Certified Ethical Hacker v13

The total time it takes to become a certified ethical hacker can vary by student, but the typical answer is 5 days.

CEH official training is structured as a 5-day boot camp, with testing typically delivered at the end of the 5th day as a 4-hour exam.

Students who choose an on-demand or self-paced course through iClass or decide to defer their testing date may take longer to achieve the certification.

The CEH program and exam cover a variety of topics that center around the tactics and procedures required to be a tactical cybersecurity professional. Spanning the entire kill-chain process, CEH includes topics such as foot printing and reconnaissance, scanning, gaining access, maintaining access, and covering tracks. 

This 5-phase ethical hacking process applies to a variety of scenarios, including traditional on-premises networks, cloud, hybrid, and IoT systems, and stretches across a variety of topologies and application environments. 

Students learn a variety of tools and techniques throughout this process, as well as how hackers will utilize the same TTPs to hack into organizations. 

While CEH covers the core domains of cybersecurity, it also includes AI cybersecurity skills, empowering students to master AI-driven cybersecurity skills and learn to hack AI systems based on the OWASP TOP 10. 

CEH addresses the latest emerging attack vectors and security strategies, enabling students to stay current.

Security professionals attending this program will learn ethical hacking, including the Cyber Kill Chain, vulnerability assessment, and social engineering. You’ll explore how hackers operate, identify weaknesses in target systems, and apply remediation strategies to protect your organization from cyberattacks. 

You’ll learn the core domains of cybersecurity, master the 5 phases of the ethical hacking framework, and automate all tasks using AI tools. So, you’ll learn not only how to use AI skills but also how to hack AI systems.

Ethical hacking is crucial to cybersecurity and offers extensive growth opportunities. If you want to learn ethical hacking on your own, it may seem easy, but it requires a lot of experience and knowledge.

You need to stay up-to-date with the latest hacking trends and resources in order to combat the escalating cyber threats. In addition to technical skills, you should also be familiar with basic hacking tools, penetration testing, and other aspects of ethical hacking, including the use of AI in cybersecurity.

The ethical hacking phases require extensive training and practical experience in areas such as attack vectors and penetration testing, SQL injection attacks, denial of service attacks, firewall attacks, password cracking, enumeration, and cloud computing. 

There are many online resources available for learning ethical hacking, but it can be difficult to choose the right one. Therefore, it is important to have a structured learning method from a reliable source.

An accredited program like the EC-Council’s CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) is considered the gold standard in ethical hacking and is recognized worldwide. If you’re passionate about this field and enjoy thinking outside the box, then you can build a successful career in this field.

While the CEH program and certification stand on their own and are not required to be taken as part of a track sequence, many students choose to focus on specific specializations, such as digital forensics, threat intelligence, penetration testing, or executive leadership.

To support those specializations, EC-Council offers a series of certification tracks that focus on stacking the competencies required to excel in those fields.

Discover the available tracks and types of careers they lead into. 

Cyber Career Track Guide

Students attending official training for CEH, either through our online division iClass or in person at an Authorized Training Center, will receive the most comprehensive ethical hacking program on the market, enhanced with AI-driven skills. 

The training resources stretch well beyond what you may be used to in a typical boot camp style course, as CEH not only supports you in the training program but also supports you after training and well into your career as a certified ethical hacker.

The unique framework in CEH – Learn, Certify, Engage, Compete – provides the following: 

• Courseware: One-year access to all course materials, including cheat sheets.
• Hands-on labs: Six months of access to hands-on labs hosted in our Cyber Range to complement the 5 days of training.
• Exam vouchers: Vouchers with one-year validity and free retakes (available in selected CEH packages) if you are not successful on your first attempt. 
• Exam prep: Practice in a mock exam environment to assess your readiness. 

Post-certification support: 

• Engage practice range: Participate in a mock ethical hacking engagement within a simulated organization – on your own time and at your own pace. Start with scanning and reconnaissance, identify vulnerabilities, and follow the CEH process to assess the target organization, leading all the way up to exploitation of the targets, including web servers, IoT devices, and IT/OT systems.
• Compete: After you complete your first engagement against the target organization, you’ll move on to Compete, where you can take part in monthly global hacking competitions available exclusively to certified ethical hackers. Face new scenarios each month, like malware analysis, ransomware, SCADA/ICS environments, hacking into power grids, web applications, and more. 

Continuous Learning: 

• Ethical hacking video libraries: To further support your continuous learning and skill development, you’ll also receive access to our curated Ethical Hacking Video Libraries through CodeRed, featuring 2 to 4-hour online courses on topics such as Python for Pen testers, Opensource intelligence, Wireshark for Ethical Hackers, Ethical Hacking with Nmap, Windows Penetration Testing Essentials, Next Gen Firewalls, Applied Secure Smart City, Burp Suite: Web App Pen Testing, and more.

Yes, every concept taught in CEH is supported by hands-on labs hosted in our Cyber Range. The training itself is split roughly 50/50 between lectures and discussions (50%) and hands-on labs (50%).

Additional hands-on practice is available in our 221 labs, featuring objective-based, CTF-style flags to challenge your critical thinking and applied knowledge. You’ll reinforce your ethical skills in our practice range, where you can hack, attack, and practice in live networks. 

This is followed by 12 months of live competitions, all executed in our Cyber Range, ensuring 100% hands-on and applied learning experience. 

We strongly believe you can’t really learn to hack just by reading a book. You must practice. If you are considering CEH, be prepared for an intensive hands-on program where you will practice and refine your skills as an ethical hacker.

Training is available globally through EC-Council iClass as well as through the world’s largest network of Authorized Training Centers (ATCs). EC-Council has over 900 ATCs across 145 countries.

If you are seeking credit-bearing programs at a college or university, EC-Council University offers bachelor’s and master’s programs in cybersecurity that incorporate CEH into the curriculum. Additionally, over 1,200 colleges and universities include CEH as part of their degree programs using our official Academia Courseware and Labs.

When selecting your training location, look for the Authorized Training Center Logo or the Official Academia Partner Logo to ensure you receive recognized and quality instruction.

Yes, CEH is available online through both self-paced learning and live instructor-led training. Click here for more information.

Online ethical hacking classes are courses and training programs that teach you how to identify and mitigate cybersecurity vulnerabilities. One of the best online ethical hacking classes for starting a cybersecurity career or enhancing your IT skills is Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).

CEH will equip you with core domain skills needed for cybersecurity, including identifying vulnerabilities, conducting penetration tests, implementing countermeasures, understanding legal policies, analyzing malware and attack techniques, and using multiple ethical hacking 

CEH teaches you to think like a malicious hacker and understand their mindset. Online classes are typically delivered through live instructor-led sessions, hands-on labs, and assignments. Students also have the option of learning through self-paced recorded video lectures and in-person training.

iClass, EC-Council’s official eLearning division, provides two primary forms of training, Masterclass and iLearn.

• Masterclass: This is a live online instructor-led class with a set schedule. Award-winning instructors guide you through the CEH training module by module, incorporating hands-on lab time, breakout sessions for discussions, and live presentations of all course materials.

iLearn: This is EC-Council’s on-demand training option. We have hand-selected the best instructors, flown them to our Albuquerque studio, and produced professional pre-recorded video lectures and lab walkthroughs that can be accessed through your iClass student account at any time, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

No, they are not the same. While most students elect to attend official training, receiving the professional guidance of a certified instructor, others prefer to study on their own without official training. 

This independent study approach is what we refer to as self-study. Materials for self-study are available for purchase at the EC-Council Store. 

However, any student electing the self-study route will need to apply for exam eligibility as they have not attended official training.

Getting certified is about validating your knowledge. CEH is trusted by employers across the globe as a baseline cybersecurity certification. Certified ethical hackers hold various job titles and roles because the ethical hacking process is fundamental to many cybersecurity operations.

While some organizations have ethical hackers in their job role framework, they often take on other forms with a specialization such as Network Defender, Penetration Tester, Secure Coder, Cloud Security Engineer, Security Architect, Auditor, and even leadership roles.

Authorized Training Centers (ATCs) are computer training centers, consulting groups, and education companies that have partnered with EC-Council to offer official training leading to the CEH Certification.

ATCs must apply to EC-Council, which evaluates each potential partner individually to approve their business practice. 

Once approved, ATCs must maintain Certified EC-Council Instructors (CEIs) who are also vetted by EC-Council for their certification and teaching experience. ATCs receive access to heavily discounted training materials, cyber ranges, practice ranges, and competition passes for their students.

ATCs compete globally each year to be recognized in our Circle of Excellence award ceremonies, where the top trainers and top training centers receive awards and recognition for their accomplishments in affecting the cybersecurity workforce.

Organizations displaying the ATC logo with EC-Council run official training programs that meet strict standards, ensuring a high-quality experience when you enroll in a CEH training program.

If your training center is not an ATC and claims to train you in CEH, beware. Such centers often result in very high failure rates on exams, frustrated students, outdated content, and a general lack of professionalism as organizations do not go through the proper channels to run official, authorized programs. 

Students from these non-authorized centers frequently face difficulties obtaining refunds and eventually turn to EC-Council’s iClass division or an ATC to get the quality CEH training and certification experience they initially sought.

EC-Council implemented the Certified EC-Council Instructor (CEI) program to ensure instructors understand the subject matter they teach and provide great experience to our certification candidates.

Many CEIs are industry practitioners who also teach. The CEI program ensures that they carry an active CEH credential and have sufficient experience in teaching/instructing.

View the Certified EC-Council Instructor requirements. 

CEI application process

No. Attending official training is one of the two ways to become eligible to take the CEH exam. If you have completed official training through EC-Council or one of our Authorized Training centers, you will not need to apply for exam eligibility, pay the $100 application fee, or wait for reference checks to be approved.

ATCs are authorized to deliver the exam directly after you complete your training. If your training center advises you otherwise, please give us a call, and we’ll help resolve the issue or validate your training at an Authorized Training Center.

Yes, the fastest way to start with CEH is through our iClass program. Click here to get started right away.

Yes, if you enroll as a student at EC-Council University (ECCU) and pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree, many of the courses throughout the program align with industry certifications.

The CIS 404 Hacker Techniques, Tools, and Incident Handling program maps to the Certified Ethical Hacker exam. Students who complete this course through ECCU will be eligible to attempt the CEH exam. 

CIS 404 Hacker Techniques, Tools, and Incident Handling +

Delivery formats in education, specifically academic education and training, can vary greatly. While the content students go through is the same, the delivery formats vary greatly.

Education

CEH is delivered over a semester and typically lasts 8 to 12 weeks in an academic setting, such as at EC-Council University (ECCU) or one of our academic partners. 

Students participate in lectures, complete lab work, engage in threaded discussions, complete mid-term and final assessments, receive college credit for the course, and then independently pursue certification by taking the examination. 

This approach is ideal for those seeking a more comprehensive and academically focused learning experience with rigorous assessments.

Training

Training, on the other hand, is often run in a condensed boot camp. CEH is an intensive 5-day program delivered in person or online where the instructor will take you through intensive lectures followed by hands-on practice of the concepts taught.

This 5-day format is referred to by many as the ‘firehose’ training approach.  This approach immerses you in the entire domain set of the CEH program, with 2.5 days dedicated to hands-on practice. Frequently, our ATCs will host an examination at the end of the 5-day program late in the afternoon, resulting in 5 days of training and 4 hours of certification, all in one week.

Post-training, you then have access to the courseware for 2 years and the hands-on labs for 6 months. With CEH, you also gain post-course access to the Engage Practice Range, Global CEH Competitions, and the CodeRed learning libraries for continuous education.