Certified ethical hacker (CEH)

There doesn’t seem to be a week that goes by without at least one story of a data breach these days. It’s conceivable that the credit card information of a shop was stolen. It’s possible that a health insurance company has lost track of the people they cover. The government loses track of persons with security clearances and discovers what were intended to be private communications on activist websites. To test their systems, everyone seems to need the help of an ethical hacker.

Businesses and governments are using ethical hackers to help improve security by spotting flaws before malicious hackers can exploit them. Ethical hacking is a burgeoning business, with an increasing number of people leveraging their technological talents for both entertainment and profit.

The following issues will be covered in this post to assist you in selecting the finest ethical hacking certificates:

• What exactly is an ethical hacker?
• What drives you to pursue a career as an ethical hacker?
• Job opportunities in ethical hacking
• Working as a freelance ethical hacker

What exactly is an ethical hacker?

Ethical hackers use the same tactics as their less ethical counterparts to test and overcome security solutions, but they are compensated to find holes. They do this so that businesses can document what they’ve discovered and remedy any security gaps as soon as possible. Individual services are also provided by ethical hackers to assist clients retrieve data, email, and documents that have been unavailable due to a variety of issues.

What drives you to pursue a career as an ethical hacker?

Financial services firms have hired almost as many cybersecurity experts as government contractors in recent years. Regulations have caused financial companies to reevaluate how they handle cybersecurity since the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau was established, which has resulted in new work prospects for ethical hackers.

Because the demand for ethical hackers outnumbers the supply, pay and perks are excellent. Some of the world’s major financial organizations, including JPMorgan Chase, Barclays, Bank of America, and Allstate, have employment openings, according to a recent survey of available positions.

Most organizations demand an ethical hacking certification to be eligible for a career as an ethical hacker. Certification examinations verify that the hacker knows not just the technology, but also the ethical duties of the profession. Because many businesses lack the technical knowledge to assess applications for these positions, certification ensures that the individual is competent.

Certified Ethical Hacker

The most thorough of all the certificates available is the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH). The CEH exam is designed to examine a cybersecurity professional’s fundamental understanding of security threats, risks, and countermeasures through lectures and hands-on labs. By showing confirmation of at least two years of cybersecurity expertise, an experienced professional can sit for the test without any training.

The CEH certification, which is administered by the EC-Council, allows for a great deal of flexibility. The EC-Council offers instructor-led training, video lectures, and self-study options. These choices are accessible on the EC-Council website, and companies may hire EC-Council trainers to perform on-site training.

Even while many ethical hacking job advertisements need a CEH certification, it isn’t always the best option. A significant critique of CEH is that most of their hacking classes do not give enough hands-on experience due to the emphasis on lecture-based teaching.

Job opportunities in ethical hacking

The majority of businesses use cybersecurity organizations that specialize in security compliance and testing. These businesses engage experts to look into the root cause of the breach, do penetration testing, produce a report on their findings, and suggest mitigations. Firms that specialize in cybersecurity recruit and sell themselves to the sector.

Many of these cybersecurity service providers are small companies started by entrepreneurs. Working for a small firm offers the benefit of allowing you to be more ambitious in your career choices. If you wish to work for these companies, job sites like Indeed, Glassdoor, and LinkedIn are terrific places to look.

Working for companies that deal with the federal government is another way to obtain work as an ethical hacker. Executive branch agencies have been required to undertake independent security audits of their systems since the data leak at the Office of Personnel Management. Contractors, particularly in the Washington, D.C. metro region, are struggling to recruit and hire competent, ethical hackers.

The job advertising for the Washington, DC region read like a roll call of the most high-profile federal contractors while going through employment sites. Positions as an ethical hacker or penetration tester are almost always available at businesses like Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, CACI, Booz Allen Hamilton, Deloitte, BAE Systems, and others if you choose to work for one of these large contractors.

Look at huge network service providers like Amazon Web Services and Verizon if working with the government isn’t a goal. Cloud and other service providers use in-house ethical hackers to assist maintain security because network access is their core business.

Working as a freelance ethical hacker

Freelancers are ethical hackers that prefer to set their own schedules and work on a range of projects. Ethical hackers, like freelancers, will have to negotiate their own contracts, operate their own businesses, and manage their own benefits, but they will have the freedom to work whenever and wherever they choose.

Professionals searching for contract employment have gotten increasingly comfortable using social networking sites to find clients who need their expertise. Ethical hackers with certificates can offer their services on sites like Neighborhood Hacker and the Ethical Hacker Search Engine, while those seeking for them can locate a professional on sites like the Ethical Hacker Search Engine. Both sites act as brokers, assisting in the resolution of conflicts between ethical hackers and clients.

More generic sites for independent freelance consultants are also good places to look for work. UpWork and Freelancer.com are two of the best places to look for this. These websites integrate job postings with project management tools so that both the client and the ethical hacker can keep track of their connection.