Have you decided to start a career in the promising field of cybersecurity? If yes, then you would witness impressive career growth and climb the ladder of success. You would be trusted by the organization to handle their security measures and prevent any kind of possible intrusion or cyberattack. With an alarming increase in the number of data breaches and malicious hackers becoming more sophisticated in their attacks, the need for skilled cybersecurity experts has increased. Among the various opportunities available in cybersecurity, you can pursue the domain of ethical hacking.
Ethical hacking basically refers to all the measures taken to beat the ill-intended hackers in their own game and identify any hidden loopholes or vulnerabilities in an organization’s computer systems before they can be exploited. The process involves gaining access to systems and digital assets but with the permission of the authorized people and closing any open ports through which an attack can be launched. Generally, ethical hacking is performed through five phases, namely Reconnaissance, Gaining Access, Enumeration, Maintaining Access, and Covering Your Tracks. It takes some years of work experience before you can excel at your job as an ethical hacker. However, you can demonstrate your knowledge and expertise in this area by achieving the renowned Certified Ethical Hacker or CEH certification administered by the EC-Council.
This article makes you familiar with the prerequisites for the CEH certification and how you can achieve this credential.
The Certified Ethical Hacker certification is designed to help you have a clear understanding of the commercial-grade hacking tools, methodologies, and techniques that cybersecurity professionals use to gain access to an organization’s systems ethically. CEH v11 is the latest version of the certification and now includes many new concepts like operation technology, cloud hacking methodology, WPA3 encryption and hacking, web application hacking, emerging attack vectors, enumeration, malware reverse engineering, hacking challenges on Steroids, and so on.
The certification comes with various career benefits and is suitable for a number of cybersecurity job roles like junior penetration tester, network security analyst, incident responder, security engineer, cyber security analyst, cyber defense analyst, and cyber security auditor. The certification meets the high standards set by the ANSI American National . When you add this credential to your resume, the employers will understand that you have the minimum baseline knowledge of security risks, threats, and countermeasures.
To achieve the CEH certification offered by the EC-Council, you need to fulfill certain eligibility criteria and then pass the rigorous CEH certification exam. The exam involves a total of 125 multiple-choice questions, and the time allowed to answer them is 4 hours. The passing score of the exam is in the range of 60 to 85% based on the level of difficulty.
As part of the eligibility criteria, an applicant must have at least two years of proven work experience in the field of information security. This proof needs to be submitted and validated through the CEH application process. If you do not have the required work experience, the EC-Council gives you the option of attending the official training program to become eligible for the CEH exam. This formal training can be taken at an Accredited Training Center through the iClass platform or at an approved academic institution.
Now that you have a clear idea of the CEH exam and the prior requirements to become eligible for it, you should next think about how to crack the exam and reap the various career benefits associated with it. For preparation, we would suggest you take the formal training arranged by the EC-Council as it will help you grasp the topics on which the exam is based. There are different training options available for learners – iWeek, Master Class, iLearn, Education Partner, and Training Partner. Here is a brief about all these learning options:
iLearn – self-study option involving pre-recorded videos created by EC-Council that one can follow at a comfortable pace.
iWeek – expert-led training option in which an applicant can attend live classes virtually through video conferencing and learn from a dedicated mentor.
Master Class – it involves classes taken by leading instructors and an opportunity to collaborate with cybersecurity professionals.
Training Partner – If you are looking for a training option outside EC-Council’s resources, then you can opt for training delivered by hundreds of training centers authorized by EC-Council to teach students regarding CEH certification. Simplilearn is one such Authorized Training Partner whose CEH certification course syllabus is aligned with the CEH exam and helps you prepare for it.
Education Partner – Finally, this option is designed for students enrolled in a college or university degree program.
Choose a training option that best suits your learning needs and start preparing for the exam.
Overall, now is the right time to explore your skills in the field of ethical hacking and gain job-ready skills. The CEH certification is highly valued among companies worldwide, and achieving it can place you ahead of your peers and gain preference over them during the interviews. Add this certification to your resume and watch your career flourish within the next few years.
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