The Complete Guide To CEH Certification

Cybersecurity has emerged as a top priority for organizations of all sizes in today’s digital age. With more and more data being kept online, the danger of a cyberattack is at an all-time high. This is why it’s critical for businesses to have IT security experts on board who can assist in safeguarding their networks from malicious hackers.

According to the Neustar International Security Council (NISC) poll conducted in November 2021, 81% of firms plan to raise their cybersecurity budgets for 2022. 24% of respondents will increase expenditures by 31-50% this year, while 41% will boost spending by 11-30%.

According to 88% of respondents, the cybersecurity skills gap will have a significant influence on security tactics in 2022. In truth, just 12% of poll participants think their chosen method will not be affected by it. Many businesses desire to increase their reliance on third-party providers. 71% said they would do so in the next year. In addition, 56% of firms said they would focus on developing and expanding their existing security teams by recruiting new security professionals in the following year.

Given the demand in the sector, if you’re looking to make a career in information security, you might want to consider earning your Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certificate. CEH is one of the most respected and well-known information security certifications globally. Earning your CEH credential will demonstrate that you have the skills and knowledge to identify vulnerabilities and protect systems from unauthorized access or attack.

With MyComputerCareer, you will receive the best-in-class training to pass the CEH v11 exam with flying colors and earn this highly sought-after certificate. You will also gain access to our ongoing Career Services to help you land a high-paying job as soon as possible.

This complete guide to CEH certification will explore everything candidates need to know about EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker credential.

What Are Ethical Hackers?

Probably the best way to define ethical hackers is in comparison with their counterparts; malicious hackers. Also known as white hat hackers, ethical hackers are cyber security specialists who use their hacking skills for good to identify and fix system vulnerabilities before cybercriminals can exploit them.

By contrast, black hat hackers use their skills for nefarious purposes, such as stealing data, causing havoc, or disrupting services. So you could say that ethical hackers are the good guys who play by the rules, while malicious hackers are the baddies who break the law.

The third type of hacker is called a ‘gray hat hacker.’ This is someone who uses their hacking skills for both good and bad purposes – they may hack into systems without permission to find vulnerabilities but then report these findings to the organization responsible so they can be fixed.

Unlike other information security specialists, ethical hackers are specifically trained in offensive tactics and tools used by malicious hackers. This enables them to think like hackers and understand how cybercriminals exploit system vulnerabilities. With the system owner’s consent, white hat hackers use all of their skills and knowledge to conduct a simulated attack (penetration test) on the system.

The purpose of a penetration test is to find all of the weaknesses in an organization’s network before criminals have a chance to exploit them. By identifying and patching these vulnerabilities, ethical hackers can help organizations reduce the risk of a successful cyberattack.

What Is The Certified Ethical Hacker Certification?

CEH is a globally recognized certification offered by the EC-Council that validates an individual’s skills in ethical hacking. The CEH credential is one of the most popular information security certifications available today and is a valuable asset for any information security professional. The CEH certificate is also highly regarded by employers as it demonstrates an individual’s commitment to their profession and ethical hacking knowledge.

The CEH (ANSI) certification is required to become a certified ethical hacker. After you’ve passed the test, you may take the six-hour CEH practical exam. A CEH Master is someone who has earned the CEH certification and completed the CEH practical examination.

Is The CEH Certification Worth It?

There are numerous benefits to earning this EC Council certification. Among these benefits, we can include the following:

• It Validates Your Cyber Security Skills – When an employer sees that you have the CEH credential, they will know that you have what it takes to protect their systems from malicious actors. It’s also important to point out that, since ethical hackers often have to sign non-disclosure agreements with their clients, they may have difficulty talking about their expertise with potential employers. A CEH certificate, however, will do the talking on their behalf.
• It Gives You an Edge Over Other Candidates – With the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, you will be one step ahead of other candidates who don’t have this credential. The CEH certification is well-respected in the cyber security industry, and employers know that it takes a lot of effort to earn this certification.
• It Helps You Get a Higher Salary – Because the CEH credential is in high demand, employers are willing to pay a premium for certified ethical hackers. In fact, according to Payscale.com, the average salary for a CEH holder is $82,966 per year. More experienced ethical hackers can earn over $130,000 per year.
• It Provides Great Job Security – Certified ethical hackers are always in high demand, as there will always be a need for their skills. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the employment of information security analysts is projected to grow by 33% during this decade. This is much faster than any other occupation. In addition, with the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, you can work anywhere in the world.
• It Keeps You Up-to-Date On The Latest Trends – As technology evolves, so do the methods used by hackers. The CEH certification will ensure that you are up-to-date on the latest trends in cyber security and ethical hacking.
• It Fulfills DoD Requirements – The Certified Ethical Hacker certification is on the approved list of certificates for the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD). This means that if you’re looking to work with the DoD in cybersecurity, the CEH is a must.

What Jobs Can You Get With The CEH Certification?

Certified Ethical Hackers are in high demand, and there are many job opportunities available to those who have earned the CEH certificate. It’s pretty safe to say that no cybersecurity-related position can’t benefit from this credential. And according to Payscale, the average annual wage across all job listings that require or benefit from this ethical hacking certification is around $96,000.

Below is a list of some of the most common and in-demand cyber security positions that benefit from the CEH certificate:

• Cyber Security Analyst – This job entails identifying security hazards, conducting incident response, and devising safety precautions. The average annual salary for Certified Ethical Hackers with this title is $87,751.
• Cyber Security Engineer – A Cybersecurity Engineer is in charge of creating, developing, and testing secure systems. They also make strategies to handle events as well as cybersecurity threats. The average yearly salary of Certified Ethical Hackers who work as Cybersecurity Engineers is $109,468.
• Security Consultant – A Security Consultant is a specialist who gives clients security advice and assists in the design and implementation of security solutions. The average yearly salary of Certified Ethical Hackers with this job title is $104,790. Senior Security Consultants can make an average annual income of $121,626.
• Chief Information Security Officer (CISO) – A CISO is in charge of an organization’s information security as a whole. Certified Ethical Hackers with this title can make an average annual salary of $174,385 or more.
• Penetration Tester – A penetration tester, also known as a pentester, is in charge of simulating attacks to assess an organization’s security. Certified ethical hackers with this title can expect to make around $91,894 annually.
• Information Security Manager – The Information Security Manager is in charge of setting up and maintaining information security policies and procedures. The average annual salary of Certified Ethical Hackers with this title is $117,153.
• IT Security Architect – An IT Security Architect is in charge of setting up and maintaining an organization’s security architecture. The average yearly pay for Certified Ethical Hackers with this job title is $125,032.

There are many high-paying jobs available for Certified Ethical Hackers, as this list demonstrates. The CEH certification is a fantastic choice if you want to get started in cybersecurity or take your profession to the next level.

What Makes For a Great CEH Candidate?

The CEH certificate is designed for professionals who want to gain the skills needed to protect their organizations from cyberattacks. The certification covers a wide range of topics, including vulnerability assessment, penetration testing, footprinting and reconnaissance, social engineering, and malware analysis.

There are a few key characteristics that make for a great CEH candidate. First and foremost, they should be interested in ethical hacking and computer security. They should also be able to think like a hacker and be comfortable working on the command line. Additionally, they should have some experience with Linux or Unix, as well as programming skills.

Aside from the hard, technical skills we’ll discuss in a moment, a person wanting to become an ethical hacker should have as many of the following soft skills as possible:

• Analytical skills – The ability to think like a malicious hacker and spot computer system vulnerabilities.
• Problem-solving skills – The capacity to swiftly discover and address security flaws.
• Communication skills – Ability to write comprehensive reports on findings and communicate these results to technical and non-technical stakeholders.
• Patience – The capability to methodically go through a computer system, testing all possible attack approaches.
• Tenacity – The urge to keep trying until they figure out how to get in.
• Creativity – The capacity to think outside the box and develop new attack strategies.

An ethical hacker must also be aware of the newest cybersecurity trends, as well as advancements in the field of hacking, and keep up with current events in the industry. They should also be fluent with various operating systems, networks, and hardware.

How To Obtain CEH Certification

Earning the CEH certification requires preparing for and passing both the written and the practical exams. According to the EC-Council, “the Certified Ethical Hacker certification will fortify the application knowledge of security officers, auditors, security professionals, site administrators, and anyone who is concerned about the integrity of the network infrastructure.”

A CEH must apply the same abilities and tools as a malicious hacker in a legal and legitimate manner. Experts who have earned a CEH certification might stand out by demonstrating that they have both theoretical understanding as well as technical skills and expertise with security systems to safeguard a firm’s IT architecture. To detect problem areas that cannot be discovered using scanning software, a CEH should be capable of utilizing appropriate tools and strategies.

There are two ways to become Certified Ethical Hacking certified if you are an information security professional wanting to meet the CEH certification criteria.

• Through an official training course – There are no further CEH requirements if you enroll in a CEH training program at an official and recognized educational institution such as MyComputerCareer.
• Through hands-on training – Candidates who want to be considered for testing without going through the CEH training program must first go through the CEH application process. They must have at least two years of information security work experience. They will need to fill out an Eligibility Application Form and send it to cehapp@eccouncil.org for approval and pay a $100 eligibility fee.

The CEH Exam Format

The CEH 312-50 exam is a 125-question, multiple-choice test that covers various security issues and lasts up to four hours. In January 2021, the most recent CEH update took place. While the exam is still in its fourth iteration, you may also see CEH v11. The following are the goals for CEH v11:

1. Reconnaissance Techniques (21%)
2. System Hacking Phases and Attack Techniques (17%)
3. Web Application Hacking (16%)
4. Network and Perimeter Hacking (14%)
5. Mobile Platform, IoT, and OT Hacking (8%)
6. Information Security and Ethical Hacking Overview (6%)
7. Wireless Network Hacking (6%)
8. Cloud Computing (6%)
9. Cryptography (6%)

The CEH exam assesses your capacity to understand and apply fundamental principles of a subject. The test covers abilities that subject-matter experts feel are critical for achieving success in the sector. The following are some of the domains (subcategories) covered on the CEH examination, as defined by IT/security professionals:

• Introduction to ethical hacking concepts: Legal regulations and standards for ethical hacking and information security. Pen testing, security audit, vulnerability assessment, and penetration testing road map.
• Footprinting and reconnaissance: Using the most up-to-date tools and approaches to conduct footprinting and reconnaissance.
• Scanning networks: Techniques and countermeasures.
• Enumeration: Techniques and countermeasures.
• Vulnerability analysis: Analyze an organization’s network infrastructure, communication channels, and computer systems for security flaws.
• System hacking: System hacking methodologies, steganalysis attacks, steganography to discover network and system vulnerabilities.
• Malware threats: There are many types of malware, each with its own set of characteristics and actions. They range from memory scanning to rootkit removal, computer forensics, antivirus software installation and maintenance, network auditing for malware activity, malware analysis, and countermeasures.
• Sniffing: Using packet sniffing methods, identify network flaws and implement countermeasures to defend against them.
• Social engineering: Anti-fraud tactics and best practices for auditing human-level vulnerabilities and suggested defensive measures.
• Denial-of-Service (DoS or DDoS attack): audit tools, techniques, and countermeasures.
• Session hijacking: This section covers approaches for identifying network-level session management, authentication/authorization, cryptographic flaws, and countermeasures.
• Evading IDS, firewalls, and honeypots: Firewalls, IDS, and honeypot evasion methods.
• Hacking web servers: Information on advanced attacks and a comprehensive attack strategy to examine web server security flaws, as well as countermeasures.
• Hacking web applications: In-depth look at web application hacking.
• SQL injection: Methods for testing and countering SQL injection flaws in web applications.
• Hacking wireless networks: How to identify, crack, and secure WEP/WPA/WPA-PSK and WPA-Enterprise wireless networks.
• Hacking mobile platforms: How to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in the latest Android, iOS, Blackberry, and Windows Mobile platforms.
• OT and IoT hacking: How to identify and exploit vulnerabilities in the latest IoT and OT devices and systems.
• Cloud computing: An overview of cloud security issues and how to protect data in the cloud.
• Cryptography: This section provides an overview of cryptography, symmetric and asymmetric encryption, digital signatures, hashing algorithms, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), and Virtual Private Networks (VPNs).

The CEH Exam Passing Score

The CEH certification has no set score or percentage for passing. While 70 percent is considered a typical passing score, the real proportion varies based on several variables, such as the question difficulty and the input supplied by experts who set the score. Cut scores vary depending on which question bank is used and can range from 60 to 85 percent, depending on the knowledge and abilities required to demonstrate competence in the areas covered during a candidate’s training.

Certified Ethical Hacker (Practical)

The Certified Ethical Hacker (Practical) is an offshoot of the CEH certification exam that was created to address the need for hands-on experience. The Practical focuses on teaching learners how to apply learned skills in a real-world environment. It features a lab component in which students must complete several challenges.

The CEH Practical examination is a six-hour, intensive test that assesses your ability to apply ethical hacking methods. These include attack vector identification, network scanning, OS detection, vulnerability analysis, system hacking, web app hacking, and more. Professionals who have earned the CEH certification will be able to take the test that challenges them to their limits in discovering flaws across major operating systems, databases, and networks. The exam was created by a group of distinguished SMEs and includes 20 real-world problems with questions intended to verify important talents required in the CEH program’s ethical hacking domains.

Conclusion

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) credential is well-respected in the information security industry and can help you land a job in ethical hacking or penetration testing. The CEH certification validates your knowledge of hacking techniques and tools and demonstrates your ability to think like a hacker. If you’re interested in a career in ethical hacking, CEH is a great place to start.

With MyComputerCareer, you will receive excellent CEH certification training to earn this EC Council certification. The school also offers many other cybersecurity programs such as the Cyber Security Specialist (CSS), the Information Technology Security and Administration (ITSA), Cyber Security Engineer (CSE), or the Associate of Applied Science in Network Administration and Cyber Security.

Reach out to us if you’re interested in getting started towards a well-paid and highly sought-after career in IT Security.