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Encryption and Secure Connectivity Questions

Addresses network security and secure communication methods used to protect data in transit and to connect systems safely. Topics include VPN architectures and use cases such as site to site and remote access, zero trust network access, and software defined wide area networking. Candidates should understand core encryption protocols and transports including TLS and SSL, IPsec concepts and modes, WireGuard basics, mutual TLS, key management and certificate authorities, and certificate lifecycle. Also cover encryption at rest versus in transit, performance and latency trade offs, when to use VPNs versus application layer security, and operational considerations such as throughput, monitoring, and maintenance of secure tunnels.

MediumSystem Design
47 practiced
Discuss trade-offs of terminating TLS at the edge (load balancer or CDN) versus maintaining end-to-end TLS to backend services. Include impacts on performance, certificate management complexity, observability (inspection/telemetry), and regulatory/compliance concerns.
EasyTechnical
43 practiced
Explain split-tunnel and full-tunnel VPN modes. For each, list security implications, performance implications, and typical enterprise use cases where that mode is appropriate.
HardTechnical
58 practiced
Design a solution to connect multiple customer sites that use overlapping private (RFC1918) subnets via IPsec site-to-site tunnels such that services remain reachable. Present options including NAT-on-tunnel, VRFs, proxy routing, or application-layer proxies, and discuss operational and security trade-offs for each approach.
EasyTechnical
58 practiced
Describe the role of a Certificate Authority (CA) in a PKI. Explain the differences and purposes of root CA, intermediate CA, and issuing CA and why intermediate CAs are commonly used in production systems.
HardTechnical
51 practiced
Explain the TLS 1.3 handshake and key schedule in detail: the handshake messages, how keys are derived (early secrets, handshake secrets, application secrets), PSK-based resumption, and 0-RTT early data. Discuss replay risks associated with 0-RTT and practical server-side mitigations for preventing replay attacks while allowing performance benefits.

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