CEH or SSCP

Hello,

My company is requiring that I get one of these certifications within the next 4 months or so. Just wondering if anyone had an idea of which one would look better on a resume. Thanks.

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JDMurray

You could search for each cert on the major job boards, like dice.com and monster.com, and see which one turns up more.

I would suggest looking at the objectives for both exams to determine which one better fits your current knowledge and expertise in Information Security. (Yes, there is some overlap in objectives, but not much.)

Both of these exams cover a lot of material, so four months isn't necessarily a lot of time to study. You should also factor in that you may not pass on the first try and will need time to study for a second attempt.

shagism

Very good advice, thank you.

demonfurbie

if you choose to take the sscp you may have to include flights/hotels/travel costs depending on you location

c|eh not so much

veritas_libertas

demonfurbie wrote: »

if you choose to take the sscp you may have to include flights/hotels/travel costs depending on you location

c|eh not so much

This could be a toss up on cost depending on how far you need to go to take the SSCP exam. Will your employer provide study material and reimbursement for the C|EH? It has become much more expensive to pursue as of late.

JDMurray

shagism wrote: »

Very good advice, thank you.

Hey, interesting opinions and good advice is what TE is here for.

shagism

My employer will pay for the test and travel if necessary. I am not sure about study materials.

demonfurbie

shagism wrote: »

My employer will pay for the test and travel if necessary. I am not sure about study materials.

if that is the case the sscp would be better choice if ya ask me, the books are alot cheaper than the kit eccouncil uses

veritas_libertas

demonfurbie wrote: »

if that is the case the sscp would be better choice if ya ask me, the books are alot cheaper than the kit eccouncil uses

Agreed. I also have more respect for ISC(2) than for EC-Council.

kriscamaro68

Plus Darril just came out with his book for it: Amazon.com: SSCP Systems Security Certified Practitioner All-in-One Exam Guide (9780071771566): Darril Gibson: Books

ptilsen

SSCP seems like a more logical stepping stone to break into/improve knowledge of security. C|EH covers a lot of tools and is helpful for specific jobs, but unless you are getting into mainly pen-testing, the SSCP seems like a great value overall, especially if your employer covers travel but not study materials. It's also a good mid-way point to CISSP, which is very valuable, while C|EH will probably not help much with CISSP.

I have been planning for this move myself next year, but I am not a security engineer and there are probably other members of this forum with more educated opinions on this matter.

chrisone

shagism wrote: »

Hello,

My company is requiring that I get one of these certifications within the next 4 months or so. Just wondering if anyone had an idea of which one would look better on a resume. Thanks.

This is as easy as viewing it like this. "Hands on (CEH) vs Management Theory (SSCP)"

take your pick.

kriscamaro68

ptilsen wrote: »

SSCP seems like a more logical stepping stone to break into/improve knowledge of security. C|EH covers a lot of tools and is helpful for specific jobs, but unless you are getting into mainly pen-testing, the SSCP seems like a great value overall, especially if your employer covers travel but not study materials. It's also a good mid-way point to CISSP, which is very valuable, while C|EH will probably not help much with CISSP.

I have been planning for this move myself next year, but I am not a security engineer and there are probably other members of this forum with more educated opinions on this matter.

The SSCP also takes a year of work experience off for the CISSP so you only need 4 instead of 5 years.

shagism

chrisone wrote: »

This is as easy as viewing it like this. "Hands on (CEH) vs Management Theory (SSCP)"

take your pick.

This is what I initially thought. My plan is to become a Security Engineer so I thought the CEH would be a little better to show hands-on type knowledge. This forum seems to not think highly of the EC Council though. I still have not made up my mind on the matter.

Bl8ckr0uter

kriscamaro68 wrote: »

Plus Darril just came out with his book for it: Amazon.com: SSCP Systems Security Certified Practitioner All-in-One Exam Guide (9780071771566): Darril Gibson: Books

Epic Find. +Rep I will pick this up in December for sure.

chrisone wrote: »

This is as easy as viewing it like this. "Hands on (CEH) vs Management Theory (SSCP)"

take your pick.

You should be doing hands on practice with both so that argument is sort of null. At any rate, for general security knowledge and making you a "well rounded" Infosec pro then SSCP will be a better cert to get. Basic Pen testing knowledge would best be proved by CEH. Honestly you should probably get both but SSCP is only 250-300 vs 600 or so with CEH. Plus if you live near a major city you may not have to travel very far for the SSCP exam. My exam travel will be only 30 miles because of this fact. Since you have security+, imo the next step should be SSCP.

the_Grinch

I'd look at what would help you best in your everyday duties. These certs are fairly different and what you do everyday will have an affect on how much use you get from the certification you choose. I'd advise that if they are going to pay for CEH, that they also pay for the course. Self study is an option (that is how I did it), but this was also after taking a course in pentesting. The CEH is a mile wide and about 2 inches thick, plus you want to be able to back up the cert with ability. As well known as it might be, a lot of employers have asked me what it was. So if you are more on the policy side, I'd go for SSCP. If you are on the pentesting side, I'd go for the CEH. If work isn't going to pay for the training course for CEH and you have no experience with pentesting, then I'd suggest sticking to SSCP. I studied for 3 months and had taken a course in pentesting, yet still failed the CEH the first time. Lots of material, lots of switches to know for various programs, and a lengthy test. Good luck!

shagism

My company ended up making the decision for me and signed me up for a bootcamp class type thing for the CEHv7 starting on Jan. 9th. I started a thread in the CEH forum to try to document my experience over the next 6 weeks. Thanks for your advice and I will look into the SSCP down the line.