From the creators of Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) comes the new and evolved version 13 with added AI capabilities. Structured across 20 learning modules covering over 550 attack techniques, CEH provides you with the core knowledge you need to thrive as a cybersecurity professional.
The world's first ethical hacking certification to harness the power of AI.
Hone your skills in real-world scenarios through hands-on labs, where you practice attack vectors and master advanced hacking tools.
Learn AI-driven techniques to boost efficiency in cyber defense by 40% while streamlining your workflow.
Master the latest advanced attack techniques, trends, and countermeasures.
Advanced threat detection, enhanced decision-making, adaptive learning, enhanced reporting, and automation of repetitive tasks.
Participate in monthly global hacking competitions, compete with your peers, and make it to the leaderboard.
Gain industry-ready skills by learning the multi-platform strategies and tactics used by today's most sophisticated cybercriminals (including AI) so you can identify system vulnerabilities before they do.
Read how top cybersecurity professionals excelled in their careers after completing CEH in our 2023 Hall of Fame Report.
While all CEH course kits have complete access to eCourseware and include an exam voucher, a few additional features and learning materials can be added to build deeper expertise and gain practical experience. This means that there is a CEH package to suit everyone’s learning requirements.
*Exam Retakes: This benefit provides candidates with the respective exam voucher on the ECC EXAM portal but excludes proctor administration fees which will apply for each attempt of the examination. Applicable to CEH Exam only. Please contact your training provider for details.
*Open AI API credits are not included as part of the program. Please refer to the FAQ for detailed information.
CEH is a globally-recognised certification with flexible-learning options to fit your lifestyle and commitments.
CEH follows a unique 4-step framework
Develop your skills in core domains of cybersecurity with 20 modules. You'll experience 221 hands-on labs, 550 attack techniques, and over 4,000 hacking and security tools.
Take a 4-hour exam with 125 multiple-choice questions, and a 6-hour practical exam with 20 real-life challenges to earn the CEH Master certification in CEH v13.
Apply everything you’ve learned in a mock ethical hacking engagement. This four-part security engagement gives you a real ethical hacking engagement experience from start to finish against an emulated organization.
Compete with peers globally with year-long access to 12 CTF challenges of 4 hours each to level up your skills and stay current on the latest trends.
EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification gives you the skills and knowledge needed to drive your career forward in the age of AI.
With CEH you'll learn how to think like a hacker and uncover any hidden vulnerabilities before hackers do.
We’ll equip you to:
EC-Council’s exclusive 4-step framework provides a structured and comprehensive approach to mastering ethical hacking.
CEH offers a balanced blend of knowledge-based training and hands-on labs using real-world scenarios and is powered by AI.
Upon completing the training, you can attempt both of our exams to demonstrate your skills and earn the CEH Master certification:
This 4-hour exam with 125 multiple-choice questions will test your skills in:
In 6 hours you’ll complete 20 real-world challenges to test your proficiency. You’ll do this by incorporating a live corporate network of VMs and applications with ethical hacking solutions to uncover any vulnerabilities.
CEH helps you develop real-world experience in ethical hacking through hands-on practice in a Cyber Range.
CEH helps you develop real-world experience in ethical hacking through hands-on practice in a Cyber Range.
This 4-phase engagement requires critical thinking and tests the knowledge and skills you've gained through capturing a series of flags in each phase, demonstrating the live application of abilities in a consequence-free environment via EC-Council's Cyber Range.
Get a year-long access to 12 CTF challenges. Each month presents a different theme and challenge with capture-the-flag style competitions focusing on ethical hackers' core skills and abilities.
Gain exposure to new tools, focus on new attack vectors, and try to exploit emerging vulnerabilities while gaining continuing education credits and keeping your skills and certifications current.
These 4-hour challenges are open all month long, allowing you to compete whenever you're ready. All you need is an internet connection and your hacking expertise – we provide the attack platform, targets, and all the necessary tools and training.
Learn the fundamentals of key issues in the information security world, including the basics of ethical hacking, information security controls, relevant laws, and standard procedures.
Key topics covered: Elements of Information Security, Classification of Attacks, Hacker Classes, Ethical Hacking, AI-Driven Ethical Hacking, ChatGPT-Powered AI Tools for Ethical Hackers, CEH Ethical Hacking Framework, Cyber Kill Chain Methodology, MITRE ATT&CK Framework, Information Assurance (IA), Risk Management, Threat Intelligence Lifecycle, Incident Management, PCI DSS, HIPPA, SOX, GDPR, DPA
Learn how to use the latest techniques and tools to perform footprinting and reconnaissance, a critical pre-attack phase of the ethical hacking process.
Learn different network scanning techniques and countermeasures.
Learn various enumeration techniques, including Border Gateway Protocol (BGP) and Network File Sharing (NFS) exploits and associated countermeasures.
Learn how to identify security loopholes in a target organization’s network, communication infrastructure, and end systems. Different types of vulnerability assessment and vulnerability assessment tools are included as well.
Learn about the various system hacking methodologies used to discover system and network vulnerabilities, including steganography, steganalysis attacks, and how to cover tracks.
Learn about different types of malware (Trojan, viruses, worms, etc.), APT and fileless malware, malware analysis procedures, and malware countermeasures.
Learn about packet-sniffing techniques and their uses for discovering network vulnerabilities, plus countermeasures to defend against sniffing attacks.
Learn social engineering concepts and techniques, including how to identify theft attempts, audit human-level vulnerabilities, and suggest social engineering countermeasures.
Learn about different Denial of Service (DoS) and Distributed DoS (DDoS) attack techniques, plus the tools used to audit a target and devise DoS and DDoS countermeasures and protections.
Learn the various session hijacking techniques used to discover network-level session management, authentication, authorization, and cryptographic weaknesses and associated countermeasures.
Learn about firewall, intrusion detection system (IDS), and honeypot evasion techniques; the tools used to audit a network perimeter for weaknesses; and countermeasures.
Learn about web server attacks, including a comprehensive attack methodology used to audit vulnerabilities in web server infrastructures and countermeasures.
Learn about web application attacks, including a comprehensive web application hacking methodology used to audit vulnerabilities in web applications and countermeasures.
Learn about SQL injection attack techniques, evasion techniques, and SQL injection countermeasures.
Learn about different types of encryption, threats, hacking methodologies, hacking tools, security tools, and countermeasures for wireless networks.
Learn mobile platform attack vectors, Android and iOS hacking, mobile device management, mobile security guidelines, and security tools.
Learn different types of Internet of Things (IoT) and operational technology (OT) attacks, hacking methodologies, hacking tools, and countermeasures.
Learn different cloud computing concepts, such as container technologies and serverless computing, various cloud computing threats, attacks, hacking methodologies, and cloud security techniques and tools.
Learn about encryption algorithms, cryptography tools, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), email encryption, disk encryption, cryptography attacks, and cryptanalysis tools.
Certification is awarded when the knowledge exam is passed. In order to achieve CEH Master Level certification, an additional practical exam needs to be taken. This practical exam is optional.
The Knowledge Exam will test your skills in:
Format
Multiple choice
Duration
4 hours
Questions
125
Delivery
Online via the ECC exam portal
Passing score
60% to 85%
The practical exam is optional but will reward you with a higher level of certification. It will test your practical skills with:
Duration
6 hours
Questions
20 challenges
Delivery
iLabs Cyber Range
Passing score
60% to 85%
Drive your cybersecurity career forward with CEH, enhanced by the power of AI
Turbocharge your team's knowledge with certified ethical hacking powered by AI
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CEH is a great place to start your career in cybersecurity, but you’re required to have some knowledge before applying. It’s recommended that you have a minimum of 2 years of IT security experience before attempting CEH. If you don’t have the experience and are just getting started on this path as an entry-level professional, we recommend taking our Cybersecurity Essentials Series where you can learn the foundations required to pursue mid-level and specialization certifications like CEH, CND, CHFI, CTIA, ECIH, CSA, CCISO, and others.
There are no specific prerequisites for the CEH program. However, we strongly recommend that candidates possess a minimum of 2 years of experience in IT security before attempting CEH.
CEH training involves testing systems and using them for purposes not originally intended. Candidates should understand the basic functions of those IT systems before attempting to hack them.
For example, CEH will teach the process of host evaluation leading to enumeration. In this process, trainees will scan downrange targets using common scanning techniques such as Nmap, which will respond with a list of ports. Enumerating those ports and the services running on them can be used to expose common vulnerabilities and weaknesses in systems.
However, in this scenario, CEH will not teach you what a port is. This is essential knowledge that you must have to be successful in the class.
If you do not possess the foundational skills in IT and networking, we recommend starting with our Cybersecurity Essentials Series.
The CEH v13 exposes cybersecurity professionals to the use of AI in performing the role of an ethical hacker.
As Open AI owns the proprietary technology, the purchase of its API credits are required.
In order to complete all of the labs in CEH v13 utilising this technology, we consumed less than $1 of credit in our test case, although individual results may vary based on usage. Each student is required to purchase the licenses individually.
In a situation where the students are unwilling or unable to buy Open AI APIs, EC-Council provides a comprehensive Lab Guide that include complete instruction sets with screenshots of each step that can aide their learning process. We also provide video-based walk-through of each lab for students to follow along without actually buying API credits.
Organizations hire Certified Ethical Hackers either on a contract or as full-time employees to improve their security posture. Obtaining a CEH certification is often a baseline requirement for many job roles. Ethical hacking involves the methodical practice of identifying, evaluating, testing, and reporting vulnerabilities within an organization.
Ethical hacking is a broad practice that covers various technologies. By systematically applying CEH methodologies, ethical hackers can evaluate almost any application or infrastructure, identify potential vulnerabilities, and provide remediation recommendations.
With CEH v13, Certified Ethical Hackers also use AI tools and techniques to enhance their ability to identify, exploit, and secure vulnerabilities in systems and networks.
By integrating AI into their skills, they automate threat detection, predict security breaches, and respond swiftly to cyber incidents. Moreover, they also have the knowledge to hack AI systems.
In the case of military organizations, ethical hackers are highly trained in offensive and defensive activities and possess the critical skill sets and tactics to evaluate target systems and defend their organization’s assets in real-time.
Holding a CEH certification communicates to your potential or current employer that you possess the baseline knowledge and skills to be an effective member of the security team.
The field of cybersecurity is rapidly growing, with projected job opportunity growth of 33%, according to the US Department of Labor. Globally, there is an insufficient supply of qualified people, creating significant opportunities for Certified Ethical Hackers in nearly every industry.
See the impact of CEH on our top alumni in our Hall of Fame report:
We know not all certifications are created equal, and deciding to get certified is an investment for you in both time and money. For over 20 years, EC-Council has worked to build the best ethical hacking certification on the market, Certified Ethical Hacker.
As a certification body, we ensure the topics covered in our training and examinations directly relate to the job roles and skills employers need. Our ANAB-accredited examination goes through rigorous job task analysis, careful curation of exam domains, extensive work to build world-class training, and hands-on components to provide candidates with an intensive hands-on experience throughout the program.
CEH’s AI cybersecurity skills also help learners drive more efficiency and double productivity gains.
CEH is recognized by various governments around the world, including the US Department of Defense and GCHQ in the UK, among others.
EC-Council employs full-time content teams that work all year long on program design and maintenance, ensuring each CEH student receives the most up-to-date, relevant information as they pursue the certification.
Currently on Version 13, CEH version releases are paced every 12-18 months, depending on trends in the market, new tools, vulnerabilities, operating systems, AI techniques, and much more.
Considering the global need and lack of qualified talent in the workforce, cybersecurity professionals are usually paid exceptionally well.
As of September 2024, a simple search on Salary.com for US -based positions shows that Ethical Hackers make an average of $110,757 per year, which is an increase of $6800 compared to $103,866 in 2022, and with the 90th percentile earning above $137,000.
Experience, education levels, and other certifications typically increase earning potential, but it’s common to see starting salaries for ethical hackers that often exceed six figures.
We recommend searching your local job boards, viewing local salary information, and talking to potential employers to assess your own value in the market. CEH has been ranked in the top 5 highest paid cybersecurity certifications for the last 10 years and continues to grow worldwide.
Currently in its 13th version, CEH is a very well-known certification in the cybersecurity field. A simple search for global job ads on LinkedIn (as of September 2024) shows over 22,000 available jobs seeking candidates with a CEH certification.
CEH v13 is currently mapped to 49 job roles across multiple industries based on job task analysis and a detailed survey of job roles demanding CEH across CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, Dice, Indeed, Monster, and Naukri, a number significantly higher than other certifications such as SANS GPEN, OSCP, and Pentest+.
CEH is the most in-demand cybersecurity certification globally, representing the majority share of job ads seeking certified candidates. It’s also recognized as a baseline certification by the US Department of Defense for its cyber workforce.
CEH serves as the core content for over 1,200 colleges and universities across the globe that run computer science and cybersecurity degree programs. It’s the number one choice and most sought-after course for any candidate and organization looking for an ethical hacking course.
CEH is the world’s first cybersecurity certification recognized by the Department of Defense and ANAB to teach in-demand AI-driven cybersecurity skills.
CEH goes beyond ethical hacking – it’s the fundamental course for any cybersecurity career and can be applied to numerous job roles. The skills you’ll gain from CEH apply to 49 job roles across 25+ industries.
Knowledge, skills, opportunity, respect, proof – these are all words that circle CEH for many of our certified members. The knowledge and skills attained through the program are second to none, covering the broadest possible set of domains in cybersecurity, while the certification itself shows employers that you’re qualified for the job and serious about proving it.
Holding industry-recognized, ANAB-accredited certifications proves to your current or prospective employer that a third party (EC-Council) has evaluated your knowledge and skills and conferred a certification to you based on your accomplishments in the program.
Since CEH covers all the core domains of cybersecurity, it opens many doors to diverse career paths. The practice of ethical hacking serves as the foundation for various specialized roles, and CEH holders possess unmatched skills in applying AI to cybersecurity.
With reasonably priced training and certification available globally, CEH is a small, short-term investment of your time and money with the potential for a lifetime of high-value returns.
While EC-Council is not a staffing agency or recruiter, we have close ties with many employers seeking Certified Ethical Hackers. Our on-staff advisors are always available to work with you one-on-one to provide recommendations and guidance on finding the best opportunity that matches your ambition. EC-Council has nearly 1,000 full-time employees across the world, all dedicated to providing you with the best experience in training, certification, and skill development. Our committed advisors are just a phone call away and are eager to discuss your career goals and guide you in any way they can. We’re here to help. Connect with an advisor.
CEH pricing varies depending on a few factors. First, you need to decide whether you prefer online self-paced, online live, or in-person training. Speak with one of our career advisors about CEH costs and available funding options. We are excited that you are considering this career path, and our team is here to help you find the best CEH price that fits your budget and schedule.
CEH training is available worldwide in a variety of formats, including online self-paced, online live, and in-person boot camps at Authorized Training Centers (ATCs), and as part of education programs at colleges and universities. The cost of CEH certification can varry by region and by format.
CEH training is typically very affordable, and with a broad range of options available, you have many options to evaluate.
We’re more than happy to guide you through this process. Feel free to contact us to confirm a price, validate the status of an ATC, or receive pricing for online training programs.
The fastest way to reach a local team is to fill out the form on this page, and we will contact you shortly.
Funding options depend on the organization providing the training and the region you are in. EC-Council and many of its partners offer various options for funding your training, including payment plans, discount plans, and even military and tuition assistance programs through employers.
The CEH program helps you understand hackers by getting you into their mindset. After all, to beat a hacker, you need to think like a hacker. There are both unethical and ethical hackers: unethical hackers engage in illegal or unlawful activities, while ethical hackers use their hacking knowledge to protect organizations and their assets.
The official CEH course is the world’s number one ethical hacking certification. If you want to become one of the world’s best ethical hackers, CEH is recommended by experienced professionals, organizations in both the private and public sectors, industry leaders, experts, and hiring managers.
In CEH v13, you will also learn to hack AI systems and master AI skills to automate the 5 phases of the ethical hacking framework.
EC-Council’s Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification is the world’s number one ethical hacking certification.
In the CEH Hall of Fame Survey Report, which collected responses from thousands of cybersecurity professionals, we discovered many key findings about the real-life impact of CEH and how the program has benefited its many graduates.
Here are a few of our findings:
Read the full CEH Hall of Fame Report
To take the CEH Examination, you must first be deemed eligible.
We offer two paths to eligibility:
All candidates attending official training at an EC-Council partner will have direct access to the examination, if they’re deemed eligible.
The exam can be proctored at the training center, online using EC-Council’s remote proctoring service, or at over 4,500 VUE testing centers worldwide.
While EC-Council doesn’t publish pass rates for the exam, typical pass rates globally range from 60% to 85%. We offer a variety of test preparation materials and official training to help you ensure you’re ready to take the exam when the time comes.
The CEH exam is ANAB-accredited and undergoes extensive external validation to ensure it is fair for candidates of varying knowledge and experience levels.
Candidates should have 2 years of experience in IT security or complete official training. They should also possess strong knowledge of computing systems, networks, and various other IT topics.
The exam uses cut scores to determine pass/fail results. Cut scores are carefully set by psychometricians who regularly evaluate test question performance and average pass/fail results throughout the program.
Reviews from our certification members with limited experience or background have rated our exam as difficult, while more seasoned IT and security professionals typically find it moderately challenging, even with official training.
The CEH exam is a 4-hour, knowledge-based examination with multiple-choice questions. Each question is carefully weighted according to the domain and objective and carries its own cut score.
The CEH exam has multiple forms, each with a rotating set of questions. Because the questions and forms rotate, each exam has a cumulative cut score that is calculated as the aggregate of all question cut scores.
This rotation creates multiple variations of passing scores based on the exam form you receive. Typical passing cut scores range from 65% to 85%, providing the most equitable and fair approach to exam performance according to ISO/IEC 17024 testing standards.
CEH also offers a 6-hour, 100% practical exam in which students face 20 real-world scenarios.
Candidates can attempt both these exams to get a CEH (Master) credential. Both the above exams are US DoD 8140 approved and ANAB accredited.
Your cut scores and achieved scores will be shown on your exam transcript, which is available immediately after you complete the examination.
EC-Council’s official exam retake policy is available here.
Yes, candidates who wish to bypass the official training and jump straight to the exam may apply for eligibility. If granted, you can take the examination directly.
Refer to the question ‘How do I get certified?’ in the FAQs above for the eligibility guidelines and application process.
While we recognize that there are some great resources on YouTube, EC-Council does not publish its official training on YouTube, nor do our authorized partners.
There are many self-published videos that claim to prepare you for the CEH exam. While they may provide valuable information, they are not a substitute for official CEH training and will not be accepted as a valid method of study when applying for exam eligibility.
The most common path students take to prepare for CEH is official training. Certified EC-Council instructors use official EC-Council training materials designed to take you through the various domains covered in the exam.
CEH also includes over 50% hands-on activities in a live Cyber Range, where you practice and apply the knowledge and skills learned in the course against live virtual systems in a controlled environment.
Students receive official exam prep test banks with mock exam questions broken down by domain to assess their level of readiness for the certification. We strongly recommend using these resources to prepare.
However, if you choose the direct eligibility route, review the domains covered in the exam and the exam blueprint based on your own knowledge and experience levels. You can self-assess your competency in each area and decide if you’re ready to attempt the exam.
Students in official CEH v13 training receive free retakes based on the package they enroll in. Retake exams are also available to others for a fee, if required.
Yes, all legitimate professional certifications have a recertification and maintenance process. The requirements are published under our EC-Council Continuing Education (ECE) Policy.
Your options vary depending on your program, but we’re here to help.
EC-Council University: Log in to your MyECCU account and connect with your counselor.
EC-Council Academia Partner: Speak with your instructor to see if the university has included certification in the student resources. If not, you can write to [email protected] to connect with our student services team.
The CEH v13 exposes cybersecurity professionals to the use of AI in performing the role of an ethical hacker.
As Open AI owns the proprietary technology, the purchase of its API credits are required.
In order to complete all of the labs in CEH v13 utilising this technology, we consumed less than $1 of credit in our test case, although individual results may vary based on usage. Each student is required to purchase the licenses individually.
In a situation where the students are unwilling or unable to buy Open AI APIs, EC-Council provides a comprehensive Lab Guide that include complete instruction sets with screenshots of each step that can aide their learning process. We also provide video-based walk-through of each lab for students to follow along without actually buying API credits.
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.
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:
Post-certification support:
Continuous Learning:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Accreditations measure the capability of the certification body in various aspects, including program design, management, content, delivery, policy, discipline, financial viability, relevance of training, demand, and more.
CEH is accredited by:
Yes, the CEH is recognized by the United States military. It is eligible for military benefit reimbursement through the US Army Ignited program and is approved by the US Department of Veterans Affairs for reimbursement utilizing Post-9/11 GI Bill funds.
CEH is also recognized across various military forces in their enlisted and officer ranks, meeting the requirements of over 320 distinct job roles.
Funding and reimbursement eligibility may vary depending on the specific branch of the military.
Yes, the CEH is approved by the US Department of Defense (DoD) under Directive 8140 as meeting the baseline requirements for 4 out of the 5 Cybersecurity Service Provider Roles (CSSP) roles.
As mentioned in the 8140 Information Assurance Workforce Improvement Program, as per the latest DoD 8140, CEH is recognized for the following job roles:
28 DCWF job roles that recognize EC-Council certifications.
| EC-Council Certification | DoD 8140 Approved Work Roles |
|---|---|
| Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) |
111 – All-Source Analyst 141 – Warning Analyst 511 – Cyber Defense Analyst 531 – Cyber Defense Incident Responder 541 – Vulnerability Assessment Analyst 661 – Research & Development Specialist |
| Certified Ethical Hacker Practical (C|EH Practical) |
111 – All-Source Analyst 141 – Warning Analyst 511 – Cyber Defense Analyst 531 – Cyber Defense Incident Responder 541 – Vulnerability Assessment Analyst 661 – Research & Development Specialist |
| Certified Chief Information Security Officer (C|CISO) |
611 – Authorizing Official/Designating Representative 722 – Information Systems Security Manager 723 – COMSEC Manager 731 – Cyber Legal Advisor 801 – Program Manager 802 – IT Project Manager 803 – Product Support Manager 804 – IT Investment/Portfolio Manager 805 – IT Program Auditor |
| Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator (C|HFI) |
211 – Forensics Analyst 212 – Cyber Defense Forensics Analyst 221 – Cyber Crime Investigator |
| Certified Network Defender (C|ND) |
511 – Cyber Defense Analyst 521 – Cyber Defense Infrastructure Support Specialist 531 – Cyber Defense Incident Responder |
| EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (E|CIH) | 531 – Cyber Defense Incident Responder |
The UK’s intelligence, security, and cyber agency, GCHQ (Government Communications Headquarters), approves EC-Council training as meeting the CYBOK requirements.
Yes, you can earn college credit by taking the CEH program. If you are enrolled at EC-Council University (ECCU) or at a college or university that is an Official Academia Partner, your course will be credit-bearing.
If you attend a boot camp for CEH through a computer training center, college credits are typically not offered. However, CEH is accredited by the American Council on Education (ACE), with a recommended equivalent of 3 elective credits at the bachelor’s level.
Many colleges and universities accept ACE accreditation and consider awarding those credits to you upon enrollment. ECCU will also evaluate your transcript and, upon application to the university, award the three credits for your achieved certification.
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EC-Council is recommended and endorsed by leading organisations and government bodies in the cybersecurity industry.
EC-Council is recommended and endorsed by leading organisations and government bodies in the cybersecurity industry.
ANAB, the ANSI National Accreditation Board, provides accreditation services in over 75 countries and is the largest accreditation body in N. America.
Helps Army Soldiers with full tuition and exam cost coverage for IT, cybersecurity and project management certifications.
A partnership between government, academia, and the private sector focused on cybersecurity education, training, and workforce development.
