While the term “ethical hacker” may, at first sight, appear to be an oxymoron, the concept on which it is based is that “to combat malicious hackers, you must become one.” In truth, the EC-Council’s ethical hacker certificate tagline is “To beat a hacker, think like one.”
The phrase “ethical hacker” was initially used to identify someone with the skills to be a hacker but limited by their moral code. The term ethical hacker has evolved over time and now encompasses all defensive personnel offering offensive services, whether a red team, penetration tester, or freelance offensive consultant.
Professionals with the EC-Council organization are certified in various e-business and security skills and knowledge. Their stated objective is “to validate information security professionals who are fitted with the essential abilities and expertise needed in a specialized information security area to help them prevent a cyber conflict if one were to ever occur.”
The EC-Council has certified over 237,000 security professionals from private and public enterprises. They boast certified members are working at IBM, Microsoft, the US Army, the FBI, the United Nations, and more.
MyComputerCareer will not only help you become a Certified Ethical Hacker, but it will also provide you with numerous other training opportunities in the world of cybersecurity. Our Information Technology Security and Administration (ITSA), Cyber Security Specialist (CSS), Cyber Security Engineer (CSE), and the Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration and Cyber Security programs are designed to earn you reputable certificates from world-leading organizations such as Microsoft, CompTIA, Cisco, and Linux, alongside EC-Council.
That said, the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification is considered one of the most important certifications in Information Technology. CEH certified professionals are accredited to use and apply a wide range of security techniques and skills, including hacking, penetration testing, vulnerability assessment, and exploit development. The CEH certified professional will identify potential weaknesses in an organization’s network infrastructure and devise solutions for mitigating those vulnerabilities.
What Is The CEH Certification?
Being a Certified Professional Ethical Hacker is one of the most famous EC-Council certifications. It was created to indicate that the user has a good understanding of how to detect flaws and vulnerabilities in computer systems, as well as with the tools used by a malevolent hacker.
Working with competent cybersecurity experts to employ hostile attackers’ tools and techniques is essential to any security team. It’s critical to have intimate knowledge of the offensive tactics used against their systems to construct an effective defense.
CEH certification signifies that the holder has acquired essential abilities necessary to perform in a variety of occupations, including:
- Cyber Security Analyst
- Security Specialist
- Penetration Tester
- Security Engineer
- Malware Analyst
- Security Consultant
- Computer Forensics Analyst
- Security Code Auditor
The CEH Exam Requirements and General Information
The current CEH V11 certification exam consists of 125 multiple-choice questions. The average pass mark for the CEH examination is 75 percent. Depending on which exam form, or bank of questions, is used to take the CEH exam, the passing score may range from 60 percent to 85 percent. Because the difficulty of each bank of questions varies, so does its corresponding passing score. Because each question is a choice, test-takers seldom run out of time during the test. Many examinees report that they needed only two to three hours to finish this ethical hacking certification exam.
In addition, the candidate must be over the age of 18. If the candidate is below this age, they are still eligible to attend the official training course and exam with the written consent of their parent or legal guardian, as well as a supporting letter from their nationally-accredited institution for higher learning.
EC-Council offers a number of different exam forms. An exam form is a bank of questions that have been administered as a version of the test. The EC-Council uses a method to score each question in order to guarantee that each of their many exam forms gives an equivalent assessment of the test taker’s knowledge.
Topics covered by examiners include hacking methods, scanning methods, port scan kinds, and anticipated return answers. Understanding how to utilize tools such as Nmap, Wireshark, Snort, OpenSSL, Netstat, and Hping is considered advantageous for test-takers.
Successful candidates often report that a measured study program that consists of a few hours each day over a long period is helpful. There are many practice tests available online.
The CEH certification exam will be proctored by authorized personnel at a physical testing center when taking it there. Pearson VUE testing centers may be used to take the test. Many of EC-Council’s Accredited Training Centers have Pearson VUE testing centers on-site.
There is a $100 non-refundable application fee for candidates taking the EC-Council Professional Certified Wireless Engineer exam. After the EC-Council receives all necessary information, the application approval procedure takes around five to ten working days. A candidate must then purchase an examination voucher from the EC-Council Online Store or an authorized training partner after their application is accepted. The minimum price of an exam voucher for EC-Council costs $1,199 from the EC-Council Store.
To keep their CEH accreditation, practitioners must earn 120 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits within three years. The credits may be achieved in various ways, including attending conferences, writing research papers, delivering training sessions in a related field, reading material on relevant subjects, and attending webinars. In most situations, it will cost several hundred dollars each year to acquire CPE credit.
CEH Salary Expectations
The typical compensation will differ because the CEH credential applies to a wide range of security tasks in many organizational structures. Obtaining this accreditation will entitle candidates to higher-paying positions or extra pay in their present capacity, as long as they meet the prerequisites.
With the high demand for experienced cybersecurity professionals in the market today, obtaining a CEH will open doors for entry and mid-level positions. As a security professional’s career develops, there are additional professional certifications that should be considered.
According to the job site Indeed, the following are the average salaries for cybersecurity professionals in roles that frequently need or pay for CEH certification:
- IT Security Specialist -$50,513 per year
- Penetration Tester -$111,303 per year
- Security Engineer -$102,836 per year
- Information Security Analyst -$82,989 per year
- Security Officer -$49,904 per year
- Senior Information Security Analyst -$115,718 per year
- Network Security Engineer – $115,407 per year
- Cloud Engineer – $118,152 per year
- Application Security Engineer -$111,832 per year
According to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, information security analysts are expected to have a 33 percent job outlook growth from 2020 through 2030. This projected expansion is far greater than the average rate of employment growth.
Conclusion
The Certified Ethical Hacker certification is a good choice for professional certification since it shows that you have the knowledge and abilities to think like an opponent. It’s often just one more step toward achieving “top of the industry,” but it’s a crucial one that shouldn’t be overlooked.
A CEH certifies that a cybersecurity professional possesses skills beyond simply following established methods. Instead, they are someone who can come up with innovative ideas to stay one step ahead of an opponent.
MyComputerCareer is an award-winning adult technical institution that offers online Information Technology courses or through its eight campuses in Indiana, Ohio, North Carolina, and Texas. We also provide CEH certification training to prepare you for the ethical hacking course and subsequent exam. For more information, contact us immediately.