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Software Advice gt Blogs gt Intelligent Defense

How to Get a Job as an EthicalHacker July 15 2014 by Brian WestfallIf there was ever a time to get into the IT

security field itrsquos now The Bureau of Labor

Statistics expects the sector to grow 37 percent by 2022 andaccording to a survey by the Ponemon Institute demand for talent so

outweighs supply that 40 percent of IT security positions are

expected to go unfulfilled in 2014 The pay isnrsquot bad either the

average information security analyst in the US makes over $90000

per year

One of the most in-demand positions in this field is that of an ethical

hackermdashan IT professional who purposefully penetrates networks and systems

to find and fix potential vulnerabilities If yoursquore looking to put on your ldquowhite hatrdquo

and infiltrate systems for good this position can be a great career opportunity

Depending on your experience and skills you can earn over $100000 per year

To help job seekers learn whatrsquos involved in becoming an ethical hacker and the

responsibilities of the position we spoke with IT security professionals

instructors and certified hackers themselves Here we highlight the skills and

certifications needed to rise to the top of the talent pool

What Is an Ethical HackerEthical hackers are responsible for examining internal servers and systems to

discover any possible vulnerabilities to external cyber attacks Common job

functions include conducting ldquopentestsrdquo (purposeful penetration tests to discover

security weaknesses in a system) by using software applications such as

Metasploit and BackBox Linux

According to Damon Petraglia director of forensic and information security

services at Chartstone Consulting other ethical hacker responsibilities include

Providing recommendations on how to mitigate vulnerabilities

Working with developers to advise on security needs and requirements

Updating security policies and procedures and

Providing training as part of a companyrsquos security awareness and training

program

What Are the Job Requirements A typical entry-level ethical hacker job posting reveals that a bachelorrsquos degree

in computer science or a related work field is a must Beyond that security

certifications can be extremely beneficial in proving you have the requisite

knowledge for the job One survey found that 81 percent of security

professionals believe getting certified was a key factor in the decision to hire

them

While many IT security certifications exist the three main ones for ethical

hackers are

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GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification) Penetration Tester

(GPEN)

Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)

CEH The Most Basic and Widely Recognized CertificationIf yoursquore looking to get started as an ethical hacker the CEH certification the

broadest of the three may be right for you Offered by the EC-Council the CEH

certification is designed to give IT security professionals a baseline knowledge

of security threats risks and countermeasures through lectures and hands-on

labs

According to Paul Coggin a certified EC-Council instructor itrsquos recommended

that students who enroll in the course have a background in ldquoWindows and

Linux systems administration skills and are familiar with TCPIP [the core

Internet protocol] and virtualization [creating a virtual version of a hardware or

software platform]rdquo

If you plan on skipping the classes and taking the exam without training yoursquoll

need to submit proof that you have at least two years of experience in IT

security

A big benefit with the CEH certification is flexibility there are options for self-

study video lectures you can watch at your own pace and instructor-led lessons

you can take online The EC-Council even provides the option of bringing

training to your business or organization Upgrades for physical courseware

additional practice exams and tablet usage are also available

Instructor-led lessons take place from 9 am to 5 pm over the course of five

days and students can access online labs for up to six months The latest

version of the test consists of 125 multiple-choice questions Students have four

hours to complete the exam and must receive a score of at least 70 percent to

receive the certification

The cost of the CEH depends on the level of instruction needed it ranges from

$825 for the basic self-study coursework all the way up to $2895 for instructor-

led courses online lab access a test voucher and a test prep program If you

donrsquot buy the voucher the test itself costs $500 and all students must pay a

$100 application fee

What Yoursquoll Learn

The CEH certification provides the most general knowledge of the three

highlighted here ldquoItrsquos not focused on a specific software product technology or

skill domainrdquo Coggin explains ldquoIt provides a broad survey of various domains in

computer securityrdquo

To this end the course covers everything from how to scan networks and

identify basic viruses to hijacking web servers and penetration testing

According to James Conrad a 20-year IT security professional who teaches a

video series for CBT Nuggets on the CEH certification students will also learn

how to ldquocrack passwords use steganography [hiding information to get it

through security measures] create remote access trojans perform denial of

service (DoS) attacks and hack wireless networks among many other skillsrdquo

Selecting the RightBusiness SecuritySoftware

Download Now

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Another big focus of the course is understanding social engineering or the

process of manipulating individuals to gain personal information or infiltrate

computer systems In todayrsquos world where social media has led to growing

interactions between humans and technology Conrad says social engineering

is a vital skill to learn in order to stay ahead of potential threats

According to Brian Brock chief information officer at Nivsys who became CEH

certified last year the course also includes a heavy focus on the RAPID7 suite

of tools (one of which is the aforementioned Metasploit) which enable ethicalhackers to complete comprehensive pentests from initial scanning to final

analysis and planning

The Benefits

The greatest value the CEH certification holds is being able to put it on your

resume When it comes to getting a job as an ethical hacker ldquoCEH is the

original standardrdquo says Albert Whale president and chief security officer at IT

Security Inc Petraglia agrees and says itrsquos ldquoprobably the best recognizedrdquo of

the three certifications

The certification can also bring a slight pay raise on average CEH-certifiedprofessionals earn 89 percent more than non-certified professionals for the

same security positions according to PayScale

However as some bloggers have noted the certification has its caveats The

course is heavy on text and video instruction without a lot of hands-on practice Another complaint is that material is outdated and too simple to be useful for

day-to-day use

ldquoThe certification is great to have and it looks amazing on a resumerdquo says

Christian Crank a security researcher at TrainACE who took the course five

months ago ldquoBut the book thatrsquos used is poorly assembled itrsquos essentially a

collection of PowerPoint slides and doesnrsquot elaborate on what needs to be

taughtrdquo

Homer Minnick director of the Cybersecurity Academy at UMBC Training

Centers a rees sa in that most CEH courses ldquodonrsquot rovide an ade uate

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amount of hands-on applicationrdquo

Summary If yoursquore looking to break into the field of ethical hacking the CEH

certification offers a great opportunity to get ahead of other applicants but donrsquot

expect to learn everything you need to know from the course materials alone

GPEN A More Comprehensive yet Costly CertificationFor those looking to learn the complete ins and outs of being an ethical hacker

therersquos the SEC560 course on Network Penetration Testing and Ethical Hackingfrom the SANS Institute which many people enroll in prior to taking the GPEN

certification test As author and lead instructor of the course Ed Skoudis

explains SEC560 is ldquoa comprehensive course on penetration testingmdashend to

endrdquo

While the SEC560 course is recommended itrsquos not required to take the test for

GPEN certification There are no steadfast prerequisites but itrsquos recommended

that students have a basic understanding of different types of cryptography

(transforming information to keep it secure) Windows Linux and TCPIP

Should you need it there are also optional ldquorefresherrdquo tutorials available on the

first day of class

You can take the SEC560 course in-person or online through live training or on-

demand lessons Whatever path you choose itrsquos not cheap online training is

$5095 but includes access to the online labs In-person training on the other

hand is $4695 but yoursquoll need to pay an extra $599 to get access to the online

labs

Regardless of which route you take yoursquoll also have to spend $599 to take the

GPEN certification test Should you choose to skip the course and go straight

for certification the cost of the test rises to $1049

The open book exam consists of 115 multiple choice questions You mustcomplete it within three hours and score at least a 74 percent to receive

certification

What Yoursquoll Learn

Through over 30 labs (and a final team-based ldquocapture the flagrdquo event)

students will get hands-on experience in every facet of pentesting from detailed

reconnaissance and scanning to writing a perfect penetration testing report from

a management and technical perspective

ldquoThe focus of the class is to learn how to do penetration tests that have high

business valuerdquo Skoudis explains ldquoWe teach technical excellence so it has realbusiness impact The goal is to get you ready to do a comprehensive pentestrdquo

Coursework is completed through a Linux distribution that every student

receives which contains Metasploit tools along with free open-source software

such as the password-breaker John the Ripper According to Skoudis the

course only uses ldquothe most widely-used and best tools availablerdquo

The SEC560 course also teaches IT professionals how to look at business

platforms from the mindset of a hacker ldquoThe class tries to change your mindset

so you donrsquot think of functionality as it was intendedrdquo says Vice President of

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-

certified last year ldquoInstead you focus on possible programming and

functionality flaws that allow you to do things the software was not meant to dordquo

The Benefits

The high cost is a formidable barrier but the SEC560 course provides a nice

balance between theory and hands-on practical application and does a good

job developing the ldquosoft skillsrdquo necessary to thrive as an ethical hacker in the

business world

ldquoSANS training is awesomerdquo Bangia says ldquoThe instructors are the top people in

the field and know technology better than anyone in the worldrdquo

The GPEN certification can also provide a significant career boost Bangia says

he received a raise after getting certified and according to Foote Partnersrsquo IT

Skills amp Certifications Pay Index for Q1 2014 the GPEN certification was one of

four GIAC certifications to gain 10 percent or more in market value over the

previous quarter

If you do decide to take the SEC560 course be prepared to work hard Bangia

warns that therersquos a huge amount of information that you have to absorb over the six days of the course but notes that there is ldquoample opportunityrdquo to ask

questions

Summary The GPEN certification offers a lot of material and hands-on practice

to give you the know-how to become an ethical hacker but it may be impractical

for those who canrsquot afford the $5000+ price tag

OSCP The Lesser-Known More Technical CertificationClaiming to be the worldrsquos first completely hands-on offensive information

security certification the OSCP certification is not for those looking for a

classroom setting According to Offensive Security which administers the

certification the goal of the OSCP is ldquofor students to prove they have a clear

practical understanding of the penetration testing process and lifecyclerdquo

Before you become OSCP-certified you must complete the Penetration Testing

with Kali Linux (PWK) course which is based around the Kali Linux Distribution

an open source project maintained by Offensive Security According to the

course website ldquoa solid understanding of TCPIP networking and reasonable

Linux skills are requiredrdquo

Yoursquoll most likely be taking this course online as live training is only available in

Las Vegas The price you pay depends on how long you want access to the

online labs it ranges from $800 for 30 days up to $1150 for 90 days This priceincludes online video lessons access to the labs and the certification test You

can also purchase additional lab access time if you need it

An important thing to note is that the OSCP certification bucks the trend of a

normal multiple-choice test Instead yoursquore given a virtual network with varying

configurations and are tasked with researching the network and identifying

vulnerabilities and hacking in order to gain administrative access You must also

detail your findings in a comprehensive penetration test report just like you

would do while on the job

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Yoursquore given 24 hours to do the test and your report is reviewed by a

certification committee to determine whether or not yoursquove passed

What Yoursquoll Learn

In addition to learning about pentesting tools and techniques the OSCP also

emphasizes efficiency and taking a creative approach to solving problems

ldquoMost importantly you learn methodologies and how to think laterallyrdquo says Ken

Westin security analyst at Tripwire who became OSCP-certified last year

ldquoItrsquos one thing to successfully exploit a vulnerability but then you learn how to

escalate privileges [exploit bugs to gain unauthorized access] and use that as a

stepping stone to the next objective You learn how to automate a great deal of

tasks sift through large amounts of data and identify targets using scripts you

write yourselfrdquo

The Benefits

Be forewarned the OSCP isnrsquot for the faint of heart The hands-on approach

takes a lot of time and trial and errormdashbut this can extremely beneficial in the

long run

ldquoI think the best part of the course is that itrsquos completely hands-onrdquo Westin says

ldquoOffensive security needs to be learned in an actual legal environment where

yoursquore hands-on with the tools in real scenariosrdquo

However not having a live instructor to ask questions can be frustrating ldquoIt

would have been nice to have an instructor assist in the labs to help save me

some timerdquo Westin says

The certification also isnrsquot as well-known as the CEH Certification so donrsquot

expect an initial boost over other applicants in the field ldquoI see a benefit from the

education I received but not necessarily from the certification itself as mostpeople donrsquot know what it isrdquo Westin says

Data on compensation is limited but on average median pay for professionals

with OSCP Certification is 4 percent higher compared to all professionals with

the same job title according to PayScale

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The hands-on modules and training coupled with the OSCPrsquos unique simulation

exam provides real world experience that other certifications may lack

ldquoTo get a concealed carry permit you donrsquot need to prove you know how to use

a gunrdquo Westin says ldquoYou just pay your fee get fingerprinted and some learn

some basic safety principles But hands-on certifications like the OSCP are

more involved where you need to not only know how the gun works you also

need to be able to put it together pass accuracy tests and demonstrate your

ability to use it in real life scenariosrdquo

Summary While it wonrsquot get as much name recognition the hands-on skills the

OSCP certification teaches are invaluable to an ethical hacker position Be

prepared for challenging coursework you may not receive much assistance with

Which Certification Should I GetThe following table sums up our findings

CEH GPEN OSCP

Cost $1425 - 2895 $5694 - 5893 $800 - 1150

Time

(on-site) 5 days 6 days 4 days

How to

take it

On-site self-study online video

lessons online instructed lessons

On-site online video

lessons online instructed

lessons

On-site online video

lessons

Software

taught RAPID7

Metasploit free open-

source tools

Kali Linux

Distribution

Pros Flexible course options widely

recognized

Teaches soft skills excellent

instructors

Low cost hands-on

exercises and exam

Cons Outdated information lack of

hands-on exercises

High cost shorter access to

materials

Lack of live

instruction not as

recognized

At the end of the day these certifications are merely a supplement to real-world

experiencemdashnot an alternative Even then having a wealth of security

knowledge and a passion for the industry can only get you so far

ldquoInside an enterprise itrsquos not all about breaking systems and applicationsrdquo

explains Adam Ely COO and co-founder of Bluebox Security and former CISO

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at Salesforcecom ldquoItrsquos also about thinking how to best protect the company and

customers when a problem is found and thinking about how to do it with real

world constraintsrdquo

ldquoI look for someone who looks at hacking from a human perspectiverdquo Petraglia

adds ldquoMany times social engineering is combined with technical hacking

activities to execute an attack Itrsquos important that the ethical hacker understands

the complex interrelations between humans machines threats and

vulnerabilitiesrdquo

ldquo Felt Hat rdquo by Ealdgyth used under CC 30 cropped resized

Share this post

About the Author

Connect with Brian Westfall via

Email

Next post raquoHow to Prevent a Zombie

Apocalypse 5 Deadly CyberthreatsExplained

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copy Software Advicetrade Inc