What Is a Certified Ethical Hacker?

A certified ethical hacker (CEH) is a professional who has acquired a certification from an official entity. Once you have obtained this qualification, organizations can hire you to hack into their networks and systems to find security lapses and weak areas vulnerable to hackers with bad intentions. Whether you are a security officer, auditor, or site administrator, earning the CEH designation can bolster your knowledge regarding how to keep your network's infrastructure safe. Essentially, ethical hackers are the “good guys” in the fight against the complex world of cybercrime.

The cost of cybercrime worldwide continues to increase, and according to Statista, by 2028, it is estimated that these crimes might cost the global economy $13.82 billion [1]. Because of this upward trend, you can probably expect an increase in job opportunities for professionals with this credential.

Explore the skill set you will need to pass the CEH exam and different careers within this field where you can apply your credentials. 

Read more: 4 Ethical Hacking Certifications to Boost Your Career

Necessary skills in ethical hacking 

Each role and organization may have different required skill sets; however, some may want you to pass the certified ethical hacker exam the EC-Council (International Council of E-Commerce Consultants) gives. This skill set includes:

• A solid foundation in networking and knowledge of computer systems

• A strong comprehension of the latest security protocols for popular operating systems, including macOS, Windows, and Linux

• The ability to scan servers, remote devices, and other network components to test and assess vulnerabilities

• Knowing how to perform countermeasures to prevent, correct, and protect systems and networks from malicious attacks

• Being able to crack different types of passwords

• Knowledge of how to erase the digital evidence of system and network intrusions

• Proficiency in cryptography and encryption techniques

• Display professional conduct and follow the certified ethical hacker code of ethics

• Knowledge of the everyday and emerging cyber threats, including identity theft, phishing, and social engineering, along with how to evade or counter them

Read more: What Is a White Hat? The Ethical Side of Hacking

6 common roles for certified ethical hackers

The aforementioned skills can benefit you as a certified ethical hacker, and some careers you may pursue in this field include the following:

1. Cloud engineer

Average annual salary (US): $113,717 [2]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in a field connected to information technology, such as computer security or computer science

This position is in demand as many businesses move to the cloud and need skilled professionals to support that transition. As a cloud engineer, you'll configure and protect an organization's cloud infrastructure from cyber attacks, create cloud-based applications, and manage databases. 

Read more: What Is a Cloud Engineer? Building and Maintaining the Cloud

2. Network security engineer

Average annual salary (US): $116,233 [3]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science or programming 

As a network security engineer, you'll be tasked with monitoring systems for security breaches such as malware and hacking attempts. Additionally, you’ll need to spot current issues with the system and construct safeguards to prevent possible threats. Other responsibilities can include testing hardware and software systems.

Read more: What Is a Network Security Engineer’s Salary?

3. Penetration tester

Average annual salary (US): $107,962 [4]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or cybersecurity and information assurance

Penetration testers improve an organization's cybersecurity by attacking its existing systems and networks to identify gaps vulnerable to hackers. You'll work within one facet of the ethical hacking umbrella by locating security issues and documenting all your actions.

Read more: What Are the Different Types of Penetration Testing?

4. Information security analyst

Average annual salary (US): $111,091 [5]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in a computer-science related field as well as work experience. Certain employers may prefer you have a professional certification.

As an information security analyst, you'll safeguard computer systems, networks, and databases from data breaches and cyberattacks. You’ll plan and execute strategies to protect sensitive information and data in a variety of ways, including ensuring adherence to compliance requirements, collaborating with teams across the company, and staying up to date with evolving threats and cyberattack trends. You might work in various fields, from consulting to finance to technology. 

Read more: How to Become an Information Security Analyst: Salary, Skills, and More

5. Security consultant

Average annual salary (US): $101,877 [6]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information security, or cybersecurity

As a security consultant, you’ll work to protect your clients' systems, networks, and software from cyberattacks and breaches. You will typically work in multiple departments throughout your organization because you'll be responsible for a vast amount of data. Though your responsibilities can vary depending on your company, some of your responsibilities include performing security assessments, presenting recommendations for strengthening a system and training others in security awareness.  

Read more: What Is a Cybersecurity Consultant? (And How to Become One)

6. Information security manager 

Average annual salary (US): $141,028 [7]

Requirements: Bachelor’s degree in computer science, information technology, or cybersecurity

As an information security manager, your organization may task you with addressing security breaches, implementing security strategies, and training employees. You'll also mentor and guide team members, assign tasks, and make hiring decisions. 

Different types of hackers

Ethical hackers are only one of five types of hackers, which also include black, gray, green, blue, and red hat hackers. At its core, ethical hacking is the authorized attempt to break into a company or organization’s computer system or network to find weaknesses that cybercriminals could exploit, but several types of hackers operate other than ethical ones. To know the differences between these, you’ll need to understand the motivations, strategies, and methods that those with malicious intent might use. 

1. Black hat 

These are the “bad guys” that you’ll be working against. Black hat hackers illegally break into the systems and networks of their victims with the intent to steal or destroy data, disrupt their operations, conduct espionage, or engage in mischief. When you work on the ethical hacking side of things, it’s critical to be able to think like a black hat so you can outsmart them. 

2. White hat 

As a certified ethical hacker, you might most commonly identify with the white hat hacker. This is a hired cybersecurity professional who finds vulnerabilities in networks and systems. If you work as a white hat hacker, you'll also report your findings and help secure weaknesses.

Read more: What Is a White Hat? The Ethical Side of Hacking

3. Gray hat

If you're a gray-hat hacker, you combine both black-hat and white-hat traits by probing systems and networks to find vulnerabilities without the intent to harm and without the owner's permission or knowledge. 

Gray hat hackers typically report what they find and offer to fix problems for a fee. As a certified ethical hacker, this would go against one of the important tenets of your code of ethics—to only engage in authorized penetration testing activities. 

4. Green hat

Green hat hackers are amateurs without any training, education, or advanced skills. As a certified ethical hacker, this category doesn't apply to you, but it's useful to know that these hackers do exist, and they're often eager to gain more advanced skills and get more involved.

5. Blue hat

Typically, two main types of blue hat hackers exist. The first is a hacker looking to get revenge for reasons not related to criminal activity. The second type is more positive since you could potentially work as one—a cybersecurity professional contracted by a company to assess its software for possible vulnerabilities.

6. Red hat

Red hat hackers are widely viewed as vigilantes in the hacking world. They focus on reporting black hats or even destroying their computers or shutting them down. As a certified ethical hacker, you wouldn’t work as a red hat because you could go against part of the code of ethics you need to follow as part of your credentials. 

Job outlook for ethical hackers

According to Cybersecurity Ventures, the economy is missing somewhere around 3.5 million unfilled cybersecurity jobs in 2021, and this organization expects this amount of openings to remain steady until at least 2025 [8]. Furthermore, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that the sector for information security analysts, which is a position for certified ethical hackers, is expected to grow 32 percent from 2022 to 2032, which is much faster than average [9].

These are all indicators of the ongoing demand for ethical hackers. Cybersecurity is a complex, costly problem that ethical hackers offer actionable solutions to. This role has the power to help protect the assets of individual businesses and secure sensitive information for governments.

Salary

Fortunately, if you acquire this certification, you can earn an excellent salary. According to Glassdoor, certified ethical hackers in the US make an average annual salary of $137,352 [10]. By gaining the certified ethical hacker credential, you tend to earn more than peers working in this same sector of the economy. 

Read more: What Is a Good Salary?

Does an ethical hacker need a degree?

The EC-Council doesn’t list having a degree as a criterion for taking the certification exam. To be eligible, you must attend the EC-Council’s Official Network Security Training or have at least two years of experience working within information security. 

Although you don’t need a degree to get certified, employers often look for candidates with at least a bachelor's degree in computer engineering or a related field. 

Consider common courses/degree types.

If you're considering a certified ethical hacker role, you might start by earning your bachelor's degree in computer science and information technology with a concentration in cybersecurity and ethical hacking or computer engineering. Some common areas of knowledge to help prepare you for your career goals in this field include:

• Programming

• Network protocols

• Cryptography

• Reverse engineering

• Technical hacking abilities

Read more: Your Guide to Cybersecurity Careers

Benefits of getting a master’s degree

An advanced degree isn't a strict requirement, but some employers may prefer candidates who hold a master’s. One of the reasons that aspiring certified ethical hackers like you may consider getting a master's degree is its ability to arm you with thorough comprehensive knowledge. 

Perhaps more importantly, many master's degree programs include labs and simulations that closely mirror real-life scenarios. This can competitively position you in the job market by helping you develop a deeper understanding of what you'll be facing.

Read more: What Is a Master’s Degree?

Degree alternatives

Like other computer-related fields, you may be able to begin your career by attending a cybersecurity boot camp instead of or in addition to earning a degree. Boot camps are typically intense and held for short periods, often between 12 and 14 weeks. They can help you gain skills in identifying and preventing data breaches and resolving cybersecurity issues. Depending on the program, taking an online course to familiarize yourself with cybersecurity might be helpful before starting a boot camp. 

Read more: Is Cybersecurity Hard to Learn? 9 Tips for Success

Getting started on Coursera

While becoming a certified ethical hacker can allow you to contribute to an organization in a positive way, obtaining this credential means you will probably earn a higher salary as well. The need for certified ethical hackers is a growing sector within the economy.

If you’re still deciding if this will be a fulfilling career for you, consider taking an online course on Coursera. Coursera partners with some of the world’s top educational institutions and tech companies to help you access the education that can empower you and propel you forward. For example, you might consider taking the Ethical Hacking Essentials (EHE) course offered by the EC-Council on Coursera. Another option for you to try is the Google Cybersecurity Professional Certificate, also on Coursera.