Passed CEHv11

saskiller2

Hey everyone, I recently took and passed the CEHv11. I'll be doing a more comprehensive review in the future, but my very quick analysis of the CEH v11 course and exam.

On the course: I feel the v11 course material is relevant and relatively up to date. The instructor does a good job on presenting the information and conducting labs. While there were old tools used they were used because they still worked and were usable by beginners, so most of them were GUI based.

On the exam: I feel the course videos are very limited in helping passing this exam. I certainly would watch them and learn and practice the content, but I highly suspect the exam material 90% of it comes from the book/labs. The problem with this is the book is not presented in an easily digestible format, it can't be downloaded AFAIK which means you can't view it offline, very difficult for study. And i've heard there is no physical distribution of it. This when added to the size makes it difficult to go through unless one is dedicated.

I didn't note any issues with language, but I did feel at least a few answers could have/should have been multiple choice. For many of them you can eliminate a few wrong answers leaving you with 2-3 likely options.

As far as what I would study given the opportunity to do so again, i'd pay attention to the specific tools used in when doing certain things. IOT/OT was mentioned fairly often, also i'd look at terminology related to different phases of attack.

Overall I like the exam because I do feel that if one doesn't focus on doing a bunch of flashcards or bd's, the exam does a fair job of testing knowledge useful for a person starting their hacking career. Next i'm onto the practical before I write a full review.

The cost of training + exam however is a factor that has to be considered. At around $2k USD it's stiff compared to other options. I suspect this is the same situation as GIAC, because they are considered to be "whatever" they can charge whatever they like. Until the industry forces recognition of other certs and starts demanding they be listed on job postings, ECC is going to continue, IMO to charge whatever they like.