Ethical Hacking

Some of 2008 & 2009 pretty much sucked. I made a decision to pursue a new career. I spent a lot of time in prayer and council about it. After all of that, I decided to jump into the IT arena. So I did research and decided to get my training through a company called EC Council . I decided to pursue my CEH Certification and my ECSA Certification which ultimatly will lead me to my LPT Certification .

I figure if a company is getting government contracts and are starting to develop a level of respect and influence then maybe I should pay attention and look into it some more.

Let me break it down for you..

Anytime I have told someone what I will be doing I always get a funny look. “Huh? How can a hacker be ‘ethical?’ Is that possible? ”  Yes it is.

Well here is what the EC Council website says…

” The goal of the ethical hacker is to help the organization take preemptive measures against malicious attacks by attacking the system himself; all the while staying within legal limits. This philosophy stems from the proven practice of trying to catch a thief, by thinking like a thief. As technology advances and organization depend on technology increasingly, information assets have evolved into critical components of survival. “

So I guess you can say I will be a good guy.   I am starting off with my CEH (Certified Ethical Hacker) Certification.

Then I will be moving to getting my ECSA (EC-Council Certified Security Analyst) Certification.  Here is what the EC Council describes it as:

“EC-Council Certified Security Analyst (ECSA) complements the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification by exploring the analytical phase of ethical hacking. While CEH exposes the learner to hacking tools and technologies, ECSA takes it a step further by exploring how to analyze the outcome from these tools and technologies. Through groundbreaking penetration testing methods and techniques, ECSA class helps students perform the intensive assessments required to effectively identify and mitigate risks to the security of the infrastructure.”

So after that I will be able to pursue one  more certification LPT (Licensed Penetration Tester).  Yep, a Penetration Tester. Once again from the EC Council website:

“Unlike a normal security certification, the LPT is a program which trains security professionals to analyze the security posture of a network exhaustively and recommend corrective measures authoritatively. EC-Council’s license vouches for their professionalism and expertise thereby making these professionals more sought after by organizations and consulting firms globally.”

I am planning on getting my Cisco Certifications as well: CCNA and CCNA Security.

If I do well with all my tests and gain my certifications I can easily make six-figures in the next few years working with the right company.

Wish me luck!