Passed CHFI (Review inside!)

nebula105

Hi guys!

Been some time since I last posted here, but I've passed the CHFI with 91%!

I decided to take up this course because I realized I was rusty in my incident response skills and I thought this would be a nice refresher; and I thought it'd be great to meet other people who are interested in security.

I attended the CHFI course and the biggest thing that struck me, was how old the courseware was.

Sure, forensic methods haven't exactly evolved much, but using ancient "free" versions of Encase and FTK just doesn't cut it. Using ancient tools that were meant for Windows XP and older as well... Ugh.

Using the tools listed in EC-Council's slides will probably invalidate your evidence in court as well since they are ancient, and you can't prove that they're reliable, and that they don't alter data.


The CHFI target audience I believe, is aimed at "security professionals" who are in the field of cyber forensics or security. Professionals who are already in the field of cyber forensics and security can steer clear of this and find something else. The GCIH perhaps. I've yet to find an equivalent though.

My opinion on the target audience though, is if you're doing Helpdesk/Desktop Support and you're trying to fight your way out of it and into Security and Incident Response; sure, take the course, mingle with other like-minded professionals and expand your knowledge and network. You will definitely learn a thing or two, and you might just find tools that will help you in your current line of work. This certificate might be a conversation starter in an interview, but that's all it'll be. I'm confident that HR and hiring managers will not be wowed by this certificate


Exam wise, my advice is to take notes from the Powerpoint slides (if you're enrolled in the official training course). You can safely skip memorizing the tools listed at the end of the slides. If you're unsure of how to answer the question, look for hints in the question. More often than not, they might contain a specific word that appears in the answer as well. Otherwise, look for the most "outstanding" answer. You will get your result immediately after you click End Exam.


After looking at the quality of the CHFI, I'll be steering clear of the CEH.

My next goal will be the eJPT from eLearnSecurity, the MCSA 2012 and ITIL foundation by middle of next year.


If you're still considering taking the CHFI, just drop me a PM or reply below and I can try and clarify whatever doubts you have!

PC509

nebula105 wrote: »

After looking at the quality of the CHFI, I'll be steering clear of the CEH.

I just took the CEH as part of the WGU MS:ISA program. The CHFI is next. The quality of CEH is probably as bad as how you describe the CHFI. I'm taking it as part of the school, but it offers very little beyond that.

I'm looking to complete the course and find better certifications to take. I want to move up, but I'm almost embarrassed to put the CEH and CHFI on the resume.