Certified Ethical Hacker

Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is a qualification obtained by assessing the security of computer systems, using penetration testing techniques. The code for the CEH exam is 312-50, and the certification is in Version 9 as of 2016.

Penetration tests are employed by organizations that hire certified ethical hackers to penetrate networks and computer systems with the purpose of finding and fixing security vulnerabilities. The EC-Council offers another certification, known as Certified Network Defense Architect (CNDA). This certification is designed for United States Government  agencies and is available only to members of selected agencies including some private government contractors, primarily in compliance to DOD Directive 8570.01-M.

Controversy

The CEH certification has drawn criticism since inception due to higher than average preparation costs, low-tech exam registration procedures, and limited technical content within the exam itself. Some computer security professionals have objected to the term "ethical hacker" as a "contradiction in terms" Part of the controversy may arise from the older, less stigmatized, definition of hacker, which has since become synonymous with the computer criminal. According to the EC-Council, there has been an increase of careers where CEH and other ethical hacking certifications are preferred or required.

A proforma of CEH has been given in the picture as provided by the Council 

 

ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA

All the three programs, CEH, CHFI and ECSA v10 require the candidate to have two years of work experience in the Information Security domain and should be able to provide a proof of the same as validated through the application process unless the candidate attends official training.

Attend Official Training

If a candidate attends an official EC-Council training either at an Accredited Training Center, via the iClass platform, or at an approved academic institution, the candidate is eligible to attempt the relevant EC-Council exam without going through the application process.

Certification Title	Courseware Price	Courseware Store Link	More Information is Available at:
CEH	$850	https://store.eccouncil.org/product/cehv10-courseware/	https://www.eccouncil.org/programs/certified-ethical-hacker-ceh/
CHFI	$650 (US Market) $718 (Europe Market)	https://store.eccouncil.org/product/chfi-v9-courseware-us-market/ https://store.eccouncil.org/product/chfi-v9-courseware-europe-market/	https://www.eccouncil.org/programs/computer-hacking-forensic-investigator-chfi/
ECSA v10	$899 (Courseware + Range)	https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ecsav10-e-courseware-range-only/	https://www.eccouncil.org/programs/certified-security-analyst-ecsa/

Attempt Exam without Training

In order to be considered for the EC-Council exam without attending training, candidates must first be approved via the eligibility application process. The application can be found here: https://cert.eccouncil.org/Exam-Eligibility-Form.html. Prices for vouchers, links for purchasing, and websites for further information can be found below.

Certification Title	Information Security Related Experience	Remit a Non-Refundable Eligibility Application Fee	Submit an Eligibility Application Form	Recieve a Formal Approval from EC-Council’s Cert. Dept.	Exam Voucher Price	Exam Voucher Store Link	More Information is Available at:
CEH	2 years	$100	√	√	Pearson Vue voucher ($950) ECC exam voucher ($950)	https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ceh-vue-exam-voucher https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ceh-ecc-exam-center-voucher/	https://www.eccouncil.org/Certification/certified-ethical-hacker
CHFI	2 years	$100	√	√	ECC exam voucher ($500)	https://store.eccouncil.org/product/chfi-v9-ecc-exam-voucher/	https://www.eccouncil.org/programs/computer-hacking-forensic-investigator-chfi
ECSA v10	2 years	$100	√	√	ECC exam voucher ($999)	https://store.eccouncil.org/product/ecsav10-ecc-exam-center-voucher/	https://www.eccouncil.org/about-ec-council-certified-security-analyst

ELIGIBILITY PROCESS

Applicants who do not attend training must prove 2 years of work experience in the Information Security domain via the application form found here: https://cert.eccouncil.org/Exam-Eligibility-Form.html.

If further information is requested from the applicant after the application is submitted and 90 days pass with no response from the applicant, the application will be automatically rejected and a new form will have to be submitted.

On an average an application processing time would be between 5-10 working days once the verifiers on the application respond to EC-Council’s requests for information.

On the application, there is a section for the applicant to list a boss, supervisor, or department lead who will act as their verifier. EC-Council reaches out to the listed verifier to confirm the applicant’s experience.

If the application is approved, the applicant will be sent instructions on purchasing a voucher from EC-Council directly. EC-Council will then send the candidate the eligibility code and the voucher code which candidate can use to register and schedule the test.

If application is not approved, the application fee of USD 100 will not be refunded.

The approved application is valid for 3 months from the date of approval so the candidate must purchase a voucher within 3 months. After the voucher codes are released, the applicant has one year to use the codes.

Should you require the exam voucher validity to be extended, kindly contact finance@eccouncil.org before the voucher expires. Only valid vouchers can be extended.

An application extension request will require the approval of the Director of Certification.

Important Notes:

Successful applicants are required to purchase an exam voucher directly from EC-Council through the webstore at www.store.eccouncil.org

Warning:

Candidates whose voucher code does not match the details in the eligibility application and bears a different voucher code than which was provided will not be certified.

EC-Council reserves the right to revoke the certification status of candidates who attempt this exam without a valid voucher number.