Blue Canopy Interview Questions
& Process

The interview process included a phone screen and then an in-person interview. Having prior experience or a certification in cyber security is really important and will help a lot! The questions were about basic but technical knowledge of common security vulnerabilities (what they are and how to fix them) and also probed your knowledge of C&A assessments.

The interview was for a technical computer-security role and it was a really good experience. The interviewers started by asking about my background, which I had some of. They were nice and then asked for more details about what I just explained, and then more, and kept going until I ran out of things to say. I told them I didn't know more and they moved to the next topic. This happened for about four more technical areas of computer security, two I brought up myself and two they asked about. Each time, when I hit my knowledge limit, they explained the answer and politely corrected me if I got a technical detail wrong. I actually wanted them to correct me because I wanted to learn, and I not only left with notes, but also got an offer a few days later. The interviewers were a manager and two tech leads, which is typical for their in-person interviews. They also do phone interviews with basic technical questions to see if they want to bring you in. I didn't have that, but I did talk to someone at a conference who basically cleared me for the in-person. You really need to know your stuff technically to pass for this very technical position. They hire good people.

HR sometimes doesn't give straight details, which can make people feel tricked. It's a good idea to get promises in writing and to be clear on when you can actually use stuff like floating holidays and training budgets. The interview starts with a chat with a recruiter, then a technical phone screen, followed by an in-person meeting with 2 or 3 employees all at once. Different teams interview differently. If you're not a good fit for one team, they might send you to another that they think would be a better match. There aren't set interview questions, so they mostly just wing it. A lot of the time, HR doesn't even send your resume to the team until the day of the interview, so the interviewers haven't had time to look at your history. They ask questions about your background to see if you just click buttons or if you actually understand the technical side of things. Tips: Be honest if you don't know something. It's common to hear after an interview, 'He didn't know that much, but he was honest and enthusiastic. We can always train him.' Try to show you're really into the subject. If you don't know the answer or guess, ask for the right one. It shows you care. If you have another interview elsewhere, you'll know the answer then. Dress nicely.

I was contacted by the FBI hiring coordinator. I had to fill out an SF86 form, which is very detailed, lengthy, and time-consuming. The investigation took almost a year.