cases of password desynchronization.

29. What is a PrivateArk client?

Ans: The PrivateArk client is a specialized Windows application integral to the configuration of PAS as the administrative client. It allows access to the EPV over the web, facilitating the deployment of the client across multiple remote computers. This interface is used for creating safes and establishing a hierarchy of vaults. Access to the Enterprise Password Vault via a PrivateArk client requires authorization from the Digital Vault.

30. How can CyberArk Vault be handled?

Ans: Management of the CyberArk Vault can be efficiently conducted using the PrivateArk Web Client, PrivateArk Client, and Private Vault Web Access.

31. List out the Authentication schemes that are supported by CyberArk Vault?

Ans: CyberArk Vault supports various authentication schemes, including LDAP, Radius, and PKI.

32. How many times wrong Password count access suspension can be increased?

Ans: The suspension count for incorrect password attempts can be increased up to a maximum of 99 times.

33. What's the minimum password complexity required for CyberArk authentication using the internal CyberArk scheme?

Ans: The minimum password complexity for CyberArk authentication requires at least one lowercase alphabet character, one uppercase alphabet character, and one numeric character.

34. To allow a specific user to access a specific safe the user needs to have?

Ans: To access a specific safe, a user must possess safe ownership.

35. CyberArk's PIM stands for?

Ans: PIM in CyberArk refers to Privileged Identity Management.

36. To create a PIM policy, what needs to be done?

Ans: Creating a PIM policy involves:

  • Establishing a CPM Policy.
  • Formulating a PIM Policy, and if necessary.
  • Creating a PSM Link Component to enable PSM.

37. If a CyberArk vault user changed his Active Directory password what would happen with his CyberArk account?

Ans: If CyberArk utilizes LDAP authentication, changing an Active Directory password will not impact the user's CyberArk account.

38. What is PAM (Privileged Access Management)?

Ans: PAM, or Privileged Access Management, is a critical cybersecurity practice that regulates and oversees privileged user access to vital systems and data. This practice is key to bolstering security and preventing unauthorized activities.

Conclusion

Preparing for a CyberArk role interview with these questions can be very helpful in passing the interview and securing a position. CyberArk is renowned for its Privileged Account Security solutions, securing various sectors' data, infrastructure, and assets. These include finance, energy, retail, and healthcare, primarily through cloud-based security technologies. Keep visiting this page for more updates.

About Author

A technical lead content writer in HKR Trainings with an expertise in delivering content on the market demanding technologies like Networking, Storage & Virtualization,Cyber Security & SIEM Tools, Server Administration, Operating System & Administration, IAM Tools, Cloud Computing, etc. She does a great job in creating wonderful content for the users and always keeps updated with the latest trends in the market. To know more information connect her on Linkedin, Twitter, and Facebook.

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