CEH Overview
The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) is a reputed title for someone who has earned a certification to perform specialized services for various businesses. This certification is one of the most credible certifications offered by EC-Council. Preparing for and receiving this certification will undoubtedly take time and effort. It does not, however, end after you receive it. CEH qualified professionals must renew their certification every three years, according to the EC-Council. There are several requirements and actions to complete when continuing your CEH.
This blog describes the following topics:
- How many years CEH Certification is Valid
- Requirements for renewing CEH Certification
- What is ECE Scheme and ECE Credits
- The number of ECE Credits can earn based on Type of Event
- Ways to earn ECE credits to continue CEH through Aspen Portal
- Steps to submit documents to earn ECE credits
How many years CEH Certification is Valid
CEH Certification, which the EC-Council organization offers, is valid for three years. After this period and renewal, the CEH certification is valid for another three years, so one should renew their accreditation every time it expires.
What is ECE Scheme and ECE Credits
ECE Scheme: EC-Council Continuation Education (ECE) Scheme helps certified members enhance their IT Industry knowledge. Every certain period, certified members should earn some credits to maintain their credibility.
ECE Credit: These credits are used to validate the certified member education. They help renew certification.
Requirements for renewing CEH Certification
120 ECE Credits:
- To maintain/renew CEH certification, one must earn a total of 120 ECE credits within three years of the ECE cycle period. One can earn ECE credits to renew CEH certification, which can be achieved in various ways.
- Council expects certified members to earn 120 ECE credits by the end of the 3-year cycle, but it would be better to make 40 ECE credits every year without waiting for the end date.
EC-Council's Annual Membership Fee:
- The annual membership fee for CEH certification is USD 80 for qualified members who hold certifications that require continuing education.
- To maintain the EC-Council annual membership benefits like access to Hacker Halted, code red, and many other benefits. To know a complete list of them, you could visit the site: https://cert.eccouncil.org/images/doc/Member-benefit-Brochure-v2.pdf.
The number of ECE Credits can be earned based on Type of Event
- Association/Organization Chapter Meeting (per Meeting) - 1 credit
- Education Course - 1 credit
- Education Seminar/Conference/Event - 1 credit
- Public sector volunteering - 1 credit
- Association/Organization Membership (per Association/Organization) - 2 credits
- Association/Organization Chapter Membership (per Association/Organization) - 3 credits
- Presentation - 3 credits
- EC-Council Item Writing - 3 credits
- Reading an Information Security Book/Article Review/Book Review/Case Study - 5 credits
- Identify New Vulnerability - 10 credits
- Higher Education Per Quarter - 10 credits
- Teach Upgrade - 11 credits
- Higher Education Per Semester - 15 credits
- Author Article/Book Chapter/White Paper - 20 credits
- EC-Council Exam Survey - 20 credits
- Teach New - 21 credits
- Author Security Tool - 40 credits
- EC-Council Job Task Analysis Survey - 40 credits
- Authoring Course/Module - 40 credits
- Certification Examination Related to IT Security - 40 credits
- EC-Council Standard Setting - 60 credits
- EC-Council Beta Exam Testing - 80 credits
- EC-Council Review Board - 80 credits
- Authoring Book - 100 credits
- EC-Council ECE Examinations - 120 credits
For more information, refer to: https://aspen.eccouncil.org/ECE/ViewECECategories.
Ways to earn ECE credits to continue CEH through Aspen Portal
- Attend Conferences, Meetings, seminars about IT Security: EC-Council awards one credit per hour, so if the conference/meeting/seminar is for 8hrs long then, EC-Council awards 8 ECE credits.
- Enroll in courses based on IT Security: If one enrolls in an IT security course and completes it with a certificate, then EC-Council awards 40 credits. Try to register for IT security courses to enhance knowledge; after completing the course, one can use the certificate to submit in the Aspen portal and gain 40 ECE credits.
- Read an information security book/article: Provide a 250-500 word review on a book, article, or case study. The review should be given clearly and concisely, without plagiarism. The institution awards five credits/reviews.
- Give a presentation on Information security: Any document or email confirmation that you were a speaker or presenter at the IT Security event should be sent. Members are not eligible for additional credits if they present the same topic multiple times. They award three credits/presentations.
- Authoring Book: Submit any document or web link that proves you are the author of an information security-related book that has been conventionally published or is available on an online book site. They award 100 credits.
Authoring Course/Module: It is necessary to submit the course's publicly accessible link/web page that includes the author's name. In a physical book, an official announcement will be allowed—EC-Council awards 40 credits.
Identify New Vulnerability: Any proof of the discovered vulnerability and written documentation asserting ownership of the report published in a public forum should be submitted. EC-Council can not give ECE credits for vulnerabilities that have not been publicly disclosed. They award ten credits for this event. Learn about top 10 vulnerabilities
- Teach a new course based on IT Security: Submit a digital copy of a letter from the head of the organization/company/department indicating that instructor for the security course. EC-Council awards 21 credits.
Steps to submit documents to earn ECE Credits
- Log in to the Aspen portal: https://aspen.eccouncil.org
- In the My Courses tab, scroll down to particular certification to be renewed.
- Click on the ECE Status button
- Click on Manage My Events
- Click on Add New Event
- Enter the name of the event achieved (e.g., Ethical hacking course)
- Enter a description of the achievement
- Enter the Event location. If it is online, enter the website name
- Enter Event/course start date
- Select Event Type to get the credits
- Upload a file for proof of concept
- Verify all the details
-Click on Add Event to submit
Note: After submitting a new event, it will be reviewed by the EC-Council, and either it will get approved, or it will get rejected.
Maintaining CEH certification will add value to the members in their professional careers or as independent security researchers.
