Are you skilled in computer networks, software, and systems? Do you think out of the box and approach to issues differently than what common people follow? Are you detail-oriented, analyzing all the aspects of the complexities in a system? If yes, then there is a lot of scope for you to demonstrate your skills in the field of ethical hacking. If you are passionate about finding loopholes and vulnerabilities in computer systems, then you can have a rewarding career as an ethical hacker. However, your intentions should be to protect the system and not to harm it. The intention is what separates an ethical hacker from a malicious hacker. While the skills and techniques required to become a hacker are the same, an ethical hacker breaks the system with permission, malicious hackers do so for their personal gain or ill intentions.

If you have always wanted to enter the world of cyber security by becoming an ethical hacker, you must have heard about the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, or more commonly known as CEH certification. Although a career in ethical hacking is one of the highest paying jobs all over the world, attaining a CEH certification benchmarks your network security skills and is beneficial when switching into more challenging job roles. The CEH certification also gives you that competitive edge which the employers always look for.

This article lets you know more about the CEH certification and what job roles can you target after becoming certified.

So let’s dive in!

The CEH Certification

The International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants or EC-Council, the world’s largest cyber security technical certification body, has developed the CEH certification. This certification is recognized by the US Department of Defense and has global appeal as it is accredited by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

To achieve the CEH certification, aspirants need to crack the CEH exam 312-50. It is a four hours long exam in which candidates need to attempt a total of 125 questions of multiple-choice format. The passing score is decided by the EC-Council based on the difficulty of the exam and usually ranges from 60 to 85 percent.

Now coming to the eligibility criteria, candidates have two options.

The first one requires the candidate to have a work experience of 2 years in the field of information security.

The second option is to undergo an official EC-Council training at any Accredited Training Center or at an approved academic institution.

You can visit the EC-Council website, which contains all the details like policies, CEH exam FAQs, full eligibility criteria, exam blueprint, and more.

Jobs after CEH Certification

After achieving the CEH certification, you can open the doors to a plethora of career opportunities in the cyber security landscape. Professionals working under different job roles like a network security officer, IT security officer, IT auditor, technical support engineer, IT analyst, network architect, etc. can pursue the CEH certification and aim for high-profile roles. Most of the companies rely on CEH certification to ensure that the candidates they are going to hire are highly skilled to take up the positions like:

Information Security Analyst

The responsibilities of an information security analyst may vary from one company to the other. But their typical responsibilities include assessing data breaches and identify what caused it, ensure that the security team is following updated security measures and controls, perform security audits, and look for tools and countermeasures that can best help in dealing with cyberattacks.  

Computer Network Defence (CND) Incident Responder

Professionals working as CND Incident responders look for security flaws and vulnerabilities in the system. They analyze the networks for any cyber intrusion and ways to mitigate the risks involved. Apart from performing penetration testing, reverse engineering, and audits, they also create reports on cyber threat analysis.

Forensic Analyst

Forensic analysts retrieve data from systems and storage devices and gather evidence after a cyberattack takes place. Using forensic tools, they work on finding corrupt, hidden, or deleted files and rebuild the system. They prepare technical reports detailing the data retrieval process which can be used as evidence and presented during criminal trials.

Security Manager

The information security manager position calls for thorough technical knowledge along with years of networking experience. They lead the security team and make high-level decisions that have long term impacts on the organization. They train the team members regarding security rules, procedures, and best practices. Their work also involves analyzing reports, assess security plans and policies, and ensure efficient security operations for the organization.

IT Security Architect

It is a senior-level position where professionals stay updated with the latest security developments and techniques that malicious hackers use. They design and build the security architectures for IT projects and ensure that it is least exposed to vulnerabilities. They also conduct regular system tests and respond to security incidents without any delays. Additionally, IT security architects are also expected to conduct security awareness programs and upskilling employees regarding the latest security standards and products.

Apart from the above-mentioned job roles, there are many other positions that you can target to achieve after you have the CEH credential added to your array of skills.

Salary Prospects

Professionals with an Ethical Hacking Certification earn an average salary of USD 91,000 annually, as per the data collected by Payscale. The salary typically ranges from USD 83,000 to USD 92,000 for employees working in various departments like IT security and infrastructure, cyber security, security risk management, security intrusion detection, and security testing and auditing. Regardless of the location and size of the company, cyber security professionals are in growing demand these days. As people from all over the world are connected to the internet and generate a lot of data on the daily basis, anything can come on the radar of hackers and they can misuse it for their personal gain.

Final Words

As the EC-Council quotes “To beat a hacker, you need to think like a hacker,” the CEH certification gives you the ability to adopt a hacker mindset and secure your organization from any possible cyberattack. Now for attaining this industry-recognized credential, you can take an online CEH course that is accredited by the EC-Council that best prepares you for the CEH exam. It can help you avoid the hectic path of researching reliable sources for the study material and identifying what tools to use for exam preparation.