Hacker didn't start out as a bad word. But it's evolved into one, thanks to hackers of the malicious kind. Subsequently, despite how oxymoronic the term ethical hacker seems, the Certified Ethical Hacker credential is no joke.
Certified Ethical Hacker, CEH for short, is a computer certification that indicates proficiency in network security, especially in thwarting malicious hacker attacks through preemptive countermeasures.
Despite that malicious hacking is a felony in the USA and most other countries, it's become painfully clear that only ethical hackers can stop malicious hackers.
That's what the Certified Ethical Hacker credential is all about. It's is a vendor-neutral (not tied to any brand) certification for information technology workers who wish to specialize in "legally" hacking the malicious hackers, using the same knowledge and tools that malicious hackers use.
Because the idea behind the Certified Ethical Hacker credential is that it "takes one to know one," it's also for "evil hackers turned good". In fact, even before the credential was introduced, private firms and government agencies were hiring evil hackers turned good for exactly that reason.
But the Certified Ethical Hacker credential takes it a step further, by indicating that reformed evil hackers and others who've earned it have legally agreed in writing to abide by the law and honor a code of ethics.
Additionally, students must have a minimum of two years of security-related job experience to enter the Certified Ethical Hacker training program. That's to help screen out malicious hackers and wannabes of the hobbyist kind. Potential students are screened in other ways too.
After earning the Certified Ethical Hacker credential, job candidates will likely be further screened through background checks or more-rigid personnel security investigations (PSI) for security clearances. Security clearances will likely be required for computer security jobs at government agencies or private firms with government contracts.
The Certified Ethical Hacker credential is sponsored by EC-Council. That's short for the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants, a member-supported professional organization with a global reach. Authorized, accredited training centers administer the 5-day certification course, while authorized testing centers administer the certification exam. Self-study and instructor-led courses are both available.
In addition to Certified Ethical Hacker, EC-Council offers several other certifications relevant for network security jobs, as well as those for secure programming, e-business and computer forensics jobs. Certification proficiency levels range from entry-level to consultant (independent contractor).