Five Tips For Choosing The Best Ethical Hacking Course

Ethical hacking has turned out to be a lucrative career path for IT professionals, especially those who aim to build a career in IT security. Learning ethical hacking would undoubtedly prove to be beneficial. However, choosing the right ethical hacking course can be challenging, with multiple options lying open to the aspirants. There are several ethical hacking courses to choose from, and it is crucial to pick the right ones. 

Why is it necessary to learn ethical hacking?

In five years, from 2018 to 2023, the cybersecurity industry is likely to witness a growth of more than 10% CAGR. According to Cybersecurity Ventures, by 2023, there would be 3.5 million jobs in the field of cybersecurity. It is evident that there is a high demand for cybersecurity professionals, and the trend would only grow over time. Preparing for a career in this domain would undoubtedly pay off. 

Ethical hacking is an integral part of cybersecurity. To protect an organization against malicious hackers, a cybersecurity professional must understand a hacker’s approach at first. This implies that he would have to test the system’s defenses using the same tools that a malicious player would. When an ethical hacker finds a vulnerability, he/she will alert the organization about it. This is why ethical hacking is crucial for effective cybersecurity. 

How to choose the right ethical hacking course?

The EC Council has launched several ethical hacking certifications that you may pursue if you wish to become an ethical hacker. Based on the certifications that you aim to obtain, you need to choose a relevant course. Here are some of the factors that you should consider while choosing a course in ethical hacking:

1. Market value: The market value of a certification refers to how widely it finds recognition. This indicates how likely the certification is to help you find a job. While looking through the certifications, check out whether leading organizations in different sectors recognize a particular certification. For instance, the CEH certification finds acceptance in the IT sector and defense, and other sectors. You would also want to pursue a cybersecurity certification covering the latest technologies, such as Blockchain and IoT. 

2. Minimum requirements: Like many cybersecurity courses, several ethical hacking courses come with prerequisites that a candidate must meet. For instance, to obtain a certification of a relatively higher level, you may have to obtain certain prerequisite certifications first. Before you enroll yourself in a course to prepare for the certification exam, make sure that you are eligible for it. At the same time, you might want to complete specific courses because it is necessary to progress to higher certification levels.  

3. Interest: You should certainly make sure to pursue certification pathways that meet your interests. Ethical hacking happens to be a rather broad field. There are multiple branches or phases of ethical hacking that you may choose from. These include IoT hacking, network sniffing, cryptography, social engineering, and more. Go through all your options and look for the courses that tend to capture your interest. This way, you would be able to build your skills in a domain that you find interesting. 

4. Training type: While choosing a course, it is also crucial to consider whether it would be convenient and feasible for you to attend the training program. This, however, is a factor that would largely depend on the institute you pick. It is advisable to look for courses that allow a great deal of flexibility. Especially if you are a professional, there might be time constraints such as projects and office hours. It is best to opt for flexible online training programs that would allow you to learn the courseware at convenient times. 

5. Career opportunities: While gauging the market value of certification, consider the career opportunities to open up for you. The greater the number of options, the better it is. You would also want to opt for certifications that would help you enjoy lucrative job opportunities. Obtaining a valuable ethical hacker certification can go a long way in helping you secure jobs and promotions.  

Apart from these, you would also want to choose the right institution for the course. This would determine the quality of training you would receive. Look for institutes that offer adequate hands-on training, as it is crucial for effective learning. Joining one of the leading institutes would also enable you to seek the guidance of experienced industry professionals. Reputed institutions like Koenig offer flexible ethical hacking training courses and various certifications. This also implies that you would pursue multiple courses and certifications from the same institution rather than enrolling in multiple institutes.