Caution, CEH's

Well it looks like I'm out of luck with Microsoft.

Two weeks ago I got a call setting up phone interviews for a PM job in hardware security. (Surface, XBox, etc) I passed those two, so they set me up for three days of interviews this week. I got through two days thinking I was fine, until I got the dreaded cancellation. No third day, no job.

To illustrate my mastery of embedded systems I'd brought in to show them my Dish Network box that I use for my home theater. I've installed a video tap that sucks out the pure compressed video stream for recording on my computer. I still need to pay for a Dish account, and I am not bypassing decryption, I am simply bypassing the need to decompress/recompress the video and am recording the stream as compressed on Dish's $50k compressors.

But this was misunderstood by this "XBox security team" as 'hacking'. It is disappointing that they did not understand the meaning of this, and instead worried about me. All the PMs interviewing me had been with Microsoft for more than 15 years, and I guess they are stuck in a certain way of thinking.

Another thing I did wrong was correctly answering the question asked by the 'key master' (in charge of keys), of my experience in penetration testing. He asked how I would go about it, so I explained in depth. Turns out this made him fearful... not impressed. WTF? Aren't they supposed to be hiring me for my security skills?

I really needed this job. I really tried my best. Now they seem to view me as an 'evil hacker'. Well no, I am in fact a Certified ETHICAL Hacker. I am exactly what they need, but they can not see it. I guess I'll take today to grieve and then try and get back to job-hunting.

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Comments

the_hutch

Lol...I would assume Certified Software Manager

the_hutch

Quantumstate wrote: »

Yes Certified Scrum Master.

Really??? WTF is Scrum?

Quantumstate

C'mon Hutch, you're pulling my leg? You're highly experienced, altho I see you are in Texas which might not have come around to these things yet. {hehe} (BTW I was born in San Antonio --still have Wonderland Mall?-- and lived 52 years in Dallas)

Check out the threads over here:
https://www.techexams.net/forums/project-management-certifications/

Quantumstate

instant000 wrote: »

I've learned a few things from this thread:

1 - C|EH can be a strong negative when applying to certain positions (the negative connotation of the term "hacker")
2 - EC-Council certifies morality "ethical"
3 - Microsoft's internal ranking system has employees competing with each other?!
4 - N2IT used to work in HR, and is the go-to guy for resume help/HR questions ... wonder how much he charges

5 - Alot of people dispute what I recount in this thread because they are emotionally committed to CEH.
6 - Alot of ppl in this forum criticize the CEH because they have failed the exam but would never admit it. No, it is not as easy as buttuh. And they admire those who have passed.
7 - Yes EC Council is about money, but they sort of have to be in order to survive, don't they?

YFZblu

Quantumstate wrote: »

6 - Alot of ppl in this forum criticize the CEH because they have failed the exam but would never admit it. No, it is not as easy as buttuh. And they admire those who have passed.

Interesting points - Care to name names and leverage facts with this position? Otherwise the "they're just jealous" position is pretty baseless. I too have heard negative C|EH feedback made by people responsible for hiring in Information Security as well as senior employees working in Information Security.

*Just for clarification, I have never failed the exam, reviewed C|EH exam materials, or idolized anyone who has the certification.

Quantumstate

How am I going to prove that others have failed the exam. Don't you know that you can't prove a negative? Or are you just pecking, pecking, because of frustrations in your own life?

And haven't you noticed that I am not exactly a proponent of CEH? Nor am I a detractor. I have brought here simply the effect I believe it's had on me, with as many facts as I can provide, solely for the benefit of others to use as they will.

And, what I do know is from 48 years of experience as a manager, the behavior of people, in comparison with what I know about the exam. Take it, or leave it.

instant000

With regards to Wonderland Mall's existence:

Wonderland of the Americas - San Antonio Shopping Mall

As far as the difficulty of an exam, it kind of depends on the background of the person. I studied for Security+ over a weekend, but studied for C|EH over about a month or so.

I did labs, and watched a video series while studying for C|EH. I did not for Security+. C|EH definitely took more work for me than Security+.

Please note: This is just a personal experience. Experiences may vary. Contents may settle during shipment. Caveat emptor.

Hope this helps.

Quantumstate

WONDERLAND! I used to go there at ages 9 and 10 on my bike to race slotcars. (Too bad kids don't have slotcars anymore) That was in 1964-5! I remember they actually played songs by the Yardbirds and John Mayall over the mall speakers.

If I were able to go back in time and see it as it was, it would probably be fairly plain with concrete floors and not much fancyness, but then it was wonderful. The slotcar place, the record stores...

bobloblaw

Did you hold your CISSP prior to Sec+?

instant000 wrote: »

With regards to Wonderland Mall's existence:

Wonderland of the Americas - San Antonio Shopping Mall

As far as the difficulty of an exam, it kind of depends on the background of the person. I studied for Security+ over a weekend, but studied for C|EH over about a month or so.

I did labs, and watched a video series while studying for C|EH. I did not for Security+. C|EH definitely took more work for me than Security+.

Please note: This is just a personal experience. Experiences may vary. Contents may settle during shipment. Caveat emptor.

Hope this helps.

YFZblu

Quantumstate wrote: »

How am I going to prove that others have failed the exam.

Exactly.

Quantumstate wrote: »

Take it, or leave it.

Will do.

Quantumstate

See ppls, you always want to NOTICE who displays YFZblu's kind of behavior. Detracting, negative, adversarial.

Don't just accept it. Because over time it will drag down the morale and enthusiasm of the whole team if allowed to continue. This is a vital ingredient to a toxic workplace.

Life's too short to live like that.

Zartanasaurus

Quantumstate wrote: »

See ppls, you always want to NOTICE who displays YFZblu's kind of behavior. Detracting, negative, adversarial.

Don't just accept it. Because over time it will drag down the morale and enthusiasm of the whole team if allowed to continue. This is a vital ingredient to a toxic workplace.

Life's too short to live like that.

You're accusing people who disagree with you of being jealous and he's the negative, adversarial one?

Quantumstate

'Disagree with me'? Those who disagree with me think the CEH is an asset on a resume.

YFZblu is not just taking my posts as they are intended, to document what has happened to me. I have spent my valuable time to try and notify others so that they may not be out of pocket for eight months of living expenses as I am, because of this cert.

Yes, it is my opinion that it was the cert. No, I can not prove that. No, I can not spin myself up into a vortex and reach out telepathically into the minds of HR recruiters to plumb what their reasoning was. But I do know what I've posted above.

Now, are you going to accept that in the spirit it was posted, or are you going to bicker?

As it happens I also posted my opinions of why certain people here deny that CEH could be the problem. And of why certain people here criticize the CEH so nastily and vociferously. Can I spin myself up into a vortex and reach out telepathically into the minds of those who do this to plumb their motivations? No. I stated my opinion of why they do this though, and I also in fact clarified that this is my opinion, and that others can take it under advisement or throw it in the trash.

So this is the landscape. If you are confused, well give it a little thought. You don't HAVE to accept what I've posted. I can't FORCE you, but one or two here seem to feel that I think I can.

Now that's enough of this stupid discussion. I will not bicker with you.

JDMurray

Quantumstate wrote: »

Now that's enough of this stupid discussion. I will not bicker with you.

Agreed. Take it to PM. This thread is now closed.