Interview scorecard template

Cybersecurity Threat Analyst interview scorecard

Evaluate Cybersecurity Threat Analyst candidates across 4 weighted areas: technical depth, real incidents and findings, risk judgement, and getting things fixed. Technical depth leads at 35%, so check depth in log analysis and detection engineering: Splunk or Sentinel query writing, Sigma rules, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, EDR telemetry, PCAP review, and malware triage. Use the rubric to compare role-specific evidence consistently.

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TL;DR
For technical depth, look for evidence the candidate writes detection logic unaided, maps adversary behaviour to ATT&CK techniques, and explains telemetry gaps across endpoint, network, and identity sources. For real incidents and findings, look for evidence the candidate recounts specific incidents with timelines, indicators pivoted on, containment actions taken, and the detection or control improvement that followed. Apply the written 1–5 anchors to every answer, record the evidence behind each rating, and use the factor weights to reach a consistent overall assessment.
Complete evaluation framework

What to assess and how to score it

Review the evidence signals before interviewing. Then use the anchored descriptions—not instinct alone—to choose the score that best matches each answer.

01
Evaluation factor

Technical depth

35% weight

Check depth in log analysis and detection engineering: Splunk or Sentinel query writing, Sigma rules, MITRE ATT&CK mapping, EDR telemetry, PCAP review, and malware triage tooling.

Evidence to listen for

  • Command of the specific attack surface, tooling, and controls the role covers
  • Understands how the underlying system works, not just how the tool reports on it
  • Can explain an attack or control chain end to end
  • Distinguishes what they found themselves from what a scanner flagged

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Tool operator only; no understanding of the systems underneath.

2
Needs Improvement

Runs tooling but cannot explain findings or how the attack works.

3
Satisfactory

Solid working knowledge; depth thins outside familiar tooling.

4
Very Good

Strong command of the domain; explains attack and control chains clearly.

5
Excellent

Writes detection logic unaided, maps adversary behaviour to ATT&CK techniques, and explains telemetry gaps across endpoint, network, and identity sources.

02
Evaluation factor

Real incidents and findings

30% weight

Probe actual investigations they ran: phishing campaigns, credential stuffing, ransomware precursors, insider alerts. Ask for alert volumes, dwell time, containment steps, and what the post-incident review changed.

Evidence to listen for

  • Brings specific incidents, findings, or audits they personally worked
  • States their own role rather than the team's
  • Describes what was actually at risk and what changed afterwards
  • Can talk about a finding that turned out to be wrong

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

No hands-on work; knowledge is entirely certification or coursework.

2
Needs Improvement

Limited exposure; cannot describe their contribution to an incident.

3
Satisfactory

Real casework with adequate detail; ownership sometimes vague.

4
Very Good

Specific incidents with clear personal scope and what changed after.

5
Excellent

Recounts specific incidents with timelines, indicators pivoted on, containment actions taken, and the detection or control improvement that followed.

03
Evaluation factor

Risk judgement

20% weight

Assess how they prioritise: distinguishing true positives from noise, scoring CVEs with CVSS plus exploitability context, and judging which threat actor reporting is relevant to this sector.

Evidence to listen for

  • Prioritises by actual exploitability and business impact, not raw severity scores
  • Can argue for accepting a risk as well as fixing it
  • Knows the difference between a finding and a problem
  • Does not cry wolf or wave things through

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Treats every finding as critical, or waves real risk through.

2
Needs Improvement

Follows severity scores mechanically; no business context.

3
Satisfactory

Reasonable prioritisation; less confident arguing for risk acceptance.

4
Very Good

Prioritises by exploitability and impact; can justify accepting a risk.

5
Excellent

Ranks threats by exploitability and business exposure rather than raw severity, and justifies deprioritising alerts with clear reasoning.

04
Evaluation factor

Getting things fixed

15% weight

Look for evidence they drove remediation: tuning noisy rules, pushing patch owners, briefing SOC leads, and writing intelligence products that engineering or executives actually acted on.

Evidence to listen for

  • Writes findings engineers can act on rather than a wall of output
  • Has persuaded a team to fix something they did not want to fix
  • Explains risk to executives in business terms
  • Works with the org rather than policing it

Five-point scoring guide

1
Poor

Adversarial with engineering; findings never get fixed.

2
Needs Improvement

Reports are unactionable; no influence beyond raising tickets.

3
Satisfactory

Adequate reporting; relies on mandate rather than persuasion.

4
Very Good

Actionable findings and a real record of getting fixes shipped.

5
Excellent

Names remediations they chased to closure, including false positive reduction figures and stakeholders they persuaded to change configuration or policy.

Evidence-led prompts

Interview questions for a Cybersecurity Threat Analyst

Use these prompts to surface evidence for the weighted factors above and compare candidates against the same role-specific criteria.

  1. 01

    Describe a time when you identified and mitigated a security threat.

  2. 02

    Can you discuss a time when you dealt with a newly disclosed vulnerability?

  3. 03

    Describe your experience with threat intelligence platforms and feeds.

  4. 04

    How do you approach threat hunting in a large and complex network?

  5. 05

    How do you conduct log analysis to identify potential breaches?

See the complete Cybersecurity Threat Analyst question set
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