EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 is an authoritative certification that focuses on legitimate and compliant cyberattack techniques and proactive defense capabilities.

1. Introduction to the EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 certification

EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 is a global top-level cybersecurity certification launched by EC Council. v13 is the latest version updated in 2023, and belongs to the core sequence of "penetration testing and vulnerability assessment" in the EC Council certification system.

The EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 certification focuses on verifying the professional ability of practitioners to identify enterprise network security vulnerabilities, evaluate system defense capabilities, and provide repair recommendations by simulating hacker attack methods within a legal and compliant framework. It is an authoritative qualification for "active defense" needs in modern network threat environments, especially suitable for enterprise security operations, red team drills, security compliance, and other scenarios. It is widely recognized by enterprises and government agencies in more than 160 countries and regions around the world.

Against the backdrop of increasingly complex cyber attack methods, frequent threats such as ransomware and supply chain attacks, traditional passive defense models are no longer able to cope with new security risks.

The core positioning of CEH v13 certification is to cultivate "legitimate hackers," and its core logic is "using attack instead of defense." Through systematic learning of hackers' attack thinking, technical means, and tools, practitioners can stand in the attacker's perspective, actively discover security vulnerabilities in enterprise networks, systems, and applications, and propose targeted repair solutions before hackers exploit these vulnerabilities to cause losses, helping enterprises build a stronger security defense line.

Unlike malicious hackers, all operations of ethical hackers are based on corporate authorization, strictly following legal and compliance requirements, and their core goal is protection rather than destruction.

In the "Core Business System Security Reinforcement" project of a fintech company, the verifier will simulate hackers' penetration testing of the company's online trading system and user database through information collection, port scanning, vulnerability exploitation, and privilege escalation within the authorized scope; Record attack paths and vulnerability details, generate penetration testing reports containing risk levels and repair steps. Assist the technical team in optimizing firewall strategies, patching code vulnerabilities, and ultimately enhancing the system's resistance to attacks.

2. Why Earn Your EC-Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 Certification?

Since its launch, CEH certification has become a benchmark qualification in the global ethical hacking and penetration testing field. The industry influence of EC Council and the professionalism of its certification system make it highly recognized worldwide.

With the continuous growth of enterprises' demand for proactive defense, the salary advantage of CEH certificate holders is significant. Globally, the annual salary for related positions is generally between 90000 and 160000 US dollars, with senior penetration testing experts or members of the Red Team earning up to 180000 to 250000 US dollars, which is 40%-60% higher than the salary of ordinary network security engineers.

CEH certification is a key qualification for undertaking high-end projects such as enterprise level security assessments, penetration testing, and attack and defense drills. In sensitive industries such as finance, energy, and military, companies often consider CEH certification as the core assessment indicator for team professionalism when choosing third-party security services.

The certificate holder can independently lead penetration testing projects for small and medium-sized enterprises, or participate as a core member in advanced attack and defense exercises for large enterprises and government agencies, accumulating valuable project experience and further consolidating professional competitiveness.

Holders can join the EC Council global technology community to access the latest attack technology documentation, vulnerability libraries, tool resources, and industry solutions; Prioritize participation in the EC Council Global Cybersecurity Summit and Penetration Testing Workshop, connect with global ethical hackers and security experts, and expand industry networks; At the same time, you can enjoy employment recommendation services provided by EC Council and connect with high-quality global enterprise network security job resources.

CEH v13 is the core entry-level certification for the "active defense" track in the field of network security. After passing it, one can advance to the advanced certification of EC Council or become a penetration testing expert in specialized fields. With the combination of other authoritative certifications, one can build a composite ability of "technology + management" and develop towards senior management positions such as security director. The career path is broad and the prospects are stable.

3. Core Components of the EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 Certification

CEHv1.3 certification is a landmark practical certification in the field of information security, known as the "golden ticket" to enter the field of network security penetration testing.

It strictly follows the official outline of the EC Council, and its core value lies in providing a systematic and standardized methodology for hacking attacks, aiming to cultivate security practitioners into defense experts who can think like attackers.

The CEHv1.3 certification content is deeply centered around the logic of the "hacker attack lifecycle," and through 18 core modules, it provides a panoramic display of the complete attack chain from information collection, vulnerability scanning and exploitation, to privilege escalation, access maintenance, and even trace removal.

You not only need to learn the use of classic tools such as Nmap and Metasploit, but also gain a deeper understanding of the principles and exploitation methods behind common vulnerabilities such as SQL injection and XSS.

4. What are the requirements to be an EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13?

(1) Qualification prerequisites:

The CEH v13 certification has clear registration requirements. As an applicant, you need to meet any of the following conditions:

• Having at least 2 years of work experience in network security, proof of work experience must be submitted;
• Complete the CEH v13 training course officially authorized by EC Council, and upon completion of the training, obtain a certificate of completion issued by the authorized training center. With the certificate of completion, you can directly apply for the exam;
• If the above conditions are not met, it is necessary to pass the qualification review of EC Council and prove that there is a professional background related to network security.

We recommend that you have a solid foundation in TCP/IP protocol, experience in operating system management, and basic programming skills, which will significantly improve your exam preparation efficiency and pass rate. 

(2) Training and examinations:

EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 (CEH v13) has 125 Single choice question questions, some of which include scenario analysis scenarios. The exam lasts for 4 hours. Full score of 1000 points, reaching 700 points or above to pass.

The registration fee for the EC Council membership exam is about $950, and for nonmembers it is about $1199, with slight differences in tax fees in different regions. 

(3) Qualification maintenance:

The EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 (CEH v13) certificate is valid for 3 years. The renewal requirement is that you need to pass the CEH V13 recertification exam or accumulate 120 continuing professional education credits before the expiration of the validity period.

5. Comparable Certifications to EC Council Certified Ethical Hacker v13 Certification

• CompTIA PenTest+ (Exam PT0-002)
• Offensive Security Certified Professional (OSCP)
• GIAC Certified Penetration Tester (GPEN)
• EC-Council Certified Penetration Tester (CPT)