In the world of cybersecurity, there is always a need for individuals who are trained enough to perform various testing and analysis to grade the quality of a company’s network or dedicated security systems. These professionals are known as Ethical Hackers. An ethical hacker is an individual who is hired by the companies and organizations to hack the system network of the said company by using various testing techniques and tools. Their sole purpose is to check the current level of network security and report back the vulnerabilities that can be exploited by cybercriminals.
Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam is merely a screening process that helps organizations to determine the profoundly trained individuals from wannabe security experts. CEH plays an important role in the information technology sector of a company, and the businesses are now more than conscious of hiring these trained individuals to check the true level of their current security metrics. These ethical hackers, after testing the network systems, provide the company with dedicated solutions to tackle the vulnerabilities and secure their infrastructure from the ever-rising risk of the cybercrimes on the internet.
If you want to pursue a career as an ethical hacker and provide your services in the information security sector, then clearing the CEH exam is paramount. Here, we will explain the application process, rules, and regulations and the eligibility criteria for the CEH exam;
Application Process for the CEH exam
CEH exam was first started in 2003 by the EC-council, it is designed to cover all the basic and the core disciplines required to certify a person as a professional, ethical hacker. After the completion of the course and earning a certificate, the individual then can move onto more sophisticated levels of their cyber-security career through the Certified Security Analyst and Licensed Penetration Tester, but to reach there, you will have to pass the CEH exam first.
The joining or the application process is not simple or easy at all; some certain rules and regulations need to be followed by the professional who wants to appear in the CEH exam. First, the candidate must have two-year work experience in dedicated domains of the cyber-security. Then to prove their knowledge and skills to appear in the exam, they can attend the nearest EC-council training sessions or other accredited training sessions over an approved institution.
If you want to skip all that and are in search of a faster route to reach your destination, then an alternative is present. You will have to go through the eligibility application process, which corresponds to the onetime payment of $100 that is non-refundable. After being approved by the EC Council, you will have 3 months to purchase your test vouchers for the next CEH exam being commenced by the council.
The test vouchers can be easily bought by visiting the online store of the EC-council or over one of their authorized channels, as well. After the acquisition of the test vouchers, the candidates are required to fill in all the required details and send the application to the EC-council. The application processing takes almost 5-10 working days for the verification of the application in correspondence with the EC-Council's request for the information.
After the screening is completed, the individuals then receive an eligibility code along with the voucher code, which can be used to register online and schedule the test at Pearson VUE and the EC-Council dedicated test centers.
Rules and Regulations
The CEH council has devised a particular set of standards to keep the certification process consistent and for producing the best ethical hackers known to the internet industry. Some of these policies or rules will be discussed here for your convenience;
- The Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA) that prevents or bounds the candidates taking part in the CEH exam from discussing or revealing the information discussed in the test.
- The EC-council also binds the candidates in effect of certain regulatory standards towards the use or display of their certificates earned by the EC-council.
- Candidates are not allowed to indulge in any cheating or fraudulent behavior to score better in their CEH exam. If found engaged in the described behaviour, the consequences will follow.
- According to a re-take policy, the candidates are allowed to buy another voucher to appear in the next CEH exam if they don’t pass their exam in the first attempt. You will have to wait at least 14 days before the re-takes up for the next test. If you fail to pass the test the 5th time, then you will have to wait at least 6 months before reappearing in the test. After failing the 6th time, a waiting period of 6 months is imminent before re-taking the exam once more.
- Candidates can extend the limit of their voucher is for 12 whole months, and after that time, a single 3-month extension can be done by paying an additional $35 if the voucher is still unused and intact.
- Exam vouchers that are non-refundable, non-transferable, and non-exchangeable can be used only.
- Candidates with certain disabilities can take part in the test with additional equipment or dedicated tools to ease their appearance in the CEH exam.
Eligibility Criteria
There is a particular eligibility criterion that needs to be assessed by every candidate willing to take part in the CEH exam. The candidate should have a dedicated 2-year experience in one of the domains of the information security, and then by taking a $100 non-refundable eligibility application, the candidate needs to send that over to the CE-Council for verification. Only after detailed verification is the candidate eligible to appear in the next CEH exam.
Taking the CEH exam and then earning the certificate will depict that this particular individual has a detailed theoretical knowledge background and the required skillset to harden or secure the IT infrastructure of any internet-based company or organization. Take your CEH exam today to ensure the next employers that you have what it takes to stand out from the competition and deliver effective results regarding your particular job title.