Introduction
You’re considering becoming a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) (CEH). Regardless of the kind of security testing you do—ethical hacking, penetration testing, red teaming, or application assessment—the skills and knowledge required to get this certification are in high demand.
Even the concept of security testing and ethical hacking is changing as companies and organisations get a better grasp of the threats they face. Businesses are no longer battling against so-called script kiddies, as they were for so long. Today’s foe is well-organized, well-funded, and ruthless. As a result, testing necessitates a distinct approach.
Depending on who you listen to, social engineering is used in 80–90% of today’s assaults. The previous method of hunting for technical flaws in network services is no longer how attackers gain access to networks.
When desktop PCs are infiltrated, networks that are focused on adopting a defence in depth strategy, hardening the exterior, may become vulnerable to assaults from the inside. Along with the strategies and techniques employed by attackers, the skills required to discover vulnerabilities and offer fixes are developing.
It’s also necessary for safeguarding yourself and others for whom you work. The simple explanation is that you should not do anything that might harm systems or your company. It’s critical to begin thinking about the ethical issues that this test and job entails. As part of your certification, you will be required to sign an agreement.
In this article –
- What is CEH?
- CEH v11 domains
- Exam cost
- Exam format
What is a CEH?
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) test verifies that persons who have earned the certification have a thorough understanding of the wide range of subject matter necessary to be an effective ethical hacker.
The fact is that if you pay attention to the news on most days, you will hear about a corporation that has been hacked and data stolen, a government that has been targeted, or even massive denial of service assaults that make it impossible for people to use corporate resources.
The CEH is a certification that emphasises the necessity of recognising and resolving security vulnerabilities. One strategy for businesses to defend themselves against assaults is to arrive before the assailants.
It necessitates the usage of someone who is familiar with the strategies used by attackers. Running automated scans is inadequate because, no matter how excellent security scanners are, they will detect false positives—cases where the scanner detects a problem that isn’t really an issue. They will also miss many vulnerabilities (false negatives) for a number of reasons, including the fact that the vulnerability or attack may not be recognised.
Companies require someone who can discover vulnerabilities, which may be highly complicated, since they need to know where they are susceptible to attack. Scanners are a good start, but finding weaknesses in complicated networks requires the creative intellect that only people can provide.
This is why ethical hackers are required. These are persons who can utilise their considerable knowledge of a wide variety of technical disciplines to uncover exploitable flaws.
By the way, the word “ethical” is the most crucial aspect of the two-word statement.
Companies have safeguards in place because they have valuable assets that they do not want to be stolen or harmed. They need to know that nothing will be taken or harmed when they bring in someone who is searching for weaknesses to exploit.
They must also ensure that anything that may be seen or evaluated is not shared with others. This is particularly true when it comes to any newly discovered vulnerabilities.
As a result, the CEH test serves a dual role. It not only puts a person’s profound technical knowledge to the test, but it also links anybody who has a certification to a code of ethics.
You will not only be required to understand the substance and expectations of that code of conduct, but you will also be expected to follow it. Companies may be certain that when they employ or contract with individuals who have their CEH certification, they are hiring or contracting with someone who will preserve their secrets and offer them with professional assistance to help enhance their security posture and safeguard their vital resources.
Who Is It For?
- Information Security Analyst/Administrator
- Information Assurance (IA) Security Officer
- Information Security Manager/Specialist
- Information Systems Security Engineer/Manager
- Information Security Professionals/Officers
- Information Security/IT Auditors
- Risk/Threat/Vulnerability Analyst
- System Administrators
- Network Administrators and Engineers
The CEH v11 exam syllabus
If you wanted to take the CEH v11, you’d need to complete the following modules:
- Introduction to Ethical Hacking
- Footprinting and Reconnaissance
- Scanning Networks
- Enumeration
- Vulnerability Analysis
- System Hacking
- Malware Threats
- Sniffing
- Social Engineering
- Denial of Service
- Session Hijacking
- Evading IDSs, Firewalls, and Honeypots
- Hacking Web Servers
- Hacking Web Applications
- SQL Injection
- Hacking Wireless Networks
- Hacking Mobile Platforms
- IoT Hacking
- Cloud Computing
- Cryptography
As you can see, the spectrum of topics is rather extensive. You will be required to know about numerous tools that may be used to conduct the activities linked with the ideas you are studying, in addition to understanding the concepts associated with these subjects. For port scanning, for example, you’ll need to know about programmes like nmap. Proxy-based web application attack tools may be required. You may need to be familiar with the aircrack-ng package of tools if you’re planning on attacking a wireless network. There are thousands of tools that might be utilised for each module described above.
The CEH exam covers a wide range of technical topics. This is not a topic where theoretical understanding will suffice. For the CEH test, you must have prior familiarity with the methodologies and tools covered in the subject matter. You may have also noted that the modules are all organised into the steps indicated before. While you may not be required to use a particular methodology, you will discover that the exam’s material typically follows the methodology that the EC-Council considers to be standard.
More information about the CEH v11 exam
Number of Questions: 125
Test Duration: 4 Hours
Test Format: Multiple Choice
Test Delivery: ECC EXAM, VUE
Exam Prefix: 312-50 (ECC EXAM), 312-50 (VUE)
Passing Score: Cut scores are determined on a “per exam form” basis to guarantee that each form has the same evaluation requirements. Cut scores might vary from 60% to 85% depending on which test form is being disputed.
The CEH exam is similar to other professional certification tests in terms of its criteria. You’ll take a proctored, digital test. You’ll have four hours to answer all 125 questions. That implies you’ll have around 2 minutes each question on average. All of the questions are of the multiple-choice kind. The test may be taken at a Pearson VUE facility or at the ECC Exam Center.
If you want to take your certification to the next level, you may take the CEH Practical test. This exam requires you to conduct a penetration test and produce a report at the conclusion. This indicates that, in addition to understanding the exam’s content, you can apply what you’ve learned in a practical manner. You’ll be required to understand how to get into systems and find flaws.
To pass the test, you must properly answer questions, albeit the exact amount of questions you must correctly answer may vary. The passing grade is determined by the level of difficulty of the questions.
The fewer questions you need to answer correct to pass the test, the tougher the questions are that are asked out of the total pool of questions. If the questions are simpler, you will need to answer more of them correctly to pass.
Some sources of information will tell you that you must correctly answer 70% of the questions, which may be sufficient for general advice and preparation as a low-end marker. However, bear in mind that the passing grade may differ when you sit down to take the real exam at the testing site.
The good news is that you’ll know whether or not you passed before leaving the exam location. When you complete the test, you will be given your score as well as a piece of paper with the specifics of your grade. You will get feedback on the several scoring sections and how you fared in each one.
Who is Eligible for CEH v11 exam?
The CEH test is not available to everyone. Before going too far down the path, double-check your credentials. Simply put, you must be at least 18 years old to begin with. The following are the additional qualifying requirements:
- Anyone who has a CEH certification version 1–7. Although the CEH certification (or test?) is now ANSI-certified, earlier versions of the exam were accessible prior to the certification. Anyone with an early version of the CEH certification who wishes to take the ANSI-accredited certification may do so.
- Two years of similar job experience is required. Anyone with the necessary expertise must pay a $100 non-refundable application fee.
- Have completed an EC-Council training course.
If you fulfil these requirements, you may apply for certification and pay the cost if it applies to you (if you take one of the EC-Council trainings, the fee is included). For a period of three months, the application will be valid.
Exam Cost
You must purchase a Pearson VUE test ticket in order to take the certification exam. This will set you back $1,199. You may also get an EC-Council coupon for $950, but you’ll need to have undergone EC-Council training and be able to submit a Certificate of Attendance.
About EC-Council
The EC-Council stands for the International Council of Electronic Commerce Consultants. It was founded in the aftermath of the 9/11/01 airline attacks on the United States. Jay Bavisi, the company’s creator, worried what would happen if the attackers chose to switch from kinetic to digital attacks.
Even beyond that specific group of attackers, the Internet has become a haven for a vast number of individuals who want to do harm or steal data. The Internet’s economics, or cheap cost of entry into the industry, enable criminals to utilise it to steal information, ransom data, and do other destructive activities.
The EC-Council is regarded as one of the world’s major certification agencies. They have certified over 200,000 persons and operate in 145 countries. The EC-Council also administers a number of other IT-related certifications in addition to the CEH. They are in charge of the following accreditations:
- Certified Network Defender (CND)
- Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH)
- Certified Ethical Hacker Practical
- EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA)
- EC-Council Certified Security Analyst Practical
- Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT)
- Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (CHFI)
- Certified Chief Information Security Officer (CCISO)
One benefit of having an EC-Council accreditation is that the organisation is certified by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). Furthermore, and probably more crucially for future certification holders, EC-Council certificates are recognised globally and have been supported by government bodies such as the National Security Agency (NSA).
The CEH certification is included in Department of Defense Directive 8570. This is significant since the CEH certification allows you to swiftly qualify for a variety of federal jobs in the United States.
The CEH accreditation establishes a benchmark. This indicates that a set of criteria has been established. You must meet at least the minimum criteria in order to get the certification. These criteria may be depended on time and time again.
This is why someone who has earned the CEH credential may be trusted. They have shown that they have satisfied recognised and accepted knowledge and professional behaviour criteria.
What is new in Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Version 11?
CEH gives a comprehensive grasp of ethical hacking stages, attack routes, and countermeasures. It will show you how harmful hackers think and behave so that you can better build up your security architecture and protect against future assaults. Organizations may increase their system security measures by understanding system flaws and vulnerabilities, lowering the chance of an incident.
CEH is now in its 11th iteration, and it incorporates the most up-to-date operating systems, tools, strategies, exploits, and technologies. Here are several important CEH v11 updates:
Incorporating Parrot Security OS
When compared to Kali Linux, Parrot Security OS performs better on lower-powered laptops and PCs and has a more intuitive interface and a broader bank of generic utilities.
Re-Mapped to NIST/NICE Framework
Under the NIST/NICE framework’s Protect and Defend (PR) job role category, CEH v11 is carefully linked to critical Specialty Areas, overlapping with other job roles such as Analyze (AN) and Securely Provision (SP).
Enhanced Cloud Security, IoT, and OT Modules
Updated Cloud and IoT modules include CSP’s Container Technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), Cloud Computing risks, and a variety of IoT hacking tools in CEH v11 (e.g. Shikra, Bus Pirate, Facedancer21, and more). As the world goes toward bigger and deeper cloud adoptions, this is crucial.
Cloud−Based Threats
Businesses are struggling to restrict the frequency of data theft events due to misconfigured cloud systems, since the cloud sector is expected to reach $354 billion by 2022. Cloud-based assaults increased by 630 percent from January to April 2020. With CEH v11, you’ll learn how to prevent, recognise, and react to cloud-based assaults.
IoT Threats
According to market forecasts, the number of IoT-connected devices in the globe will reach 43 billion by 2023. To accommodate this fast development, major internet giants such as Amazon Web Services, Google, IBM, and Microsoft are rapidly migrating to private cloud services, complicating IoT ecosystems. The CEH v11 training covers the newest IoT hacking tools, including as Shikra, Bus Pirate, Facedancer21, and others, so you can cope with IoT-based assaults.
Operational Technology (OT) Attacks
Businesses saw a 2,000 percent rise in OT-related occurrences last year. To protect a crucial corporate OT/IoT implementation, you may develop competence in OT, IT, and IIoT (industrial IoT). CEH covers OT concepts such as ICS, SCADA, and PLC, as well as various OT challenges, OT hacking methodology, tools, and communication protocols of an OT network such as Modbus, Profinet, HART-IP, SOAP, CANopen, DeviceNet, Zigbee, Profibus, and others, as well as gaining Remote Access using the DNP3 protocol.
Modern Malware Analysis
The newest malware analysis methodologies for ransomware, banking and financial malware, IoT botnets, OT malware analysis, Android malware, and more are now included in CEH v11!
Conclusion
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) test verifies that persons who have earned the certification have a thorough understanding of the wide range of subject matter necessary to be an effective ethical hacker. The CEH is a certification emphasising the necessity of recognising and resolving security vulnerabilities.
Companies require someone who can discover vulnerabilities, which may be highly complicated. The CEH test serves a dual role by putting technical knowledge to the test. It also links anybody who has a certification to a code of ethics for privacy and ethical work practices.
The CEH exam covers a wide range of technical topics. For port scanning, for example, you’ll need to know about programmes like nmap. You’ll also need to be familiar with the aircrack-ng package of tools if you’re planning on attacking a wireless network. The passing grade is determined by the level of difficulty of the questions.
The fewer questions you need to answer correct, the tougher the questions are that are asked out of the total pool of questions. You will know whether or not you passed before leaving the exam location. Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) Version 11 gives a comprehensive grasp of ethical hacking stages, attack routes, and countermeasures.
The CEH certification is included in Department of Defense Directive 8570. It allows you to swiftly qualify for a variety of federal jobs in the United States. CEH v11 is carefully linked to critical Specialty Areas, overlapping with other job roles such as Analyze (AN) and Securely Provision (SP) Cloud and IoT modules include CSP’s Container Technologies (e.g., Docker, Kubernetes), Cloud Computing risks, and a variety of IoT hacking tools.
