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Building a Successful Cybersecurity Career with C|SA Srimanth Kommuguri 

Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills: Srimanth Kommuguri on How the C|SA Broadened His Understanding of Attackers’ Tactics Srimanth KommuguriTitle: Security Engineer Company: Country: India In this interview, Srimanth Kommuguri, a security engineer and SOC enthusiast, shares how the EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) certification played a crucial role in building his cybersecurity career. Srimanth is a passionate cybersecurity professional with a strong interest in blue teaming and detection engineering. After completing his college education in 2022, he began his career as a pen tester before earning the EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) certification, which helped him land his first job in cybersecurity. He started as a VAPT professional and gained experience in pen testing. In pursuit of more knowledge, he earned the C|SA, which allowed him to grow and eventually become a security engineer in his organization. He points out that he used the knowledge he gained from the C|SA to develop practical skills in identifying attacks, detecting vulnerabilities, and reporting them. He states that the practical skills and knowledge gained from the C|SA certification have been instrumental in his career development, particularly in security operations centers (SOCs). Srimanth is currently pursuing the Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (C|TIA) certification, with plans to expand his expertise further in incident management and threat intelligence. Is C|SA Worth it? I’m actively applying concepts from the C|SA training in my daily tasks. The content is both highly relevant and engaging, particularly when it comes to incident investigations and response analysis. Our entire team utilizes these resources, and they’ve proven to be incredibly helpful. What motivated you to pursue the EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) certification? Basically, I was interested in blue teaming. While researching certifications in the industry that focused on blue team fundamentals and career opportunities, I came across EC-Council’s C|SA. How did the C|SA certification contribute to your career goals? I found the C|SA curriculum really good. What I learned is practically applicable to security operations across all industries, which has been very helpful for me. It helped me earn the certification and land my first job in cybersecurity. How has the C|SA course influenced your career or professional development in SOC? The C|SA certification has been crucial in developing my skills in blue teaming. It helped me understand the fundamentals of various areas like fine-tuning, detection, engineering, etc. Hence, I recommend others to pursue the C|SA certification to advance in cybersecurity.” What aspect of the C|SA program did you find most interesting or valuable, and how have they contributed to your professional development? In the C|SA curriculum, I enjoyed the practical application aspects, such as detecting web application attacks and identifying malware attacks targeting endpoint security. Can you share a specific incident where the C|SA knowledge helped in managing a cybersecurity incident? Recently, our organization faced an incident where a threat actor compromised one of our servers. I used the knowledge I gained from the C|SA to quickly identify the attack, find the loopholes, and report them to our higher authorities. After discovering the vulnerability, we fixed it and analyzed the attack pattern used by the threat actor, which proved useful. The skills I acquired from the C|SA were very helpful for my career and my job. How helpful is the C|SA training for career development in incident handling, SOC, and cybersecurity in general? The C|SA curriculum covers various topics, such as endpoint security, web application vulnerabilities and attacks, and security operations center (SOC) activities, including handling alerts and managing incidents. I recommend that people with one or two years of experience in the blue team pursue the C|SA certification to advance their careers in incident management or detection engineering. What specific challenges or gaps in your SOC knowledge or skills did the C|SA course help you overcome? My first certification was the C|SA. I started as a VAPT professional and learned pen testing. I pursued more knowledge, which led me to become a security engineer in my organization. This transition helped me move from a security analyst to a security engineer, focusing on reducing false positives and improving threat detection while working with the detection engineering and endpoint security teams. Achieving the C|SA certification gave me a promotion and valuable knowledge in my field. Tell us about a journey as a cybersecurity professional. In 2022, I completed my college education, where I learned pen testing skills. After that, I worked as a pen tester for a small organization. Later, I decided to deepen my knowledge in cybersecurity. Hence, I earned a C|SA certification, which helped me land my first job. Afterward, I continued obtaining certifications and recently enrolled in EC-Council’s Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (C|TIA) program. Thanks to these certifications from EC-Council, I have received significant promotions in my organization. Have you completed any other EC-Council courses? If yes, how did the skills from those courses, combined with the C|SA, contribute to your professional development? Apart from the C|SA, I am currently working on the Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst (C|TIA). I observed that the C|SA focuses on native SOC operations, while the C|TIA is entirely about intelligence operations, threat hunting, finding undetectable threats, APTs, and the current threat landscape. I have good career prospects transitioning from native SOC to C|TIA and incident management. The C|SA certification is my foundation, followed by the C|TIA, and I am planning to pursue the EC-Council Certified Incident Handler (E|CIH). By combining knowledge from these certifications, I see a strong career path for the next three years. It would be a privilege to have these certifications in my career. Would you recommend the C|SA course for incident handling and cybersecurity? If so, what would be your key reasons for the recommendation? The key reason I recommend the C|SA is its focus on detection engineering. It teaches the appropriate methods to detect specific attacks, which is a crucial aspect of C|SA certification. I’ve encouraged my friends and colleagues to pursue the C|SA, and one of my colleagues has already earned the certification.What interests me most about the…

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Succeeding at Incident Response and SOC with C|SA | Kefalew Getachew

Enhancing Cybersecurity Skills: Kefalew Getachew on How the C|SA Broadened His Understanding of Attackers’ Tactics Kefalew Getachew Employer: Awash Bank Designation: Senior IT Security Officer Country: Ethiopia Kefalew Getachew, senior IT security officer at Awash Bank, shares how EC-Council’s Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) certification played a crucial role in building his cybersecurity career. He stated that in his day-to-day SOC operations, he applies knowledge gained from C|SA certification to enhance his incident investigations and response tasks. Kefalew values continuous learning, having also earned the Certified Network Defender (C|ND) and Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) certifications to build a better understanding of network security and develop relevant skills. He also stated that he actively recommends training and certifications to his team, ensuring that the SOC operates efficiently and effectively in the evolving cybersecurity landscape. Is C|SA Worth it? I’m actively applying concepts from the C|SA training in my daily tasks. The content is both highly relevant and engaging, particularly when it comes to incident investigations and response analysis. Our entire team utilizes these resources, and they’ve proven to be incredibly helpful. Can you tell us about your journey as a cybersecurity professional? My journey into cybersecurity began with monitoring security incidents at my previous organization. After that, I moved to a new organization as an IT Security Officer, where I worked on endpoint protection and firewalls. I then transitioned to my current role as a Security Operations Center (SOC) Engineer What motivated you to pursue the EC-Council Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) certification? Currently, I’m working as an engineer in the security operations center (SOC) at Awash Bank, and I was motivated to pursue the C|SA certification because it directly aligned with my job role. What aspect of the C|SA program did you find most interesting or valuable, and how have they contributed to your professional development? During the training, we studied the guidelines and lab materials, actively analyzing them against our daily protocols to improve our skills. For example, we analyzed Windows events and Linux logs to better understand what’s happening in our environment, which was helpful in developing our expertise. Can you share a specific incident or scenario where the C|SA knowledge helped in managing a cybersecurity incident? Yes, there have been many scenarios. For example, during SIEM solution training with threat intelligence as a guide or during malware attacks on Windows workstations, we followed the event response procedures outlined in the C|SA. Have you completed any other cybersecurity courses or certifications? If so, how does the C|SA differ in terms of the skills it develops, its impact on cybersecurity career advancement, and its overall value? I received my first-ever official certification from EC-Council, which was the Certified Network Defender (C|ND). After that, I earned the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) and Certified SOC Analyst (C|SA) certifications. Among them, the C|SA certification is closely related to ethical hacking in terms of practical experience. It is highly useful because most offensive actions in cybersecurity stem from ethical hacking, while defensive strategies are closely linked to understanding these offensive tactics. Understanding attack behaviors is crucial for effective responses. Both the ethical hacking and SOC analysis materials are well-organized, as I observed during my review. How helpful is the C|SA training for career development in incident handling, SOC, and cybersecurity in general? The C|SA training has been both interesting and incredibly helpful for my career development, especially in areas such as incident response, log analysis, threat intelligence, disposal processes, and understanding attack behaviors. It’s been valuable in managing various solutions, including firewalls, SIEM tools, and integrating products like Splunk, QRadar, and SolarWinds. I apply the knowledge gained from the C|SA course daily in my SOC engineering tasks, and it has been a huge asset in my work. In your opinion, how does the C|SA training align with the evolving threat landscape and support organizations in responding effectively to cyber incidents? The certification is very interesting for any organization, especially since it covers various types of attacks and explains ways to protect against incidents. It guides SOC analysts, engineers, and other contributors, helping them organize existing technologies and methods for event and log analysis, as well as centralizing incident management. I find it fascinating as I continue to learn and use the training materials. Have you completed any other EC-Council courses? If yes, how did the skills from those courses, combined with C|SA, contribute to your professional development? I have completed the C|EH, C|ND, and C|SA certifications, all of which have been very helpful for me. For example, in ethical hacking scenarios, I’ve learned about the importance of reconnaissance in understanding attackers’ methods, such as how malware targets organizations with extensive attack surfaces. These certifications have broadened my understanding of attackers’ techniques and tactics. Through C|SA, I learned how to monitor and detect attack events, analyze logs, and recognize patterns of attacks using various tools. I also explored different types of attacks, like SQL injection and cross-site scripting, in scenarios such as hospital environments. Understanding how to protect and analyze event logs, as well as respond to these attacks, has been very insightful and helped me gain valuable skills. Would you recommend the C|SA course for incident handling and cybersecurity? If so, what would be your key reasons for the recommendation? I highly recommend this training for any organization’s security operations center (SOC). I’m currently suggesting it to my management for new staff members. New SOC staff should take this training to improve their daily performance and effectively handle SOC activities. Become a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH)

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Network Support to Cybersecurity Analyst: How C| CT’s Practical Approach Transformed Benson Mburu’s Career

Network Support to Cybersecurity Analyst: How C| CT’s Practical Approach Transformed Benson Mburu’s Career https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iaa-JW7D9yk&t=1s Benson Mburu Title: Cybersecurity Analyst Company: Safaricom PLC Country: Kenya Benson Mburu, a cybersecurity analyst at Safaricom PLC, shares his journey and insights on the Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) certification from EC-Council. Driven by a passion for securing both physical and digital spaces, Benson ventured into the cybersecurity field. In this interview, Benson walks us through his experience with the C|CT, highlighting the value of the comprehensive curriculum, which helped him learn about sandboxing, vulnerabilities, and different types of attacks. These lessons helped him develop practical skills and a thorough understanding of how various threats can impact the security of systems and applications. Benson also discusses the unique features of the C|CT program, which, according to him, sets it apart from other entry-level certifications. He highlights how the program’s hands-on approach, including 85 practical labs, played a significant role in his transition from network support to cybersecurity analyst. Is C|CT Worth It? The C|CT program helped me transition from a network support role to a cybersecurity analyst position in my company’s Cyber Defence Centre. The hands-on experience and skills I gained have been invaluable, enabling me to conduct high-quality investigations and tackle real-world cybersecurity challenges with confidence. What made you select the cybersecurity industry? The world today has become digital, with everything revolving around data and interconnectivity. With this shift comes numerous risks, including hacking incidents and the like. I decided to venture into cybersecurity to understand how to secure information and contribute to making the physical and digital world a safer place. How has the C|CT prepared you to build your foundational skills in cybersecurity? I like that the structure of the course was broad in terms of the topics covered, which gave me a comprehensive view of where security breaches can occur. It also helped me familiarize myself with the different areas that could lead to cybersecurity events. In the C|CT, you explore many cybersecurity domains, such as ethical hacking, networking, forensics, and threat intelligence. How important is it to learn about all these domains, especially during the early stages of your career? It’s important to have a broad view of the cybersecurity landscape because it allows someone to discover their interest. After going through all the areas, you’re able to identify which topic to focus on or become an expert in. Going through all those domains helped me decide where to put more effort and understand where my interest lies.Tell us about your experience with C|CT’s labs, the importance of having 80+ labs in an entry-level cybersecurity program, and how these labs helped you. I liked the C|CT labs because they provided me with a practical approach and a sense of how real-world cybersecurity events unfoldThat hands-on approach offers practical experience, which I think is very important because it is always an issue when you have a lot of theoretical information but are still not able to apply it to practical scenarios. Which part or exercise did you love the most when working with C|CT labs, and why? I’m very interested in application security, owing to the fact that the world and everything today is online, and many services run on applications. So, application security, for me, is very important. We learned about vulnerabilities, sandboxing, and different types of attacks that can become security risks when dealing with applications. How have the CTF-style challenges or exercises in the course helped you in the learning curve? The challenges shifted my thinking from a theoretical approach to how I would have to deal with events in the real world. It was about shifting my mind toward being a problem solver and looking at things practically. Was C|CT able to help you gain skills more on a technical level and not just theory? If yes, how? I gained hands-on experience. Before enrolling in the C|CT course, I only had theoretical knowledge and not much hands-on experience. But now, After completing the course and having gone through the 85 labs, I’m able to really get things done practically. This practical aspect has helped me apply theoretical information to real-world scenarios. Has the C|CT program prepared you well enough and made you more confident about taking advanced courses in the future? Yes, the C|CT laid a very firm foundation toward achieving the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) certification. After completing the C|CT course, I found it very easy to transition into studying for the C|EH certification, which I found very helpful. Have you completed any other entry-level cybersecurity certifications? If yes, how different have you found C|CT compared to them? Yes, I have acquired other entry-level certifications. One thing that I can say about the C|CT is that it has a hands-on approach, which the others lack.I think this practical experience is important for learners to become really proficient in this area. What part of the C|CT performance-based exam did you like the most? How was the overall experience of the C|CT exam? The C|CT exam was okay, and the part that I liked most was where it tested my real understanding of the concepts. I also liked the section that included labs, which tested my understanding rather than just memorizing some paths. What was your favorite feature of the C|CT program? My favorite feature was the intensive labs that helped me understand the concepts in depth, coupled with the theoretical material. Become a Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) Certified Cybersecurity Technician Start Your Career in Cybersecurity Get Certified Today!

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Hacking the Code to Success: IT Professional Secures Dream Job in just 2 weeks in a Leading Company with the CEH
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Hacking the Code to Success: IT Professional Secures Dream Job in just 2 weeks in a Leading Company with the CEH https://youtu.be/hWupFFDK2rY?si=EnmxyCVfg9OO5itZ Miro Hilev Title: Wireless Network EngineerCompany: Ocado TechnologyCountry: United Kingdom In the fiercely competitive world of cybersecurity, one man’s journey stands out like a beacon of digital triumph. Miro Hilev, a seasoned IT maestro with over 18 years of industry experience, unveils the secret behind his meteoric rise at Ocado, the global giant in online grocery tech. How did he transform from an IT specialist into a wireless network virtuoso? The answer lies in a single certification—the C|EH. Join us as we unravel the captivating narrative of Miro’s ascent, proving that sometimes, all it takes is the right code to unlock a career of unparalleled success! Is C|EH Worth It? Like most of us, you send your CV, wait for a reply, go for an interview, etc. But the interesting part was when I completed and gained my C|EH certification, a week or two after, I got my first interview in Ocado technology, and I was successful. Tell us about your journey as a cybersecurity professional. My name is Miro, and I’m a Certified Ethical Hacker. I’ve been in the IT industry for over 18 years and have been through different roles such as IT support, IT manager, IT consultant, network engineer, etc. I have always been passionate about security and interested in IT, network security, and cybersecurity. I work as a wireless network engineer for Ocado, a world-leading online grocery technology company. My current job includes wireless network design, security, and implementation for fully automated warehouses around the globe. It is a very challenging yet interesting job One of the main reasons I got this job is my C|EH certification.What caught your attention about the C|EH program? How has it benefitted your career? The Certified Ethical Hacker program is unique because it combines all the necessary and practical knowledge one must have before diving into cybersecurity. I’ve done my C|EH interactive virtual class in the U.K. and enjoyed it throughout my studying, from the course materials to class discussions. There were plenty of labs in which I applied my knowledge. We also had a great instructor, and I’m thankful to him. I find that this course is the one I have always been looking for. Of course, there are plenty of other security certification programs, but C|EH is unique and constructive Completing my certification opened up many job and career development opportunities for me, which I think is very important for every engineer and specialist in this field. Did the C|EH help you get higher pay, a promotion, or a job you wanted? I think there is a relationship between the C|EH certificate and finding a better and higher-paying job, at least in my case. Of course, by the time I was studying for my C|EH, I was actively applying for a job. Like most of us, you send your CV, wait for a reply, go for an interview, etc. But the interesting part was when I completed and gained my certification a week or two later, I got my first interview in Ocado technology and succeeded. And that was a good opportunity at that time. What was your favorite part of the C|EH program? Please explain why. One of the most interesting parts of the training was the social engineering attacks, the different types of attacks, human-based social engineering, computer-based, etc. It is how everything starts. You engage your victims, making them fall for scams, phishing emails, etc. So, if you’re in different social situations where you must be a bit of an actor to achieve your mission when you do some pen testing in the facility, that’s your creativity and your hacking skill set. Do you attribute any part of your success to EC-Council? If so, do you have a message for the EC-Council team? Completing the Certified Ethical Hacker program and getting certified was one of the great cybersecurity journeys for me. I want to say a big thank you to the amazing EC-Council team that provided great support throughout the course. I recommend this course to anyone who wants to dive deep into cybersecurity and pen testing. Become a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) Is CEH Worth It? Key Features of CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program powered by AI, which provides hands-on experience with: 221 labs and 551 attack techniques Access to 4,000+ hacking tools CEH Engage, a live hacking simulation on real networks CEH Compete, with 12 Capture-The-Flag (CTF) challenges for skill sharpening Master AI-driven cybersecurity skills, including learning to hack AI-based systems World’s no.1 ethical hacking certification and the only ethical hacking certification with AI driven capabilities The CEH certification is globally recognized and mapped to 49 cybersecurity job roles, offering a higher employability rate and strong career growth potential. Facts about the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) program as reported by thousands of seasoned cybersecurity professionals in the C|EH Hall of Fame. 1 in every 2 Professionals Received Promotions After C|EH 97% of Professionals Stated That Skills Acquired in the C|EH Helped Safeguard Their Organizations 95% Chose C|EH for Career Growth. 93% Of Professionals Stated That C|EH Skills Improved Their Organizational Security 97% Of Professionals Found C|EH Labs to Accurately Mimic Real-World Cyber Threats 92% of Hiring Managers Prefer Candidates with the C|EH for Jobs That Require Ethical Hacking Skills 92% of Professionals Reported That the C|EH Boosted Their Self Confidence Certified Ethical Hacker (World’s No.1 Ethical Hacker Certification) For 20 years Relied upon by the Pentagon and by various U.S. government agencies. Trusted & Hired by Governments and 500 Fortune Companies C|EH is used in 7 of the Fortune 10 and 47 of the Fortune 100 across many cybersecurity functions, making it a de facto standard in both the public and private sectors.

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Rafael’s 15-Day Job Miracle: Acquiring a Job in the U.S. After Completing the C|EH
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Rafael’s 15-Day Job Miracle: Acquiring a Job in the U.S. After Completing the C|EH https://youtu.be/YLHbICDFRR0?si=AT18ZblWRkUOSWD4Rafael Lorenzo Title: Security AnalystCompany: TracepointCountry: United States Is C|EH Worth It? Moving to the United States, I struggled with different jobs because of the pandemic. But I decided to quit my job and start studying C|EH, and after 15 days, I got the certificate, and a company named Tracepoint got me a job What caught your attention about the C|EH program? What caught my attention in the C|EH was that I have a few friends that are certificate junkies. They told me to look on the internet about the C|EH. I already knew that C|EH was one of the top five certifications in cybersecurity. And they also recommended it, saying, Yeah, C|EH is one of the top five, and it will be good for you to start from there. Because I already had a level, it will probably challenge me more than a different certificate. So, I started studying, and here we are now! How did the C|EH benefit your career? Most importantly, I needed to feel challenged in my career, and a certificate like the C|EH is difficult to get. You must have a basic knowledge of everything to be like a jack of all trades and to think like a white hacker. So that’s how it benefits my career. How recognized is the C|EH in your organization and the industry?  C|EH is widely recognized If you Google it, it will appear in the top five certificates a person directed to the cybersecurity sector needs to have. I think it gives you a pretty good basis for everything you need to know, and then the sky is the limit. But I think it’s a very good option. Did the C|EH help you get higher pay, a promotion, or a job you wanted? Yes, it did. When I decided to move from Spain to the United States, I struggled a little bit at the beginning with different jobs because of the pandemic. But I decided to quit my job and start studying C|EH, and after 15 days, I got the certificate, and a company named Tracepoint called me on December 20, 2020. I’m still there, and I’m happy with them. When they saw the C|EH on my resume as one of my certificates, they valued a lot that I have the Certified Ethical Hacker certification. How has the C|EH certification impacted you? It impacted me in so many ways, as I mentioned before. I got a job quickly as a consultant and a cybersecurity engineer. And the C|EH allowed me to demonstrate all my skills as a white hat hacker. I know a little bit of everything in this sector. Did C|EH help you give back to the community in any way? I think so because once people know you are in this sector, they ask you everything like, “Is this computer better? Is this router better? Is my Wi-Fi protected?” I have a good friend who also goes to a church, and they asked me a few questions about the Wi-Fi. I helped them to configure Wi-Fi as best as possible and select the best router. Of course, I think it helped me, and I can give back to society. What was your favorite part of the C|EH program? Please explain why. I have too many favorites, but I will say the networking and the security foundations, including footprinting and reconnaissance. If I must pick one of them, security foundations will be my favorite chapter for sure. Do you attribute any part of your success to the EC-Council? If so, do you have a message for the EC-Council team? Yes, I attribute a lot of my success to this certificate. And I think there are many more to come. But this one challenged me at the right moment to continue my love for cybersecurity. The message for EC-Council is to thank you for this opportunity, and I express my gratitude for your courses. They are very interesting. And it challenged me a lot because it was very difficult, but I thank you all. Thank you to all the people who are involved in EC-Council for allowing us to let the people know how good it is. Thank you. Tell us about your journey as a cybersecurity professional. My cybersecurity career started in Spain in 2013. 2012-2013 was really fun because I was studying computer science. Then I got a call from a company named 21 Sec stating that they were looking for people on the first level to start, and I said, “Okay, let me go there,” and I met HR to see what was going on. At the very beginning, they rejected me because they had other candidates, but after a month, they called me again and offered me the job. I told them I was studying, but they finally convinced me that this was something new, like “This is something that we’re going to teach you. There is no place better than this right now that teaches cybersecurity, and we’re going to teach you the job, and you will get enough experience.” So, that’s my journey till now, you know, eight to nine years of experience in cybersecurity! Become a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) Is CEH Worth It? Key Features of CEH: Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) program powered by AI, which provides hands-on experience with: CEH is the only cybersecurity training with a unique learning framework: (i) Learn, (ii) Certify, (iii) Engage, and (iv) Compete. 221 labs and 551 attack techniques Access to 4,000+ hacking tools Master AI-driven cybersecurity skills, including learning to hack AI-based systems CEH Engage, a live hacking simulation on real networks CEH Compete, with 12 Capture-The-Flag (CTF) challenges for skill sharpening CEH includes a 4-hour, 125-question, knowledge-based, and a 6-hour practical exam with 20 practical scenarios to validate skills. Both the exams are ANAB 17024 approved and US DoD accredited. World’s no.1 ethical hacking certification and the…

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Victor Lora’s Transformative Cybersecurity Experience with the Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) Program
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Shea Simpson has had an impressive ten-year career in IT, rising from helpdesk support to Director of IT services before transitioning to cybersecurity. With years of experience as an information system security officer for various government agencies and corporations, Shea was well-versed in the field, but he still felt a gap in his technical knowledge. That's when he turned to the Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) certification and unlocked a whole new world of hacking and penetration testing. As Shea explains, the C|EH led him to expand his knowledge base and seek out more experiences to learn about pen testing. In this interview, Shea reveals how the C|EH helped him bridge the gap in his cybersecurity knowledge and how it can do the same for others looking to enter the field.

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How the C|CT Certification Impacted My Cybersecurity Journey
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How the C|CT Certification Impacted My Cybersecurity Journey Kammari SridharTitle: Security Analyst Company: Trace Network Country: India In this interview, Kammari Sridhar, a computer enthusiast, shares how the EC-Council’s Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) certification played a crucial role in building his initial cybersecurity career. He adds that with the 80+ hands-on labs and comprehensive modules like Ethical Hacking, Network Security, Forensics, SOC, and more, the C|CT provides a solid foundation, unlike any other certification. Emphasizing the positive impacts of the C|CT certification course, he describes the crucial expertise that he gained from the capture the flag (CTF) challenges, which offer real-world simulations,enhancing his confidence and practical skills. Explore how C|CT’s blend of theory and practical learning helped Sridhar gain employers’ attention, enabling him to secure the best internship opportunities. Is C|CT Worth It? The C|CT helped me find those internships, and recruiters noticed my LinkedIn profile as soon as I updated the certification on there How has C|CT built your foundational skills in cybersecurity? The C|CT has many modules that cover almost every aspect of the cybersecurity domain, such as Ethical Hacking, Network Security Forensics, SoC and more. C|CT helped me build strong foundation skills in cyber security, and no other certification course has ever made me feel confident. In C|CT, you learn many cybersecurity domains. How important is learning these domains, especially during the early stage of your career? The C|CT has many modules like Networking, Information Security, Digital Forensics, Business Continuity, and Disaster Recovery. Learning these in the early stages helps you find your interest domain and gain insights that can help you stay adaptable in your job and contribute efficiently. Tell us about your experience with C|CT’s labs. What is the importance of having 80 labs in any entry-level cybersecurity program, and how have they helped you? The labs in C|CT were magnificent because, on the one hand, they are interesting, and on the other, they help you gain practical, hands-on experience with real-world simulations.The 80+ labs might scare you, but when you start practicing, you wish there were more. Which part or exercise did you love the most when working with C|CT labs, and why? Each lab in the C|CT course is unique and interesting, but the computer forensics lab is one of my favorite labs. How have the CTF style challenges or exercises in the course helped you with the learning curve? When I stumbled across the CTF challenges, I was worried, and I took my time. That made me think outside the box, work my way around to complete the task, and gain more knowledge about the tools and technologies, what exactly is going to happen, what we are doing, etc. Has the C|CT certification course been able to help you gain skills more on a technical level than just theory? The C|CT certification course helped me gain skills on both the technical level and theory levels. It has numerous labs and informational videos, and the instructor, Eric, was exceptional at explaining every theory in his way so that I could understand. How did the C|CT program prepare you and make you more confident to take on advanced courses in the future? It has given me such knowledge and confidence that I feel confident about taking any advance courses like C|PENT or Certified Network DefenderThe C|CT is the foundational and basic course for any other advanced courses that one may take in the future. Have you done any other entry-level cybersecurity certifications? If yes, how different have you found the C|CT compared to them? I have done two cybersecurity entry-level certifications apart from the C|CT. They were only theory. It was like watching videos. That way, you will learn and gain some knowledge, but that is it. But, C|CT is incomparable to either of them because C|CT not only imparts theoretical but also practical knowledge. What part of the C|CT performance-based exam did you like the most, and what was your overall experience with the C|CT exam? The overall experience of the C|CT was good, and it made me confident to take out any proctored exam in the future without being scared. What was your favorite feature of the C|CT program Apart from the labs, my favorite feature of the C|CT program is the instructor, Eric, talking about the real-life incidents he encoded in his life. These real-life incidents that he explained in the video connected to the content more efficiently. What has been the immediate impact of C|CT that you noticed in the job offers, or the salary raise that you received? When I applied for 10 internships, I got like 2 internships accepted because I’m a student right now and I’m in the final year of my studies. The C|CT helped me find those internships, and recruiters noticed my LinkedIn profile as soon as I updated the certification on there. Become a Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) What part of the C|CT performance-based exam did you like the most? How was the overall experience of the C|CT exam? I found a mix of practical and theoretical questions to be enjoyable. Certified Cybersecurity Technician Start Your Career in Cybersecurity Get Certified Today!

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How C|CT Certification Advanced My Cybersecurity Career
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How C|CT Certification Advanced My Cybersecurity Career| Peter Westin https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JcpN5Yj3l-8&t=420sPeter Westin Country: Sweden In this interview, Peter Westin, a cybersecurity enthusiast, walks us through his cybersecurity journey and how the Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) certification transformed his career. With a comprehensive curriculum covering diverse domains, hands-on labs, and engaging CTF-style challenges, the certification course helped Peter gain insights into cybersecurity and made him adept in practical skills crucial for the industry. Explore why Peter prefers the C|CT certification over other entry-level cybersecurity certifications for a career in cybersecurity. Is C|CT Worth It? Taking the C|CT exam is the best decision you can make in your early career Has the C|CT certification prepared you well to build your foundational skills in cybersecurity? C|CT encompasses a wide range of content that covers multiple domains in the cybersecurity field. I was introduced to new concepts and information that were unfamiliar to me. Here’s an example: knowledge of how to protect physical infrastructure at a very fine-tuned level, including selecting and installing fire extinguisher systems for a substantial office building. That indicates the high quality of C|CT content.I have also become familiar with disaster recovery, disaster recovery plans, encryption, various policies, and standards. Further, I became proficient at RAID setups. To summarize, the C|CT course didn’t leave anything out. It’s uncertain if I would stay in the cybersecurity business without C|CT. In C|CT, you learn about so many cybersecurity domains like ethical hacking, networking, forensics, SoC, threat intelligence etc. How important is learning all these domains, especially during the early stage of your career? It’s of utmost importance. If you lack knowledge in one of these domains that the C|CT covers, you will lack fundamental knowledge. C|CT curriculum is necessary for a cybersecurity worker to be hired by any business. Taking the C|CT exam is the best decision you can make in your early career. Tell us about your experience with C|CT’s labs, the importance of having 80+ labs in an entry-level cybersecurity program, and how these labs have helped you. The labs were a lot of fun and covered new topics that I had never explored before. I believe that the number of labs was very appropriate. Being a cybersecurity specialist requires you to perform practical work. These labs are carefully selected to give you a foundational, practical knowledge of each domain. Which part or exercise did you love the most when working with C|CT labs, and why? I am fond of the Forensic lab kit. There were about three or four labs on Forensics because theoretical knowledge is not worth much, especially in an area like MSD, without practical skills. How have the CTF style challenges or exercises in the course helped you in the learning curve? I’m fond of that format. The labs are well-built and aim to teach the material with practical knowledge and a bit of fun. Was C|CT able to help you gain skills more on a technical level and not just theory?If yes, how? Studying for C|CT has helped me gain a better technical understanding than before.The content of the C|CT exam spans multiple domains. Have you pursued any other entry-level cybersecurity certifications? If yes, how different have you found C|CT compared to them? I can mention that many recruiters and organizations prefer the CompTIA Security Plus certification, but C|CT offers a significantly richer and more immersive content experience compared to Security+ Those who have pursued both C|CT and Security Plus will always say that C|CT is better and will bring more competence to the organization. What part of the C|CT performance-based exam did you like the most? How was the overall experience of the C|CT exam? I found a mix of practical and theoretical questions to be enjoyable. What was your favorite feature of the C|CT program? Eric Reed is an amazing teacher. He has a unique teaching style, and I’m not convinced that I would have passed the exam without him. You learn for life. You must study C|CT courseware for a long time; if you do, you’ll be able to retain all knowledge, and that requires a method. Eric Reed was very good at teaching and giving advice, which helped me and many others pass both C|CT and other exams. What has been the immediate impact of the C|CT that you noticed in the job offers and the salary raise that you received? Passing the exam resulted in a whole new level of respect in the cybersecurity industry, and I noticed that on LinkedIn and similar platforms. I believe that organizational recruiters have begun to comprehend the world of facility certification. I’m at the beginning of building my own business, and I found a lot of value in C|CT—about the plan, security, and all those factors that you need to consider. People were really interested in your opinions regarding security because they knew you had a foundation of very fundamental skills and also very specialized skills, and this made people listen to you. Definitely, people will notice if you pass the exam.The more time goes on, the more organizational leaders will see how good of a merit the C|CT certification is. Become a Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) What part of the C|CT performance-based exam did you like the most? How was the overall experience of the C|CT exam? I found a mix of practical and theoretical questions to be enjoyable. Certified Cybersecurity Technician Start Your Career in Cybersecurity Get Certified Today!

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How The C|CT Course Helped the Head of Cyber Practice (EY) Enhance His Cybersecurity Skills
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How The C|CT Course Helped the Head of Cyber Practice (EY) Enhance His Cybersecurity Skills https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WJ8h-toycNs In a competitive landscape where employers prefer candidates with the right skill sets, acquiring cybersecurity certifications is increasingly crucial for building a lucrative career trajectory in this field. In an exclusive interview with EC-Council, Tabish Ali, Head of Cyber Practice at Ernst & Young (EY) in Pakistan, shares his journey, learnings from the multi-domain course content, hands-on skills development, and the overall impact of the Certified Cybersecurity Technician (C|CT) certification on his career. What made you choose the cybersecurity industry? My name is Tabish Ali. I’ve been in the cyber field for the past 15 years. Currently, I’m heading a cyber practice in EY Pakistan. Security plays a key role in every aspect of the technology industry. That’s why I just stepped into the security field and spent a lot of time in technology areas, starting with app development and gradually heading security practices. How has the C|CT course prepared you to build your foundational skills in cybersecurity? I enjoyed it because a lot of areas were covered in that course, starting from network fundamentals to OT security It helped me a lot to build my critical thinking and problem-solving skills. During the C|CT program, you learned many cybersecurity domains like ethical hacking, networking, forensics, SOC, threat intelligence, etc. How important is learning these domains, especially during the early stages of one’s career? These areas played a key role because these are the foundation or the backbone of any organization that would like to build or strengthen their controls against cyber threats. So yes, I would definitely recommend learning those areas. At the time of initial career growth, it’s very important to learn it because it will give you a very good perspective on how you can establish good control, how you can establish incident response, and how you can establish your control against cyber threats. Tell us about your experience with the C|CT’s labs and the importance of having 80+ labs in an entry-level cybersecurity program. How have these labs helped you? I found very real-world scenarios and attractive challenges that helped me improve my hands-on skills The labs were very detailed, and that was very convincing. For those who would like to build their foundation knowledge, these labs offered a lot of help because everything was well covered. The labs are very well designed and very well guided.  I believe that was a very good experience for me. I would definitely recommend it because it was very convincing—a good chance to learn something and explore and enhance my skills. Which lessons or exercises did you love the most when working with the C|CT labs? And why? Lab pertaining to forensics and data security was very interesting. I really enjoyed doing some forensic practices, having some PCAPs, and having some traffic and network traffic pertaining to the IT and OT environment. So that was very interesting for me because I haven’t come across such a situation where I had to perform some forensic activity pertaining to OT security. The web application attacks or the web application part where I was identifying the vulnerabilities in the web application and with respect to OWSP standard or the methodology. Definitely, the labs helped me a lot to enhance my critical thinking and problem-solving skills. How have the course’s CTF style challenges/exercises helped you in the learning curve? CTF gives us a chance to apply knowledge and enhance skills through experience. It gives us an opportunity to improve our critical thinking and problem-solving skills. I was able to improve my critical skills because I was performing or learning as a student. Because I learned a lot and got a chance to organize my critical thinking knowledge with respect to the domain or the target. Was the C|CT course able to help you gain skills more on a technical level and not just theory? If yes, how? C|CT has given me an opportunity to enhance my skills from the theoretical perspective as well as the practical perspective. C|CT helps me more in a practical area to apply my technical domain knowledge and enhance my skills by performing some hands-on challenges like CTF styles. Practical side had very good coverage—a 60:40 ratio—60% belonging to the practical side and 40 % to the conceptual. Has the C|CT program made you confident to take on advanced courses in the future? In a nutshell, those labs or those challenges and the exact experience of the C|CT gave me a lot of confidence to select more advanced courses, or, you can say, the domains, to move toward the advanced skill set. So yes, that practical approach, the very well-designed labs, and the practical hands-on knowledge helped increase my confidence. I’m ready for the next journey to select more advanced courses and to enhance, improve, and organize my overall experience and knowledge according to the domain with respect to real-world challenges. Have you done any other entry-level cybersecurity certifications? If yes, how different have you found the C|CT program compared to them? C|CT has a very organized pattern with respect to theoretical knowledge and practical work. On the other side, in courses from other vendors, there’s a lot of content they have covered well, but they don’t have any practical skills at the foundation level. So that is basically a big difference between the C|CT and courses from other vendors. What part of the C|CT performance-based exam did you like the most? How was the overall experience of the C|CT exams? We do have a lot of resources to learn something new. The overall experience regarding the C|CT course was an awesome experience for me because of the very organized content and a very good lab experience. To have a CTF style and performance-based exam is a killing combination at a foundation level because I haven’t found such a combination in other exams or from other vendors. What was your favorite feature of…

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From Dead-End Jobs to a Career in Cybersecurity: Theron’s C|EH Certification Journey That Landed Him a Job at the DoD and a Fortune 500 Company:
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Are you stuck in a dead-end job and looking to jumpstart your career in cybersecurity? Look no further than Theron Kennedy’s inspiring journey! When Theron first started out, he faced the same struggles many of us do. But with hard work, determination, and a Certified Ethical Hacker (C|EH) certification, he was able to break into the cybersecurity field and never looked back. From the government offices in Vicksburg, Mississippi, to thriving in the fast-paced world of cybersecurity, Theron’s C|EH certification opened doors he never thought possible. And now, in this exclusive interview, he shares his secrets to success and how you too can take your career to the next level with C|EH!

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