TrainACE - IT and Cybersecurity Training Blog

In recent years becoming a certified ethical hacker has become a much sought-after skill in the cybersecurity world. Seeded by small groups of early hackers who bucked the trend of hacking for financial gain or simple disruption, it took time for the practice to be accepted as a legitimate role in the business world.

But how do you become a certified ethical hacker?

EC-Council's Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification first launched in 2003. Since then, it has been continuously updated and is now in its 10th edition. The certification is designed to test your ability to use the knowledge and skills of malicious hackers to help organizations lawfully identify vulnerabilities within their systems before cyber-criminals can exploit them. CEH is considered a great starting point for IT technicians looking to develop computer forensic and penetration testing careers. Training for CEH takes time and effort, so is CEH certification worth it?  

Updated June, 2021 - Information security professionals are in high demand — job opportunities and salaries are on the rise as organizations seek top talent to help defend cloud-based networks, improve application security, and develop innovative threat-reduction strategies.

The caveat is that field experience isn’t enough; companies want candidates whose qualifications include on-the-job training and industry-leading certifications. One of the most in-demand is the CEH certification.

Here’s a breakdown of the cost of CEH certification and how to get started.

So, you’re excited about the possibility of getting into an ethical hacking career. You love the idea of using hacker’s tactics legally to help others protect themselves from cyber attacks. You’ve heard about CEH certification, but you’re not sure what it is or why it’s important to you as a potential ethical hacker.

Let’s break down EC-Councils’ CEH certification and why it’s an essential tool in a cybersecurity career.

Not all hackers are cybercriminals. Increasingly, businesses around Washington DC, Maryland, and Virginia employ ethical hackers (also known as white hat hackers) to break into their computer networks to expose vulnerabilities. Ethical hacking and penetration testing have become a mainstream career within the region, with companies employing a highly skilled cohort of programmers and computer experts.

Let’s explore the basics and increase your understanding of ethical hacking. We’ll lay out the differences between Black Hat and White Hat hackers, differentiating between cybercriminals and ethical hackers.

According to the 2018 Hacker Report less than 5% of today’s ethical hackers learned their skills in a classroom. While the majority of ethical hackers do have some form of computer qualification, few have formal certification in the discipline itself. So why would an ethical hacker need anything as ‘establishment’ as formal ethical hacking certification?

(**Updated in April, 2021)

Year after year, we are becoming more dependent on the internet for much of what we do, from grocery shopping to healthcare advice. The COVID pandemic has only sped this up. At the same time, the volume and sophistication of cyber-attacks have also increased, with cyber criminals taking advantage of increased vulnerabilities, due to most of us working from home on less than ideally secured networks. So, as an IT professional, what can you do to positively affect an increasingly insecure world while improving your overall financial status?

Rising to the surface in a sea of cybersecurity hiring candidates demands more than mere skill. Employers demand stronger assurances, and the best guarantees of employee talent come in the form of certifications.

Choosing between obtaining Certified Ethical Hacker and Offensive Security Certified Professional credentials may seem difficult to the uninitiated. Here's some vital clarification on which certs will help you outswim your professional peers.

As an entry-level certification for information security jobs, Security+ will get your foot in the door for a promising career. But why stop there? If you are looking to advance your information security career, you should treat the Security+ certification as just a first step on the job path. In order to be more marketable as an experienced security professional as well as more valuable to current employers, consider advancing your proficiency in information security with additional training and certifications! The following options will validate your further expertise of information security and can increase the chances of promotion opportunities and salary increases! If information security is an industry worth pursuing to you, then keep reading to learn how to make the most out of your career!

Updated for 2022.  As innovation in the technology field accelerates and becomes increasingly sophisticated, there are many new, exciting devices and gadgets hitting the market. While these advancements in technology have offered society a tremendous level of convenience, on the flip-side they open more opportunities for hackers. These bad actors are constantly looking for ways to exploit new systems to their benefit at the expense of innocent victims, such as card skimming and other forms of cyber crime.

With the exponential growth in advanced technology, comes increased risk of cybersecurity breaches. The demand for qualified personnel who can assess these vulnerabilities and help fix them is at an all-time high in the Washington, DC, region. So, if you're thinking about a career in ethical hacking, there is a lot to gain by obtaining the CEH certification, and understanding some of the roles you could apply for once you have it.

Here we'll break down some of the more popular job opportunities available to those with the Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH) certification!