114 Cybersecurity Trivia Questions (Ranked from Easiest to Hardest)

Updated Date:
January 4, 2024
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Cybersecurity is the practice of protecting computers, servers, mobile devices, electronic systems, networks, and data from digital attacks, theft, and damage. As the world becomes increasingly dependent on technology and the internet, cybersecurity has become a critical issue for individuals, organizations, and governments. With the increasing number of cyber threats, there is a wide range of cybersecurity trivia questions that can be asked, whether you're a cybersecurity professional, a student, or simply someone who is interested in the subject.

Here are some examples of cybersecurity trivia questions you might come across: What is the name of a software program designed to prevent, detect, and remove computer viruses? What is the name of a type of cyber attack that uses social engineering tactics to trick people into giving away sensitive information? What is the name of a security measure that encrypts data before it is sent over the internet? How many types of cyber attacks are there? These questions cover a wide range of cybersecurity topics, from the types of threats and vulnerabilities to the technologies and practices used to protect against them.

In addition to the various technical aspects of cybersecurity, there are also many fun and interesting facts to learn about cybersecurity. For example, did you know that the software program designed to prevent, detect, and remove computer viruses is called antivirus software? Or that a type of cyber attack that uses social engineering tactics to trick people into giving away sensitive information is called phishing? These trivia questions will not only test your knowledge but also give you a glimpse into the many fascinating aspects of cybersecurity, the history of its development, the different types of cyber threats, and its impact on the society and economy.

114 Cybersecurity Trivia Questions Ranked From Easiest to Hardest (Updated for 2024)

  1. Fill in the blank: As cybersecurity threats grow, many websites have evolved to include this increased security feature known as MFA or multi-_____ authentication.

    Answer: Factor

  2. A fraudulent email pretending to be from your bank and asking for your login information is a classic example of what kind of simple cyberattack, which is by far the most common cyberattack on the internet?

    Answer: Phishing

  3. When a password is limited strictly to numeric characters, the secret is often referred to as a PIN. What does that acronym stand for?

    Answer: Personal Identification Number

  4. In the context of password generation, for what does the acronym OTP stand? The term dynamic password is often used synonymously with OTP.

    Answer: One-time password

  5. What term is used for a testing environment in a computer system in which new or untested software or coding can be run securely? In a different context, this term refers to a children’s play area.

    Answer: Sandbox

  6. Social ______ is the name of the cybersecurity threat where nefarious actors trick others into revealing sensitive information. An example of this is when a scammer poses as tech support to gain access to someone's computer.

    Answer: Engineering

  7. Not to be confused with CSS, CVSS is an acronym for Common ______ Scoring System—an industry standard for getting a numerical score to show how secure (or not) a computer system is.

    Answer: Vulnerability

  8. Before Transport Security Layer (TSL) became the standard, Secure ______ Layer (SSL) was what kept your sensitive information safe as it was sent over the Internet.

    Answer: Sockets

  9. If you’re signing up for a new online account or forget your login info, you might get a randomly generated “disposable” code sent to your email. Since it can only be used once, the “single-serve” version is called a ______ password (OTP).

    Answer: One-time

  10. Being a ______ Ethical Hacker (CEH) means you’ve been trained to hack into your own system to test it for weaknesses and vulnerabilities.

    Answer: Certified

  11. It sounds like a row of safety plugs but SSL is actually an Internet encryption protocol. What is SSL an acronym for?

    Answer: Secure Sockets Layer

  12. On June 7, 2021, the Department of Justice announced that it had seized approximately $2.3 million worth of what cryptocurrency from the Darkside Colonial Pipeline hackers?

    Answer: bitcoin

  13. Deepwatch is a cybersecurity company that has offers threat management with real time monitoring since 2015. It is headquartered out of what “C” US State, the home of the Rockies MLB franchise?

    Answer: Colorado

  14. An IT security company co-founded in 1993 by Gil Shwed and based in Israel is ______ Point Software Technologies. Fill in the one word blank, also an announcement made in chess when the King is in initial danger.

    Answer: Check Point Software Technologies

  15. In 2022, which government entity got told off for requiring American citizens to verify their identity with a facial recognition program (ID.me) before they could get their tax records?

    Answer: Internal Revenue Service

  16. Stored digital data is said to be “at” what if it’s inactive? (Hint: As opposed to being “in motion” when moving in a network)

    Answer: Rest

  17. It sounds like something a hacking hound would do, but which term describes watching for and catching data packets passing through a network’s traffic?

    Answer: Sniffing

  18. What “J” cybersecurity company based out of Denver, CO offers an automated server management tool? Its name is a compound word, which kind of sounds like it’s commanding a cumulonimbus to leap.

    Answer: JumpCloud

  19. "CoaLMine105" is easy to pull up with a new password manager Microsoft Edge released in a preview channel named for what frequently yellow type of bird?

    Answer: Canary

  20. In electronic warfare, signals ______ (SIGINT) is the process of intercepting signals to see if they contain any important security info.

    Answer: Intelligence

  21. Massimiliano Montoro developed a password cracking tool for Windows that was named after what biblical pair of brothers with a notable, fatal head-cracking in their story?

    Answer: Cain and Abel

  22. What professional social networking site announced a theft of 6.5 million usernames and passwords in 2012, and an even bigger hack of 117 million passwords in 2016?

    Answer: LinkedIn

  23. A crowdsourced security platform, founded in Australia by Casey Ellis and later moved to San Francisco, CA, USA, is ______crowd. Fill in the one word blank, a three-letter synonym for insect.

    Answer: Bugcrowd

  24. What “M” computer security company, founded by namesake John in 1987 before being acquired by Intel in 2011, is well known for its anti-virus software that is available to individual consumers?

    Answer: McAfee

  25. What company, founded in 2003 by Dean Drako in Campbell, CA, offers security on networks and clouds? Its name is the same as a dangerous fish chronicled in a 1977 song by the band Heart.

    Answer: Barracuda

  26. What “M” cybersecurity Technologies company, based out of Commerce, CA, offers managed IT services across the country? Its name is also a plural of a measurement of 5,280 feet.

    Answer: Miles Technologies

  27. What term is used for the most basic level or core of an operating system, responsible for resource allocation, file management and security? In a different context, this word can also mean the seed and hard husk of a cereal.

    Answer: Kernel

  28. In April of 2022, the FDA released draft guidance on the safety of medical ______ like insulin pumps and implantable defibrillators, due to concerns that these health-supporting machines could be vulnerable to hacking.

    Answer: Devices

  29. What is the 6-letter term for a group of computers that is networked together and used by hackers to steal information?

    Answer: Botnet

  30. What does the first "D" stand for in the common cybercrime known as a DDoS attack?

    Answer: Distributed (Distributed Denial-of-Service)

  31. If you want to make sense of ciphertext, you’ll need a key to decrypt it. What’s the name for the readable, plain language text it turns into?

    Answer: Plaintext

  32. KBA is an acronym for _____-Based Identification, which is a way for institutes like banks to verify an individual’s identity online (for example, by having them answer security questions).

    Answer: Knowledge

  33. Which term related to designing houses can also describe the underlying cybersecurity structure, as well as the technology and policies that support it?

    Answer: Architecture

  34. Data Loss ______ (DLP) refers to security measures a company can take to protect sensitive or vulnerable data from being leaked (either by accident or on purpose) by users.

    Answer: Prevention

  35. "Informal cyber security adviser" and personal attorney are two of the latest titles for what famous New Yorker that has been officially registered as a Democrat, Independent, and Republican in his multi-decade political career? This man served as the 107th Mayor of New York City.

    Answer: Rudy Giuliani

  36. The "man without a head" is the emblem of what Guy Fawkes-lovin' hacker group that reemerged in 2020?

    Answer: Anonymous

  37. What is the name of the Austin-based software business founded by brothers David and Donald Yonce considered to be in the middle of the December 2020 Federal government hack?

    Answer: SolarWinds

  38. Doug Engelbart was the inventor of what computer accessory? The first one was made from wood.

    Answer: Mouse

  39. A global ransomware attack on Windows computers that occurred in May 2017 came from a virus with what "tearful" name?

    Answer: WannaCry

  40. In 2015, over 25 gigabytes of user data was famously leaked by a group self-named "The Impact Team", exposing people seeking extramarital affairs on which two-word Canadian dating network? Both words are common girls' names.

    Answer: Ashley Madison

  41. Which D-term describes the field of forensics that would investigate cybercrime?

    Answer: Digital

  42. One way to intercept internet or phone conversations through covert means takes its name from an actual physical interference with an important cable to overhear others. Today, the seven-letter term is still used in relation to listening to something that one should not hear (such as a pass word). What is this term?

    Answer: Wiretap

  43. The four principle wireless encryption standards available at most access points are WPA, WPA2, WPA3, and which less-secure fourth option?

    Answer: WEP

  44. Common ______ and Exposures (CVE) is a publicly available reference database of known security threats that is maintained by the United States' National Cybersecurity FFRDC.

    Answer: Vulnerabilities

  45. If a friendly horse offers you something online that turns out to be malware, that's a cyberattack named for a siege on what ancient city?

    Answer: Troy

  46. A cybersecurity company, founded in 2003 which operates Maize Analytics, is Secure______. Fill in the one word blank, a term for a web item that connects a web page to another web page.

    Answer: SecureLink

  47. What identity theft protection company with two “L” words stuck together was acquired by Symantec in 2017 and now shares its name with Norton? Their logo is a yellow circle that has been filled in with a check mark.

    Answer: LifeLock

  48. A cybersecurity company that offers open source tools and education for the information security community is Red ______. Fill in the one word blank, a bird that is metaphorically associated with coal mines.

    Answer: Red Canary

  49. What term is given to a software application that automatically downloads or displays marketing banners or pop-ups when a user is online?

    Answer: Adware

  50. The term in cybersecurity for the person who uses the actual computer device, and can therefore share some responsibility for not exposing their computer to the threats, is the ______ user. Fill in the one word blank, which indicates that the user has the final say in what happens to their product.

    Answer: End user

  51. What is the two word term for the type of cybersecurity breach in which a user is convinced to disclose secrets due to an exploitation of trust and reliance on cognitive biases? In short, this is a type of attack focused on human gatekeepers of information rather than the computer system itself.

    Answer: Social engineering

  52. No flexibility on your answers: launched in 2006, Amazon's EC2 stands for WHAT Compute Cloud?

    Answer: Elastic

  53. According to a former Facebook employee, the company used to have a master password that could unlock any user's account. This password was a variation on the name of what martial artist and actor, perhaps because he definitely couldn't be considered "too weak"?

    Answer: Chuck Norris

  54. In 2017 and 2018, "CryptoKitties" were sold for thousands of dollars at auction, attracting attention to this game which was built on what type of cryptographic technology?

    Answer: Blockchain

  55. Google’s reCAPTCHA protects websites from getting spammed by making users complete a visual task (like picking out all the bicycles in a photo). It’s an example of which famous test to tell humans from machines? (Hint: It was originally called “the imitation game”).

    Answer: Turing

  56. The U.S. National Cyber Security Division opened for the first time in 2003 and is currently housed within what Federal Department? John Kelly, Kirstjen Nielsen, and Kevin McAleenan all served as Secretary of this Department during the Trump administration.

    Answer: Department of Homeland Security

  57. What Department of the U.S. Federal Government deals with cyber security threats such as denial of service attacks?

    Answer: Department of Homeland Security

  58. Norton AntiVirus is an anti-malware and anti-virus software package that has been developed and distributed by what company since 1991? This parent company has a portmanteau'd name and was first publicly traded in 1989.

    Answer: Symantec

  59. During Apple's 2017 presentation of its new line of iPhones it included their new form of biometric security and authentication under what name? Note we are looking for the actual brand name used by Apple for this feature.

    Answer: Face ID

  60. “PoW” is a way to track new crypto creation on the blockchain and (hopefully) deter spammers and malicious attacks. What does PoW stand for?

    Answer: Proof-of-Work

  61. In 1999, the National Security Agency banned what popular toy from its premises over concerns that the toy might be able to record and repeat classified information? Roger Shiffman, owner of Tiger Electronics, later stated that the toy "has absolutely no ability to do any recording whatsoever."

    Answer: Furby

  62. What “H” cybersecurity company based in Miami, FL offers cybersecurity services and related training to corporations? It sounds like a college for people who want to use computers to get access to unauthorized data.

    Answer: HackerU

  63. Known for apps like Words With Friends and Draw Something, what game company suffered a password breach of more than 170 million accounts in September 2019?

    Answer: Zynga

  64. What type of virus is described as malware which disguises itself as a normal program, which shares its name with a notable horse that invaded the ancient city of Troy during a famous 12th century B.C. war?

    Answer: Trojan

  65. The code that identifies your computer when it communicates over a network is the IP ______. Fill in the one word “A” blank, the particulars of a place where someone lives.

    Answer: IP Address

  66. Which term is used to describe the “cargo” that malware brings with it when it infects a device?

    Answer: Payload

  67. Employing a ______ trust strategy means that every user has to be authenticated no matter what. Whether someone is an authorized user in your organization or someone from outside of it, they have to be verified every time.

    Answer: Zero

  68. Titan Rain was a series of attacks on U.S. computers that started in 2003. The hackers gained access to defense networks at places like Lockheed Martin and NASA. Which country did the attacks originate from?

    Answer: China

  69. What is the name of the software framework developed and maintained by Microsoft that was first built in the late 1990s and continues to primarily run on Windows machines with the C# language? Fun fact: this is a key piece of the Water Cooler Trivia stack.

    Answer: .NET

  70. Rami Malek won an Emmy playing brilliant but unstable cybersecurity expert and vigilante hacker Elliot Alderson on what USA Network series that aired from 2015 to 2019?

    Answer: Mr. Robot

  71. According to the National Initiative for Cybersecurity Careers and Studies, what "A" word means "an individual, group, organization, or government that conducts or has the intent to conduct detrimental activities?"

    Answer: Adversary

  72. Security as ______ (SaC) defines the security processes that DevOps agree on and use in their work.

    Answer: Code

  73. Which type of “bomb” is a bit of code put into software that is set up to trigger a malicious function if certain conditions are met? For example, some computer worms were infamously designed to attack on certain dates, like Friday the 13th.

    Answer: Logic

  74. Put into effect in 2018, the European Union's GDPR is considered one of the world's toughest privacy laws. GDPR stands for "General Data [BLANK] Regulation." What word goes in the blank?

    Answer: Protection

  75. What is the term in network security for an attack where a person or program allows themselves to be identified as someone else by falsifying data? It is no laughing matter, but when the word is used in film, it can be.

    Answer: spoof

  76. What colorful apparel is also a two-word term for a computer security expert who engages in “ethical hacking” to help expose and fix security flaws within a company’s information system?

    Answer: White hat

  77. What is the name of the computer worm, which was first uncovered in 2010, that was used in a cyberattack to ruin nearly 20% of Iran's nuclear centrifuges, setting their program back years?

    Answer: Stuxnet

  78. In May 2021, the FBI declared that what ransomware group was responsible for the cyberattacks that forced the shutdown of the Colonial Pipeline petroleum networks?

    Answer: Darkside

  79. A dual use ______ includes both a digital signature for verification and encryption.

    Answer: Certificate

  80. Your computer is switching to a different _____ when you receive an HTTP code 101. What word fills in the blank?

    Answer: Protocol

  81. Which term that you might use to describe an oil tanker disaster can also describe a data breach?

    Answer: Spill

  82. What “F” cybersecurity company, which offers firewalls and anti-virus protection among other services, was founded in 2000 in Sunnyvale, CA by Ken Xie? Their logo is the letter “O” formed by red blocks.

    Answer: Fortinet

  83. In the Marx Brothers classic Horse Feathers, what's the password Groucho gives to gain admission to Chico's speakeasy? This word was later used as the title of a 2001 film about computer hackers.

    Answer: Swordfish

  84. What “D” term refers to a group of computers, printers and devices that are interconnected and governed as a whole? The word can also be used to describe a specified area of knowledge.

    Answer: Domain

  85. A cybersecurity company founded in 2021 by Shaun Gordon, which uses the Priori Platform to immediately deal with security issues, is ______Quest. Fill in the one word blank, a “B” word for an act of failing to observe a law or agreement.

    Answer: BreachQuest

  86. “OAuth” is short for which type of authorization where you can use your login credentials for one app to grant a third-party app limited access or permissions without having to give it your password?

    Answer: Open

  87. In 1988, the Morris Worm was created (and released) just to see whether it could be pulled off. As it spread via the Internet, mayhem (and a criminal conviction) followed. It was the first major example of which “highly infectious” computer security threat?

    Answer: Virus

  88. Formally approved by the U.S. Department of Defense, what is the name of the information security certification known by a five-letter initialism with ~148,000 qualified holders as of January 20211? The organization overseeing this certification was formed in mid-1989 as a non-profit.

    Answer: CISSP

  89. What is the name of the security company founded in 2006 by two Harvard Business School students who couldn't find a security company designed to help renters? The couple was interested in the field after multiple friends in Cambridge had experienced break-ins. By 2014, the company has raised more than $50 million in venture capital.

    Answer: Simplisafe

  90. What was the spooky name of the first computer worm, created in 1971, that could be defeated by the first antivirus software (aptly named Reaper)?

    Answer: Creeper

  91. Which kind of interface is slow because transmits digital information bit by bit over a wire?

    Answer: Serial

  92. FIDO isn’t just a name for a loyal pup who would protect you. It’s also an acronym for strong authentication standards for passwords called ______ Identity Online.

    Answer: Fast

  93. The cybersecurity startup Island received $11 million in funding from what Bosack and Lerner-founded San Jose tech giant that pioneered the LAN?

    Answer: Cisco Systems

  94. What kind of malware places itself deep inside a computer’s code, allowing for the hacker to have remote control? Maybe control by a band co-founded by Tarik “Black Thought” Trotter in 1987.

    Answer: rootkit

  95. Besides being an actual witch, what "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" character played by Alyson Hannigan was also a skilled computer hacker?

    Answer: Willow

  96. According to an analysis by the UK's National Cyber Security Centre that investigated passwords belonging to hacked accounts worldwide, what is the most common six-letter "word" that is used for passwords that don't require numbers or punctuation?

    Answer: Qwerty

  97. Equifax infamously announced a cyber-security breach in which over 140 million consumers' personal data including names, Social Security numbers, and driver license numbers were stolen. In what year did this hack (and disclosure of the hack) occur?

    Answer: 2017

  98. An ACE is when a hacker spots a flaw that gives them an easy in, gains control, and can then run whatever code they want. What does ACE stand for?

    Answer: Arbitrary Code Execution

  99. What “S” company, founded in 2001 by Eric Basu, offers security program and risk management to the US government?

    Answer: Sentek Global

  100. Headquartered (somewhat ironically?) in Santa Clara, California, what is the name of the American cybersecurity company that serves 85 of the Fortune 100 and is the home to both the Unit 42 threat research team and the Ignite cybersecurity conference?

    Answer: Palo Alto Networks

  101. When the full extent of the 2020 SolarWinds-focused cyberattack on the U.S. federal government was starting to be understood, Microsoft's president described the attack as "largest and most sophisticated the world has ever seen." The malware responsible for the attack was named for what astronomical-sounding explosion?

    Answer: Sunburst

  102. What “S” startup company, which started in London and Tel Aviv, offers security across all aspects of cloud computing? The four letter company has a cartoon Doberman as its logo.

    Answer: Snyk

  103. What is the two-word ursine name of the Russian cyber espionage group, also known as APT28, thought to be operating since the 2000s

    Answer: Fancy Bear

  104. Which cybersecurity company founded by a team of former NSA employees in 2015 is based in Maryland and calls itself “the managed security platform for the 99%?”

    Answer: Huntress

  105. What British computer scientist is widely credited with inventing the World Wide Web? No, the answer is not Al Gore. And yes, we've had dozens of folks write that in as their answer.

    Answer: Tim Berners-Lee

  106. What “C” cybersecurity, founded in Sunnyvale, CA in 2011, has a two word name that implies it can attack problems quickly across a variety of software? Its logo is a red hawk swooping in.

    Answer: Crowdstrike

  107. What “I” Labs, based out of Bristol, UK, offers cybersecurity training to help companies deal with cyber threats? Its name is a word that can be used to describe a three-dimensional image that surrounds a user.

    Answer: Immersive Labs

  108. What virus, which spread widely in 1999, is said to have been named by its creator, programmer David Lee Smith, after an exotic dancer in Florida?

    Answer: Melissa

  109. Wazuh is a free, open source software for threat detection and integrity monitoring. Its logo resembles a coyote, and is made out of what color?

    Answer: Blue

  110. Passwords have commonly been involved in military use for centuries. In the opening of the Battle of Normandy, U.S. paratroopers would use the password "flash" which was required to be answered by what related "counterpassword?"

    Answer: Thunder

  111. What university initially maintained the text file named HOSTS.TXT that mapped host names to the numerical addresses of computers on the ARPANET?

    Answer: Stanford

  112. A cybersecurity company, founded in 2006 in Suzhou, China, that offers edge and application protection, is ______ Networks. Fill in the one word “H” blank, a compound word that sounds like a rock on a moderate incline.

    Answer: Hillstone Networks

  113. What “C” cybersecurity company based out of Israel offers cybersecurity protection for the computer systems inside of cars? In 2021, the company was acquired by LG.

    Answer: Cybellum

  114. What global cybersecurity company based out of Burlington, MA in the US has a name that sounds like a subtle difference?

    Answer: Nuance Global Security

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