Just passed the CEH, now what?
As a whole, this certification was completely overrated. While I now know the basics, I'd be hardpressed in an interview to answer most technical questions regarding scripting or exploiting most vulnerabilities.
I'm going to start the OSCP in a few weeks, which has outstanding reviews. But how can I get some real practice before/during the course? As in real world testing? And most importantly, references to my work? Are there open source projects out there that need this kind of work? Or any kind of governing bodies that offer free pentesting to organizations that request it (I'm thinking charities)? I'd be happy to volunteer my services for a few to several hours a week.
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As far as real world testing experience goes, part of the OSCP requires you to perform testing in a "lab" environment that you have no prior knowledge of. This should provide you a pretty large amount of experience performing security tests in environments similar to what you would see as a professional pentester.
>I’d be hardpressed in an interview to answer most technical questions regarding scripting or exploiting most vulnerabilities. Get Hacking: [The Art of Exploitation](http://www.amazon.com/Hacking-Art-Exploitation-Jon-Erickson/dp/1593271441/ref=sr_1_sc_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1329944070&sr=8-1-spell) and do everything in the book. It forces you to get down and dirty and doesn’t sugarcoat the fact that security can be, well, difficult. It’s really technical for a supposed "intro" book and is jam packed full of relevant information that will help you out. It comes with a liveCD full of apps that you exploit and cool scripts to mess around with. It should warm you up for the OSCP nicely.
Thank you for posting this link
The OSCP course has you in a lab practicing what they teach you. The exam is fully hands on in a lab you’ve never seen. I’m finishing up the course and will be doing the exam soon so I can say it will at least give you a good start in this area of security. If you want to get a head start on the OSCP, there are a number of vulnerable VMs available online that you can attempt to exploit in your own lab. Refer to this: http://g0tmi1k.blogspot.com/2011/03/vulnerable-by-design.html
> As a whole, this certification was completely overrated. Overrated by who? Everyone in the industry considers it a joke cert.
Just out of curiosity, what resources did you use for the CEH OP.?
>Everyone in the industry considers it a joke cert. Not sure if I would agree that it is a "joke" cert, but it definitely is a barebones beginner cert. It’s the A+ or Networking+ cert of the security world.
Now find a job! CEH is only really going to help augment what you already have through experience. In-and-of-itself it is worth little.
Instead of collecting certifications it would be a better idea to do some real infosec research.
Now you cry.
Overrated by this taker too. I have my CISSP but I thought this would be a good complimentary (was paid for by work). Instead it was a bunch of memorization. I thought it would be a good HR door opening cert and base to prepare me for the OSCP
Close to what I was looking for. This + an organization’s reference would be perfect. I’m aware the OSCP will prepare me like a rockstar
I’m early in on my career, and undecided exactly where its fully headed. I’ve been a sys admin and IT manager and now a IT project manager. My current goals are not to be a paperwork grunt, avoid any helpdesk or managing helpdesk employees, and be able to do some regular human interaction and maintain a salary 75-100k in a medium sized city. Being a sys admin isn’t particularly satisfying and requires tons of late night work. IT manager was a jack of all trades job with people management, technical skills, organization, and project management. Its not bad. Project management is enjoyable as well. But as long as I’m not doing something I hate for 40 hours a week, exactly what I’m doing is somewhat irrelevant as long as I’m gaining more skills at a salary level in the medium to medium high range. In the medium term, I’m aiming to get into an infosec exclusive job. An end goal would possibly be to run my own IT/IS small business. Suggestions on where infosec research meets these goals I’d be happy to entertain
Well right now infosec/cybersec consulting is a hot place to be, or the flavor of the month if you want to look at it that way. It wouldn’t hurt to get into a cybersec firm and use it as a launching pad. Already having certs relevant in the field would definitely open some doors for you as a lot of public/private clients require the CISSP, CEH etc to even bring you on. (I know I know people can get certs and still be idiots yada yada) Though they do help land opportunities that would otherwise be closed. It?s the way this field works at the moment.
Nope, Joke cert. We did hire on somebody who was a CH though. Certified Hypnotist. We gave it more credence than the CEH.
Not to discourage you, but if that is your goal, infosec isn’t a solution. You need a ton of skills to do security right and honestly, unless you are passionate about the work, it isn’t worth it. You can easily pull down 75-100k by working your way up in a larger company doing just about anything in application development or being a team lead.
Application development isn’t my thing. Currently a team lead and in the desired salary range. Its 10% planning, 50% meetings/directing/getting the right resources, and 40% paperwork. Its not the most interesting or enjoyable job in the world but it certainly beats helpdesk, sys admining, or app dev. I’m originally from the DC area and there’s a good chance I’ll knock out the OSCP and CISA or CISM between now and July then head back. I have a few friends that have offered to help me land gigs with their corporations. I realize the CISM is a skillset that’s more managerial/less technical/less interesting. But most than likely earning a higher salary. A long term goal would be leveraging a DC (government) job to become an external consultant… pentesting, audits, compliance, etc. Getting a clearance opens alot of doors. I’d be content doing whatever is needed, as long as its not 75% paperwork. Hiring folks to work for me as needed. If there’s one thing that can’t be shipped out to another country its infosec for the US Gov’t.
Roflmgdao… A government job. With a majority of non paperwork based work. I’m sorry, but that is just plain funny…
Have you worked in gov’t?
Can’t answer that one, sorry!