What is a Certified Ethical Hacker? A Certified Ethical Hacker (CeH) certification, offered by Electronic Security Alliance, verifies your knowledge in penetrating an organization’s internal network, software, networks, databases, and so on through various vulnerabilities.
It is separate certifications from the Common Vulnerability Testing Guidelines (CVT) program. The new training program is available for those who already have some computer skills.
The term “cybersecurity” was coined in mid-1994 by Bruce Schneier and Bruce Zeder. It was later used by the National Security Agency in their NSS program. Cybersecurity analysts are needed by companies, government agencies, non-profit organizations, and many other entities to protect their data from outside attack.
They perform penetration tests on system code and on various networking systems to determine the level of a potential hacker attack. A high pass/fail score is also created using these penetration tests.
Certified Ethical Hackers in the News
Recent news has brought about an increase in demand for people who can perform such penetration tests and deliver their findings to companies that need them.
Most IT-related job sites have now started carrying information on ethical hackers on their job sites. Some of the popular cybersecurity job sites for such a position include Vulnerability Detector, Cybersecurity Resilience, Cybercrime Intelligence, and CyberSecurity Response
These cybersecurity job sites are offering detailed profiles of the skills a good and capable candidate should have and are also offering jobs in different fields.
What skills does a CeH Need?
The skills a person acquires through his studies and experience form the foundation of what a qualified and certified ethical hacker would be able to provide to organizations and corporations.
One must understand that these individuals are entrusted with the responsibility of exposing security weaknesses and do it in such a way that the organization can benefit from them without compromising the safety and confidentiality of its systems and data.
There are a number of companies and private enterprises that seek to hire the services of a professional hacker in order to avert disasters on their networks and data.
For most home-based businesses, hiring a CeH may not be the best choice since small organizations may lack the financial resources to secure the network; however, for medium to major corporations and organizations, hiring a certified ethical hacker is considered an indispensable part of their cyber safety planning.
How do I become a Certified Ethical Hacker?
A CeH is a professional or an amateur who studies and practices security matters. He studies different hacking methods, strategies, and security flaws to try to break into computer systems. To learn these skills, he needs to be knowledgeable about the latest computer applications and the programs he uses in his job. He might need to pay for his skills, but he can surely do it by applying to become an EC Hacker.
Becoming an Ethical Hacker requires you to study what vulnerabilities are present and how to use them to the benefit of a company or a person. The field of computer science and engineering makes it easy for aspiring ethical hackers.
Once he/she is through with his studies, he can already apply to obtain a hacking certification. It is important that you also learn about the ethical issues that a certified ethical hacker job poses as well.
Where do I go to learn?
There are several schools and institutions that offer the training but they can only be offered by the National Security Agency, Department of Homeland Security, or other federal agencies. The certification exam that is offered by these agencies is known as the National CEH Examination or the National Cryptologic Program. The exam consists of two parts and you have to successfully complete both parts in order to successfully pass the exam.
In order to do this, you must study various topics such as communications and networks, computer systems, cryptology, software, engineering, computer and information science, and computer forensics among others.
Once you have completed the training course that is given by your chosen school or college, you will need to pass an exam that will assess your skills and knowledge. The CEH exam consists of two parts, the practical part, and the written section.
You will need to demonstrate that you have had significant experience in using ethical hacker tools such as a proof of concept (POC) application. To be allowed to sit for the exam, you will have to pass a skills assessment test.
When taking the exam for CEH EC-counsel certification, you will need to spend about a year studying for it. The test consists of a set of 157 questions that cover different software applications and different areas of computer security.
Once you have passed the test, you will then receive your official certification. It is important to note that this certification cannot be transferred to other companies or employers.
Where does a Certified Ethical Hacker work?
In order to be able to work for a government agency as a qualified Ethical Hacker, you must pass an exam given by the National Forensic Science Association, (NFSA). These examinations are quite rigorous and can take several years to complete. If your goal is to become a private sector Ethical Hacker, the certification will not be as important, since there is no requirement among private industries.
Most companies require a CEH training program in order to be able to work in their field. This means that you will have to attend a certified training program as well. However, it is the Ethical Hacker certification that is important in order to find employment in government agencies or large corporations. Some boutique IT security companies employ Certified Ethical Hackers.
Why Does my Treasure Coast Business Need a Certified Ethical Hacker?
One of the most asked questions by business executives is “Why do I need to hire a Certified Ethical Hacker?” This type of security professional will help businesses protect confidential information and assets from outside attack.
An example might be a corporate network that’s being attacked by a cyber-attack, the network the hackers are attacking could be compromised and allow data or information to be read by anyone, which would allow them to get access to everything that needs to be seen.
While there might be some initial protection, if this hacker gets inside the business’ network, they could very well cause a lot of damage. Additionally, an Ethical hacker might also find ways to bypass firewalls and other such protective measures, leaving the business’s information exposed.
Other Vulnerabilities
The second risk is that some malicious people on the network will try to use their position to gain access to sensitive data. They will look for business networks or personal networks to do this. They may be using their position as a volunteer, or by obtaining a position in a company, to obtain access to confidential data. If a business uses public networking to make contacts, the network has to be encrypted to prevent intrusion by these people.
Private networks provide a more secure method of securing personal networks.
They are more difficult to access because of the degree of security they offer. However, they are also more expensive than public networks.
The amount of time it takes to set up and maintain a private network is considerable and requires ongoing management. Because of the large costs and ongoing maintenance fees associated with private networks, they are not ideal for running a highly targeted online business.
Time for Lockdown
A firewall is an essential part of an Internet access-control plan. The best firewall software provides a comprehensive range of protection and can be easily integrated with Internet access-control systems.
This software offers complete control over the blocking and allowing of traffic to and from the Internet, offering a high level of security against unauthorized Internet access.
When an Internet access control system is properly installed, it should include a firewall. The firewall not only filters the traffic, but it also intercepts or blocks communication between any networks or computers.
There are a number of firewalls available on the market today, including the Cisco Pix firewall which is widely used for commercial and business networks. The most popular and widely used software firewalls are the Norton and McAfee products.
These products are the most secure, but there are several other types of firewalls also available. Other hardware firewall options such as SonicWall, Firebox, and Sophos exist and are used by small to large organizations.
So What Now?
It’s our hope that you’ve learned a little (more) about what a Certified Ethical Hacker is, what they do, where to go to school and so much more. If you’re concerned about the security of your network, servers, desktops, and/or appliances, call the best Managed Security Services provider in Florida or New York City.
