They say use a criminal to catch a criminal. But the idea of having a “criminal” who can work in a lawful and more legitimate manner for the benefit of an organization is fascinating. The term “hacker” in itself never started out as a bad word despite evolving over the years to its malicious nature in the modern IT platform.
This article breaks down the Certified Ethical Hacker certification from the EC-Council to give you a better understanding of this credential and how you can pass the associated exam hassle-free.
Certification Overview
A certified ethical hacker earns complete recognition as a highly qualified professional with a great understanding and knowledge of the identification of weaknesses and vulnerabilities in target systems.
Accordingly, these individuals employ such skills and the relevant tools while serving as malicious hackers but in a lawful manner while assessing the security state of a target system.
The CEH credential authenticates your skills to use the ethical hacking techniques and practices to lawfully determine the security of the system. The certification is provided by the globally recognized vendor- EC-Council and is considered to be vendor-neutral. It is undeniable that the CEH is one of the most popular and in demand ethical hacking credentials from the EC-Council.
Audience
The certified ethical hacker credential may be suitable for any individual with a keen interest in the integrity of the network infrastructure, to system auditors to deepen their skills in ethical hacking, to web administrators that need to protect their data. Anyway, if you deal with security, CEH certification would be a great benefit for you.
Exam Description
The certified ethical hacker certification exam, denoted as CEH Certification 312-50, is a 4-hour test that presents 125 items. It contains purely multiple choice questions. This exam is readily available at the Pearson VUE center as well as the ECC Exam Center.
Exam Eligibility
The CEH exam eligibility is a vital element you cannot afford to skip. Meeting one of the three requirements is the only way to apply for this exam. Being a holder of a CEH certification of version 2 to 7 automatically qualifies you for this exam.
It’s no biggie if you don’t understand what this means because I’ll explain it in a while. Well, the EC-Councils’ certifications were named according to versions before being ANSI accredited. These versions ranged from 1 to 7 with their naming following a series from CEHV1 to CEHV7.
Consequently, the EC-Council’s certification department pays keen attention to individuals with such versions of this certification to avoid double application fee payment when enrolling for the CEH certification exam.
Besides, the council also exercises a waiver of the application fee if you possess any of the seven versions of the CEH certification and desires to attempt the newly developed CEH ANSI credential exam.
Similarly, individuals with a minimum of 2 years of work experience in any aspect of the security domain are eligible for this exam. However, it’s worth mentioning that such individuals will have to pay a non-refundable application fee of $100.
The third instance entails attending the official EC-Council training. With this option, you will also need to pay the $100 application fee but in most cases, this fee is included in your training fee.
Passing Criteria
Unlike other certification exams with a set passing score, the CEH certification exam has none to mention. EC-Council prides itself in offering quality exams that are ideal for equipping you with job-specific skills and academic knowledge.
Thus, they have an innovative way of determining the difficulty rating of each exam question. The overall cut score for each exam form is then determined by the individual rating.
Simply put, the number of questions you need to answer correctly largely depends on the difficulty level of the test questions for the particular exam. So the passing score is highly variable, to say the least.
CEH Training Program
By now you should have known the importance of attaining the CEH certification. But these benefits may only imply that earning the CEH credential calls for the actual burning of the midnight oil.
One such a worthy preparation tool to have at your fingertips is the EC-Council’s CEH training program. With only a 5-days duration, this course can go a long way to ensuring you register a successful outcome in this exam at your first attempt.
Previous exam takers will tell you that the CEH training program is an invaluable information security program that any security professional can’t afford to miss out on. There’s no better way to master the hacking technologies than becoming one and this is exactly what this course offers.
It equips you with advanced hacking tools and techniques that are part and parcel of many hackers and other security professionals when looking to break into an organization. By immersing you into the real hacker mindset, the training program instills the relevant skills for defending an organization against future attacks.
Some of the skills you are likely to acquire from this course include scanning, testing, hacking and securing your own security systems. Interestingly, this program also covers all five phases of ethical hacking. These include Reconnaissance, Gaining Access, Enumeration, Maintaining Access as well as covering your tracks.
Learning Options
As a top IT vendor, EC-Council takes pride in offering some of the best IT credentials. Their invaluable training resources during your CEH exam preparation journey further confirms their commitment towards giving the best to their candidates.
These learning options include the iLearn platform, iWeek, Master Class and Training Partners. The iLearn is an ideal self-study environment that offers the training courses in form of streaming videos.
The iWeek, on the other hand, is an instructor-led platform featuring a live instructor and you can enroll for the sessions from any location. With such a wide range of options, you can always settle for the most suitable training option that matches your expectations.
In addition to the material provided by the vendor itself, you can search on the internet for more sources. Thus, among the numerous websites present, you can check ExamSnap – the online platform popular among the candidates. A great collection of the most updated exam dumps is at your disposal. Being provided in .vce format, exam dumps need the VCE Player to be opened. This VCE Software is a great tool that simulates the real exam environment and helps you to enhance your preparation process. In addition, you can check the Tutorials section and take video courses to get more detailed information about 312-50 exam. ExamSnap will assist you much in your preparation process.
Exam Delivery
The CEH certification exam can be taken at an authorized testing center or remotely from any location. In both cases, the exam will be proctored by an authorized proctor. Remember, this exam is readily available at the ECC Exam Center as well as the Pearson VUE center.
Retake Policy
Failing your CEH certification exam is the last thing you can ever wish for. But in the event that the worst happens and you are unable to register a positive outcome at your first attempt, there’s always an option for a retake. For that, you should complete a special form on EC-Council website.
Recertification
Just like many IT certifications, EC Council certifications always have a validity period. The CEH credential, for instance, is valid for three years from the time of attaining it. But the good news is here; you can always renew your certification during this three-years period by taking part in EC-Council’s Continuing Education (ECE) program.
Final ThoughtsNo smoke where there’s no fire. The high demand for professionals with ethical hacking skills clearly show its crucial role in the modern IT areas. If you dream of attaining an in-demand certification and take your career to a whole new level, then you don’t have to look any further. The CEH credential from EC-Council is here to help you fulfill your dreams. Above all, use the aforementioned tips to prepare for 312-50 certification exam and pass it at your first attempt.
