Common Technical Interview Questions and Answers Update on October 30, 2021

Exam Question 41

Naomi wants to provide guidance on how to keep her organization’s new machine learning tools secure. Which of the following is not a common means of securing machine learning algorithms?

A. Understand the quality of the source data
B. Build a secure working environment for ML developers
C. Require third-party review for bias in ML algorithms
D. Ensure changes to ML algorithms are reviewed and tested
Correct Answer:
C. Require third-party review for bias in ML algorithms
Answer Description:
Requiring third-party review of ML algorithms is not a common requirement, but ensuring that you use high-quality source data, that the working environment remains secure, and that changes are reviewed and tested are all common best practices for ML algorithm security.

Exam Question 42

What type of malware is adware typically classified as?

A. A DOG
B. A backdoor
C. A PUP
D. A rootkit
Correct Answer:
C. A PUP
Answer Description:
Adware is typically classified as a type of potentially unwanted program, or PUP. Backdoors and rootkits are definitely malicious, whereas adware may simply be unwanted and annoying. A DOG is not a term commonly used to describe malware.

Exam Question 43

Matt uploads a malware sample to a third-party malware scanning site that uses multiple antimalware and antivirus engines to scan the sample. He receives several different answers for what the malware package is. What has occurred?

A. The package contains more than one piece of malware.
B. The service is misconfigured.
C. The malware is polymorphic and changed while being tested.
D. Different vendors use different names for malware packages.
Correct Answer:
D. Different vendors use different names for malware packages.
Answer Description:
One of the challenges security practitioners can face when attempting to identify malware is that different antivirus and antimalware vendors will name malware packages and families differently. This means that Matt may need to look at different names to figure out what he is dealing with.

Exam Question 44

Nancy is concerned that there is a software keylogger on the system she is investigating. What data may have been stolen?

A. All files on the system
B. All keyboard input
C. All files the user access while the keylogger was active
D. Keyboard and other input from the user
Correct Answer:
D. Keyboard and other input from the user
Answer Description:
Though keyloggers often focus on keyboard input, other types of input may also be captured, meaning Nancy should worry about any user input that occurred while the keylogger was installed. Keyloggers typically do not target files on systems, although if Nancy finds a keylogger, she may want to check for other malware packages with additional capabilities.

Exam Question 45

Crypto malware is a type of what sort of malware?

A. Worms
B. PUP
C. Ransomware
D. Rootkit
Correct Answer:
C. Ransomware
Answer Description:
Crypto malware, a type of ransomware, typically demands payment to decrypt critical files or entire drives. PUPs are potentially unwanted programs like spyware and adware, whereas rootkits are used to gain control of systems without being detected and worms self-spread by exploiting vulnerabilities.

Exam Question 46

What is the significance of the terms “Bunny-Wunnies Freak Out” and “Taking off Again” in programming?

A. These are the nicknames to some of the latest versions and updates for R.
B. These terms are related to the more recent standards for the C programming language.
C. These terms have no significance in the programming world.
D. These are expressions associated with common programming issues.
Correct Answer:
A. These are the nicknames to some of the latest versions and updates for R.

Exam Question 47

Which of these statements is a core difference between C and C++?

A. C is a procedural-oriented programming language, while C++ is an object-oriented programming language.
B. C follows a bottom-up programming approach, while C++ is the opposite.
C. These languages have different code structure
D. Their basic syntax is different, and C’s operators and keywords are not present in C++.
Correct Answer:
A. C is a procedural-oriented programming language, while C++ is an object-oriented programming language.

Exam Question 48

True or false: Python is both case-sensitive and requires indentation.

A. True
B. False
Correct Answer:
A. True

Exam Question 49

Explain the difference between Python arrays and lists.

A. Lists and arrays function similarly and are indistinguishable.
B. Though both store data the same way, lists are containers for elements that have different data types, while arrays are restricted to a single data type.
C. Arrays are containers for elements that have different data types, while lists are restricted to a singular data type.
D. Lists and arrays differ in that only arrays are mutable.
Correct Answer:
B. Though both store data the same way, lists are containers for elements that have different data types, while arrays are restricted to a single data type.

Exam Question 50

True or false: A test set is used to evaluate a model’s performance after it has been trained. A validation set is used during training for parameter selection and to prevent overfitting on the training set.

A. True
B. False
Correct Answer:
A. True