CEH Certification

Enrolling for the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification could be considered an investment in good faith for those who want to pursue ethical hacking or a career in cybersecurity. However, it is crucial that you consider CEH certification cost since it varies significantly. A test voucher goes for $950 at EC-Council but there are also other costs like application fee, renewal amount and tutorship classes charges among others. Official training courses taken by candidates make it popular thereby further increasing CEH certification cost. Before becoming certified, prospective employment scenarios should be carefully assessed based on personal attributes. 

What is CEH Certification?

The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification is a widely recognized acknowledgment that endorses someone’s ethical hacking and cybersecurity skills. It is offered by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council) and its primary goal is to train practitioners on how to spot and correct any flaws in security within an organization’s network system.

To become a CEH-certified professional, candidates must pass a difficult test consisting of practical skills evaluation and theoretical questions. This test entails multiple-choice questions plus the practical section in order to evaluate the level of understanding among candidates before they can ultimately be awarded their certifications.

When looking into getting certified with CEH; it is important to consider various factors such as the CEH price including exam fees, training material costs as well as any additional charges for attending courses meant for preparation. Although it may seem expensive at first glance, securing this certification more than pays for itself by helping companies improve their online safety while also advancing one’s career in the sphere of cybersecurity

While your brain might conjure up images of reformed cybercriminals, don’t let the name fool you – Certified Ethical Hackers are cybersecurity professionals who work on the offense to avert cybercrime.

The CEH certification is granted by the EC-Council to individuals who demonstrate the knowledge and ability to spot and secure weaknesses and vulnerabilities in computer systems. Ethical Hackers must also be proficient with the same tools used by cybercriminals, as this is what gives them their power.

When Ethical Hackers know the tools used by cybercriminals, they can see the strategies most likely to be deployed against their organization, which allows them to make stronger offensive moves.

However, Ethical Hackers aren’t just cybersecurity professionals – most information security pros don’t take the time to learn how to use the tools hackers use to launch their attacks. The CEH certification exists to help organizations identify candidates who possess this highly specialized skill.

Benefits of obtaining CEH Certification

Benefits of the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification for professionals in the cybersecurity industry include:

1. It makes you a leader in ethical hacking and penetration testing that calls for the technical skills most demanded and knowledge required within cyber security.
   
2. It also gives employers an edge over other candidates as employers increasingly demand individuals who are experts at identifying and solving potential threats to their systems.
3. Thus, CEH shows that you adapt to continuous changes in the field of online safety, being proactive rather than reactive.
4. Furthermore, CEH certification can lead to higher salaries as companies can benefit from specialists’ services in different spheres of their activities.

Disadvantages

While the CEH certification offers numerous advantages, it’s essential to consider the potential challenges associated with obtaining it:

1. Time Commitment:

• Extensive Study: Preparing for the CEH exam requires significant time investment to grasp a broad range of cybersecurity concepts.
• Balancing Work and Study: Individuals with full-time jobs might find it challenging to allocate sufficient time for study.

2. Financial Investment:

• Certification Fees: The cost of the certification exam and study materials can be substantial.
• Training Courses: Attending training courses to prepare for the exam can add to the overall expense.

3. Broad Scope of Knowledge:

• Diverse Topics: The CEH covers a wide array of cybersecurity topics, making it challenging to master all areas in-depth.
• Focus Areas: Individuals may find it difficult to prioritize study areas based on their career goals.

4. Hands-On Experience:

• Theoretical Emphasis: The CEH exam primarily focuses on theoretical knowledge rather than practical skills.
• Practical Application: Gaining hands-on experience through internships or job roles is crucial for complementing the certification.

5. Rapidly Evolving Field:

• Constant Updates: The cybersecurity landscape changes rapidly, requiring continuous learning to stay updated.
• Certification Renewal: Maintaining the CEH certification might involve additional costs and efforts.

CEH Certification Requirements

Considering the ANSI-Accredited CEH exam, candidates who possess a CEH certification from version 1 to 7 can enjoy such privilege without paying any extra fees.

• One must have at least two years of work experience in information security and pay $100 as an application fee.
• The official EC-Council CEH training program shall be completed by having paid $100 as an application fee, although the cost of training is charged separately.
• The applicants with the previous versions of CEH certification (versions 1-7) are not required to submit any fee for taking ANSI accredited CEH exam.

Average Salary of a Certified Ethical Hacker

A lot of things are likely to affect the compensation for a Certified Ethical Hacker, such as job role, responsibilities, professional experience, skill set and geographical location. The average annual salary for a Certified Ethical Hacker is $83,591 with a low end of $45,000 and a high end of $129,000 according to InfoSec Institute’s data. Other related works like Penetration Testers and Ethical Hackers attract median pay packages of $116,323and$102,583respectively. Senior professionals in posts such as Chief Information Security Officers will earn even more than this average figure peaking at around $228000 as an expected income level

5. How does CEH certification cost compare to other cybersecurity certifications?

 While some beginner’s cybersecurity certificates may have lower costs than the price paid for acquiring the CEH certificate, advanced certificates are generally highly-priced compared to this course.

What can you do as a Certified Ethical Hacker?

There are a variety of positions you can step into as a Certified Ethical Hacker. You might take on a completely new role, or expand your role within your current company.

Here are a few fun and rewarding positions you’ll be qualified for with CEH certification.

1. Security Analyst

A security analyst is responsible for protecting digital assets, whether in the cloud or on premises. If you take on this role, you’ll spend your time analyzing data, looking for suspicious activity, and handling potential problems before they become an issue.

With a CEH certification, you’ll have an easier time spotting potential threats that might slip past other professionals who don’t know a hacker’s tricks.

As a security analyst, you’ll use your knowledge to create and continue refining your organization’s security policies and documentation for incident response protocols and disaster recovery plans.

2. Security Code Auditor

When you choose this path, you’ll spend your time reviewing source code within software applications to look for bugs and malicious code that might compromise security. This requires a working knowledge of the tactics and technologies used by hackers, since you’ll need to run cyberattack simulations to look for vulnerabilities.

As a Certified Ethical Hacker, you’ll know what attacks to simulate and you’ll be able to find bugs faster than those who just wait for end-user reports.

3. Computer Forensics Analyst

This is one of the more fun positions you can take on as a Certified Ethical Hacker. As a computer forensics analyst, you’ll be part of a team that investigates cybersecurity incidents of all kinds.

You’ll use your knowledge and skills to recover information that may help trace the incident back to the perpetrator and/or provide insight into how the attack happened.

When you find the data you’re looking for, you’ll be required to adhere to a strict chain of custody protocol to ensure what you’ve found is admissible as evidence in court.

Certified Ethical Hacker exam requirements

In order to sit for the CEH exam, you’ll need to meet the following requirements:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Have at least two years’ IT experience
• Strong working knowledge of TCP/IP
• Strong working knowledge of Windows Server
• Be familiar with Linux and/or Unix

What to expect from the CEH exam

The CEH exam consists of 125 multiple choice questions that must be completed within four hours. However, many people complete the test in two or three hours.

Although the test can be completed in a short period of time, it isn’t an easy test and most people spend months studying.

The CEH exam questions will be formulated around the following topics:

• Hacking methodologies
• Scanning methodologies
• Port scan types
• Expected return responses

Although it’s not a specific requirement, having experience with the following tools helps immensely:

• Netstat
• Nmap
• Snort
• OpenSSL
• Wireshark

Maintaining your CEH certification

As with most professional certifications, you’ll need to do some work to maintain your certified status. This can be accomplished by attending seminars, reading educational materials, writing books, and more.

To maintain CEH certification, you’ll need to earn 120 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits every three years. It’s easiest to meet these requirements by completing 40 CPEs each year, but if you procrastinate or forget for a while, you don’t have to worry as long as you get it all done before the three-year mark.

Conclusion

A CEH (v12)- Certified Ethical Hacker certification is very promising for cybersecurity professionals. Though the certified ethical hacker certification cost and CEH certification exam cost may be substantial, taking into account expenses such as training, examination charges, and application fees, it can be worth making an investment in terms of knowledge acquisition, abilities enhancement, and career progression opportunities. Therefore to decide if pursuing CEH Certification fits in with your professional aspirations or not then you should assess your particular scenario as well as your budget and long-term goals in the constantly changing world of ethical hacking and cybersecurity.

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