The field of IT is quite vast, and there are numerous certifications that a professional can pursue. Among these, CEH certification deserves a special mention. It validates the candidate’s skills in ethical hacking or white-hat hacking. Obtaining this certification can potentially help you land a job in various companies, including IT organizations. Essentially, the CEH certification would be a major boost to one’s professional portfolio.
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What is the CEH certification?
The certified ethical hacker (CEH) certification is an entry-level certification in the field of ethical hacking. Like most other widely accepted certifications in this field, this one comes from the EC Council. For professionals who wish to build a career in cybersecurity, this certification is a must. Obtaining this certification would mean that you possess the skills necessary to penetrate an organization’s security system and access its databases, applications, and networks.
However, unlike malicious hackers, ethical hackers do not bypass the defense of an organization’s digital assets causing harm. Ethical hackers reveal the vulnerabilities to the organization so that they can fix them. The CEH exam tests the candidates’ skills in finding such vulnerabilities.
Why do organizations seek professionals with CEH training?
In the contemporary world, cybersecurity has become a significant cause of concern for every organization. Malicious hackers are constantly on the hunt, looking for vulnerabilities that they can exploit. To protect their interests, organizations need to hire ethical hackers. Only a professional who is aware of all the techniques that hackers with malicious intentions use can effectively protect an organization from them. This is why possessing an ethical hacker certification would be of great help while looking for a job.
IT organizations seek skilled cybersecurity professionals who help keep their businesses safe by constantly looking out for vulnerabilities. Even if you are not aiming for a job as an ethical hacker, the CEH certification would add great value to your portfolio. Quite naturally, IT companies that are aware of the risks would prefer to hire candidates with skills in ethical hacking.
How to prepare for the CEH exam?
Quite naturally, preparing for an exam in ethical hacking calls for adequate training and practice. It is highly advisable to undergo training at one of the reputed IT institutes. This would grant you exposure to the guidance of experienced professionals and up-to-date resources. If you are a practicing professional, you might face time constraints while preparing for the examination. In that case, it would be logical to choose an institution that offers online training facilities.
The fact is that ethical hacking is quite complex and comes with various branches and fields of expertise. Without professional guidance, it may be challenging to build up the requisite skills in all the branches of ethical hacking.
What skills would the CEH certification help to develop?
The CEH certification is so valuable that the professionals would have to possess several essential skills to pass the examination. Considering that you undergo training at a reputed institution, here are some of the skills that you would develop:
- An understanding of various attacks, such as backdoors and trojans, and the measures to stop these attacks.
- Knowledge of the step-by-step procedures and techniques that hackers use while hacking into systems.
- Assessing various threats and vulnerabilities in the fields of application security and network security.
- Skills in hacking SQL, Apache web servers, Oracle databases, PowerShell, wireless hacking, IDS, firewalls, etc.
- The ability to manage information security and information assurance skills.
Each of these skills is very important and can grant you significant advantages in the professional field. At the same time, the cybersecurity certifications show the employers that the candidate possesses all these skills.
How to proceed after obtaining the certification?
Obtaining the CEH certification itself would open up several job opportunities for you. Once you pass the exam, you may apply for these jobs. You may also opt for various advanced courses in ethical hacking to further grow your specialization. Once you have the CEH certification, you would be eligible for multiple other courses in this domain. Leading institutions, such as Koenig, offer various ethical hacking courses that you may choose from in the future.
