Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is the certification you acquire by demonstrating knowledge of analyzing and assessing a computer system’s security. This is done by looking for vulnerabilities and weaknesses in target systems using the same mentality and approach as a malicious hacker, but in a legitimate and lawful manner.
So, can you take CEH without experience? You can take CEH without experience because it is an entry-level certification. If you are not well informed in matters to do with information technology, you can opt for an official EC-Council training program that is very easy to pass. This means that even without experience, you can take CEH and pass it comfortably.
The CEH program is an entry-level certification ideal for cybersecurity enthusiasts. Therefore, if you are interested in becoming an ethical hacker, you must be wondering if you can take CEH without experience.
You can take CEH without experience because it is an entry-level certification. However, it will help if you have strong networking concepts. Having good networking concepts makes it easy for you to understand CEH.
Therefore, to understand the concept of CEH and its requirements with ease, you should have skills vital in CEH, know how to approach CEH with experience, know how to approach CEH without experience, and be knowledgeable about application eligibility.
To begin with, there are various skills that could be vital for a CEH exam. It is important that you know the different databases, programming, networking, and operating systems. All this information is important in the security sector. It will also help if you take some free courses in this field.
Keep in mind that the free courses are only meant to improve your skills but will not get you a recognized certification. Nonetheless, undertaking such free courses will expose you to a wide range of fields in ethical hacking. In the end, you will achieve renowned qualifications.
Having any level of experience could give you an edge in CEH. If you have experience, not only will you gain a certification, but you also stand a good chance of landing a job. Individuals with at least two years of experience in the security field are eligible to apply for an EC-Council exam for approval purposes.
On the other hand, those without 2-year experience can use an accredited academic institution or an approved online program for certification. Undertaking these courses gets the applicants ready for CEH exams and puts them in a good position for employment.
If you don’t have any experience, you shouldn’t worry because you can still take CEH. However, it will help if you learn various information security features for easier understanding. You can do so by enrolling in an in-person training program, computer-based training, online courses, or taking accredited academic training programs.
If you successfully complete any of these programs, you automatically qualify to take CEH exams. For those that haven’t undergone accredited CEH training, the EC-Council will need at least two years working in the InfoSec field. This means that you have to take up a role in the information security field and gain at least two years of experience.
Another important aspect is application eligibility. For you to attain the Eligibility Application status, you must have at least two years of working experience in the field of information security.
You must also participate in the official training offered by the EC-Council at approved training centers. You can also get it from an approved academic institution. If you find it challenging to attend the official training, you can pay a $100 non-refundable fee and request a form, which has all the information offered in accredited learning institutions.
Can You Get a Job Just With a CEH Certification?
Getting CEH certification is crucial because it can be a stepping-stone to a wide range of lucrative positions. This is highly rewarding because you don’t need extensive experience to get CEH certification.
Getting a job with just a CEH certification is difficult as many hirers are looking for experienced candidates. Who have a track record of working in ethical hacking and someone who just has a CEH certification won’t have the necessary real world experience that hirers look for.
Today, there are many jobs that need you to have CEH certification, but this is on top of real world work experience. CEH certification enhances real world work experience to land top-tier jobs like security analyst, homeland security, computer forensics analyst, cybersecurity analyst, security engineer, and penetration tester.
With CEH certification, you stand a good chance of becoming a security analyst. Security analysts play an important role in keeping a company’s sensitive and proprietary information secure.
This role puts into use CEH techniques that are needed to identify and correct weak spots in an organization’s security systems. The same approach is needed in providing solutions and recommending problem-solving measures that are needed to improve the firm’s information security.
As a security analyst, you will be responsible for protecting the organization’s digital assets and preventing any unauthorized access. This will see you apply CEH techniques like weeding through data and metrics to filter out any suspicious activities. You will also secure both on-premise and online infrastructures.
CEH certification could also land you a computer forensics analyst job. This is an expert that helps in the investigation of cybersecurity and crime incidents. In most cases, computer forensics analysts work to recover encrypted, hidden, or deleted information related to the case. They are also tasked with safeguarding the integrity of data. This is done following a chain of custody that makes the acquired information admissible in court.
Adjacent and supplementary duties of these experts include providing insight information to prosecutors and law enforcement personnel in regards to the validity of digital evidence. As a computer forensics analyst, you may also be required to participate or lead in interviews with victims or suspects. Therefore, you will need CEH knowledge to effectively manage them.
You can become a homeland security specialist with CEH certification. This individual is tasked with creating, implementing, and monitoring emergency preparedness plans in an effort to prevent border violations, natural disasters, and terrorist attacks. A homeland security specialist can work for state or federal government agencies or private organizations.
To increase your chances of getting this job, you can get a certificate from various homeland security schools. You can also gain skills by enrolling in criminal justice programs. Adding such experience to your CEH certification will almost guarantee you a position in homeland security.
With CEH certification, you can also become a cybersecurity analyst. This is an individual tasked with protecting an organization’s systems and network from cyber-attacks. Cybersecurity analysts are also responsible for researching future IT trends, reviewing suspicious activities, creating contingency plans, and reporting any security breaches.
This position applies a good amount of CEH knowledge; therefore, getting CEH certification could land you the role. As a cybersecurity analyst, you will also be responsible for security controls and implementing threat protection measures. You can apply CEH techniques to stimulate security attacks so that you can pinpoint potential vulnerabilities within the security system.
Another job you can get with CEH certification is working as a penetration tester. This role requires you to perform authorized tests on computer systems to expose any potential weaknesses. Testing the system is important because it identifies potential areas that could be exploited by hackers. This is a large field and you can choose to specialize in specific areas. For instance, you can specialize in manipulating specific types of systems such as infrastructures or networks.
Security engineering jobs will also be at your disposal with CEH certification. A security engineer is tasked with identifying vulnerabilities within a network, conducting a thorough risk assessment, configuring systems to enhance security features, and creating firewalls for security purposes.
Furthermore, they are expected to respond to any security threats, fix any technical problems and deliver real solutions in an economical way. All these roles will require you to apply various CEH skills. This is why you stand a good chance of becoming a security engineer with CEH certification.
It is also possible to become a security auditor with your CEH certificate. The main role of security auditors is creating and executing audits based on government regulations and organizational policies. To assess and inspect security practices and controls, security auditors work with executives, managers, and IT professionals.
These experts are responsible for developing tests for various IT systems to identify any inadequacies and risks. Furthermore, they are responsible for encryption protocols, evaluating firewalls, and administering security measures. These roles require sufficient knowledge of CEH and computer security techniques.
What Are the Skills Required to Become an Ethical Hacker?
Ethical hacking is a career that involves compromising computer systems to analyze security and informing the vulnerable party. Ethical hacking is crucial for many job functions that need you to secure a company’s online assets. If you are interested in becoming an ethical hacker, it is important to know the skills required.
Some of the skills required to become an ethical hacker include computer networking skills, Linux skills, basic computer skills, programming skills, and basic hardware knowledge. These skills are crucial because they help identify vulnerable areas in a computer system and fix them.
Computer networking skills are very important for an ethical hacker. Typically, a computer network refers to the intersection of several devices generally termed as hosts. The hosts are connected using paths to send and receive data or media. As an ethical hacker, it is important to understand networks like Supernetting, DHCP, and Subnetting; because they make it possible for you to explore various interconnected computers.
Having Linux skills is also important for ethical hackers. Linux refers to a community of open-source operating systems based on the Linux Kernel. Having Linux skills is crucial because it is an open-source and free operating system that can be modified and distributed to anyone.
However, the distribution is only done commercially or non-commercially but in observance of GNU regulations. Another reason why learning Linux is important for ethical hackers is because Linux is the most secure operating system.
It is impossible to thrive as an ethical hacker without computer skills. Computer skills refer to the ability and knowledge to use a computer and other related technologies. Some of the basic computer skills include managing computer files, data processing, and creating presentations.
On the other hand, advanced computer skills include programming, managing databases, and running calculations in spreadsheets. As an ethical hacker, you will be sharp in computer skills like spreadsheets, MS Office, database management, email, and social media.
You also need to have programming skills to thrive as an ethical hacker. The word “programming” has a deeper meaning in the computer world. It refers to the act of writing codes that can be understood by computational devices as instructions to perform specific functions. So, to become a good programmer, you need to write a lot of codes. Before writing computer codes, it is important to choose a programming language that you are comfortable with.
Having basic hardware knowledge is also important for ethical hackers. Basically, computer hardware comprises the physical parts of a computer. These parts include the monitor, central processing unit (CPU), keyboard, mouse, graphics card, computer data storage, motherboard, and speakers. These are the parts you will be interacting with in your role as an ethical hacker. Without basic hardware knowledge, it is impossible to run ethical hacking operations.
Reverse engineering is also very important for an ethical hacker. It is the process of recovering requirement specifications, design, and functions of a product by analyzing its code. Reverse engineering builds a program database and creates vital information from it. The main purpose of reverse engineering is to execute maintenance work by improving the understanding of a security system. It is also meant to produce the necessary documents for legal proceedings.
Wrap Up
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is the certification you acquire by demonstrating the knowledge of analyzing and assessing a computer system’s security. It is possible to take a CEH exam without experience because it is an entry-level certification. However, it is important that you have various skills like knowledge in computer systems for easier sailing.
There are several jobs you can get with a CEH certification, but some real world work experience is required as well. Some of them include security analysts, homeland security, computer forensics analyst, cybersecurity analyst, security engineer, and penetration testers.
These jobs need you to apply CEH expertise, making it possible for a CEH certificate holder to do them. Finally, if you are interested in becoming an ethical hacker, you should have skills such as computer networking skills, Linux skills, basic computer skills, and programming skills, among others.
