The previous year popular technology news website, Beta News, discussed how ethical hacking roles were amongst the best in cybersecurity. The blog referenced one of the most popular entrance testing certifications in the market, the EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH).

The CEH was the leading certification to bring “black hat” hacking methods to a mainstream audience of IT specialists; providing the knowledge needed to anticipate and respond to cyber-criminal methods adequately.

Because of the popularity of this certification, thousands of professionals across the world are aiming to achieve it. If you’re considering the CEH too, you’ll want to know the benefits before you invest your time and money.

These are the 6 advantages of CEH certification:

Advance your security career

Learn how to think like a hacker

It’s not just useful for penetration testers

Improve your knowledge of risks and vulnerabilities

The CEH will boost your salary

You’ll learn to use real hacking tools

In this article, we’ll describe each of these objects. Read on for an in-depth look at why you should obtain the certification. What are the CEH benefits?

Advance your security career

If you’ve already earned a solid grounding in IT and have learned how networks work within organizations (you may have achieved CompTIA’s Network+ and A+ certifications, for example) — the CEH can give you with a way to increase your understanding of IT security.

If you are in this position and want to break into a rewarding role within cybersecurity, consider achieving the CEH alongside CompTIA’s Security+ certification. The CEH will build your knowledge of the tools and techniques used by hackers, whereas the Security+ will provide you with a foundation of IT security knowledge.

Learn how to think like a hacker

Obtaining the CEH certification gives “white hat” IT professionals with insight into the mindset of a cybercriminal.

While battling cybercriminals with always involve reacting to threats and events as they occur, it’s far more critical to understand how these criminals conduct their attacks and formulate approaches.

By learning how to think like a hacker, you’ll be able to take a proactive approach, looking beyond your current security strategies and policies to pinpoint areas that could be vulnerable to cyber-criminals.

It’s not just useful for penetration testers

The CEH certification isn’t just for penetration validators. This versatile certification is also ideal for IT security and network professionals.

If you’re a networking professional, you’ve got the ideal baseline to build your cyber-security knowledge with the CEH. The real-world expertise taught through the CEH will be suitable for you and your team to secure your network against cybercriminals.

Even seasoned IT security professionals will get value from achieving the CEH. If you’ve taken a high-level certification, like (ISC)2’s CISSP, the CEH will build your practical network security knowledge — ideal when combined with the theory and managerial skills constructed through the CISSP.

Improve your knowledge of risks and vulnerabilities

Cyber-criminals are innovators and will continually discover new methods to attack IT infrastructure and misuse vulnerabilities.

Without an understanding of the hazards and vulnerabilities associated with your computer systems, you’ll have a hard time keeping them safe.

Through studying for the CEH exam, you’ll learn how hackers assess your network to determine whether you’re a target for attack. The first modules within the CEH will teach you this process so that you can apply the knowledge to your own business:

Introduction to Ethical Hacking Foot-printing and Reconnaissance Scanning Networks Enumeration

These domains are comprehensive and form a solid foundation for understanding how vulnerabilities affect organisations on a day-to-day basis.

The CEH will boost your salary

Gaining an industry-recognized certification is a clear benchmark for your abilities and can be critical when transitioning into fulfilling new roles.

The average salary for experts with the CEH certification is £55,000, according to data from ITJobsWatch.co.uk. This raises to £67,500 and £87,000 for Entrance Tester and Sr. Entrance Tester roles sequentially.

The following image shows the average salaries for CEH-certified professionals, courtesy of ITJobsWatch.

You’ll learn how to use real hacking tools

While you may have actively tried out some hacking tools to create your knowledge (or to satisfy your curiosity), it’s unlikely you’ve been taught the in-depth knowledge that’s required to use and understand these tools.

However, through the CEH you’ll learn how to use the tools themselves — official ethical hacking courses will typically include access to 140 real-world labs and over 2,200 hacking tools.

Learning how malicious attackers use various tools allows you to secure your networks, applications, and other assets better.

How to get your CEH certification?

Prepare your self for CEH Certification Exam by Practising on EDUSUM by taking Online Practice Tests and accelerate your exam preparation and get certified.