EC-Council's iClass?

I recently decided that the next certification I will be studying for is the Certified Ethical Hacker certification. I went onto the EC-Council’s site and found I can take their FlexClass online for about $2,500. This includes all of the online training, all the books, and the exam voucher. I find this FlexClass online ideal for me but I am wondering about the total cost of $2,500 is worth it to get Certified Ethical Hacker certified. Should I take an alternative online hacking course? Or should I self study? I am not sure. Does anybody have any advice for me?

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Bl8ckr0uter

Ethanp wrote: »

I recently decided that the next certification I will be studying for is the Certified Ethical Hacker certification. I went onto the EC-Council’s site and found I can take their FlexClass online for about $2,500. This includes all of the online training, all the books, and the exam voucher. I find this FlexClass online ideal for me but I am wondering about the total cost of $2,500 is worth it to get Certified Ethical Hacker certified. Or should I self study? I am not sure. Does anybody have any advice for me?

Self study. 2500 is alot of money, especially in this economy.

Ethanp

I have been communicating with EC-Council about their live FlexClass or iClass to get a Certified Ethical Hacker certification. This is the certification program that is the most ideal for me, because their FlexClass is offered online, twice a week, for 4 hours per day, and for a about month timeframe. This is perfect and is exactly what I am looking for, but the total cost of their live FlexClass makes me hesitant. They agreed to drop the total cost $400, but I still need 3 or more people to even form a live FlexClass. Does anybody out there know of another Certified Ethical Hacker certification program that is offered like this one? Is anybody else interested in enrolling in this EC-Council’s live FlexClass online certification program?
Boot camps are not option for me. I am just looking for 1 to 3 month, twice to three times a week, 4 to 5 hours a day, online Certified Ethical Hacker certification program. Can anybody give me any suggestions or advice?

Bl8ckr0uter

Have you considered self study?

Ethanp

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Have you considered self study?

Yes I have. I self studied for the A+, Network+, and Security+ and passed all 3 exams to just get certified. That is it. I was not looking for hands on training with those 3 certifications.
For the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, I am looking for hands on training, or the closest to it (online training).
I might self study, but what books will help me self study, learn, and pass the certification exam? There is not just one book for the Certified Ethical Hacker certification that everybody relies on to study for this certification.

Bl8ckr0uter

Ethanp wrote: »

Yes I have. I self studied for the A+, Network+, and Security+ and passed all 3 exams to just get certified. That is it. I was not looking for hands on training with those 3 certifications.
For the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, I am looking for hands on training, or the closest to it (online training).
I might self study, but what books will help me self study, learn, and pass the certification exam? There is not just one book for the Certified Ethical Hacker certification that everybody relies on to study for this certification.

I am going for the exam early next year the list of material I plan to use is here:

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Here is what I am using:

Network Security Bible Amazon.com: Network Security Bible (9780470502495): Eric Cole: Books

Hackers: The art.. Amazon.com: Hacking: The Art of Exploitation, 2nd Edition (9781593271442): Jon Erickson: Books

Hacking Exposed: Amazon.com: Hacking Exposed: Network Security Secrets and Solutions, Sixth Edition (9780071613743): Stuart McClure, Joel Scambray, George Kurtz: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

I plan to buy these:

Amazon.com: CEH Certified Ethical Hacker Study Guide (9780470525203): Kimberly Graves: Books

Amazon.com: Gray Hat Hacking The Ethical Hackers Handbook 3/E (9780071742559): Allen Harper, Shon Harris, Jonathan Ness, Chris Eagle, Gideon Lenkey, Terron Williams: Books: Reviews, Prices & more

Amazon.com: The Web Application Hacker's Handbook: Discovering and Exploiting Security Flaws (9780470170779): Dafydd Stuttard, Marcus Pinto: Books (purchased)

Ethanp

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

I am going for the exam early next year the list of material I plan to use is here:

I was told to study the following books:

-CEH Official Certified Ethical Hacker Review Guide: Exam 312-50
by Kimberly Graves
Sybex © 2007 (238 pages) Citation
ISBN:9780782144376

-The CEH Prep Guide: The Comprehensive Guide to Certified Ethical Hacking*
by Ronald L. Krutz and Russell Dean Vines
John Wiley & Sons © 2008 (738 pages) Citation
ISBN:9780470135921

-Official Certified Ethical Hacker Review Guide*
by Steven DeFino and Barry Kaufman
Delmar Cengage Learning © 2009 (384 pages) Citation
ISBN:9781435488533

-CEH® Certified Ethical Hacker Study Guide
By: Kimberly Graves
Publisher: Sybex
Pub. Date: April 26, 2010
Print ISBN: 978-0-470-52520-3

Would you agree?

Bl8ckr0uter

Idk I have never read the books. The book by Kimberly has some pretty high reviews. I don't think I want to focus on C|EH books since I am more concerned with learning the EH part than getting C'd lol.

I just don't think it is going to be worth the 2500 dollars IMO. I would save my money for SANS stuff or maybe elearn or offensive security.

Ethanp

Bl8ckr0uter wrote: »

Idk I have never read the books. The book by Kimberly has some pretty high reviews. I don't think I want to focus on C|EH books since I am more concerned with learning the EH part than getting C'd lol.

I learn the best with hands-on-training and an Instructor or a Tutor answering questions when I have them. I take the all the hands-on-training and then I go over practice questions over and over again. That is usually the only way I learn the material and past the certification exam. That is why I wanted to take EC-Council’s live FlexClass. Now I am considering just to self study with 3 out of the 4 books I mentioned before, and get a Transcender for the C|EH certification.

Bl8ckr0uter

Ethanp wrote: »

I learn the best with hands-on-training and an Instructor or a Tutor answering questions when I have them. I take the all the hands-on-training and then I go over practice questions over and over again. That is usually the only way I learn the material and past the certification exam. That is why I wanted to take EC-Council’s live FlexClass. Now I am considering just to self study with 3 out of the 4 books I mentioned before, and get a Transcender for the C|EH certification.

That would be my suggestion. I am going that route and I know of at least two other people who will be going that route as well.

giftedwon

Ethanp wrote: »

Yes I have. I self studied for the A+, Network+, and Security+ and passed all 3 exams to just get certified. That is it. I was not looking for hands on training with those 3 certifications.
For the Certified Ethical Hacker certification, I am looking for hands on training, or the closest to it (online training).
I might self study, but what books will help me self study, learn, and pass the certification exam? There is not just one book for the Certified Ethical Hacker certification that everybody relies on to study for this certification.

have you considered downloading backtrack linux? there are some great tools in that package which is what C|EH focuses on.. Plus watching youtube videos on backtrack while using backtrack on your pc will help absorb it much easier!

Ethanp

So I have decided to purchase the following books:

-CEH Official Certified Ethical Hacker Review Guide: Exam 312-50
by Kimberly Graves
Sybex © 2007 (238 pages) Citation
ISBN:9780782144376

-The CEH Prep Guide: The Comprehensive Guide to Certified Ethical Hacking
by Ronald L. Krutz and Russell Dean Vines
John Wiley & Sons © 2008 (738 pages) Citation
ISBN:9780470135921

-Official Certified Ethical Hacker Review Guide
by Steven DeFino and Barry Kaufman
Delmar Cengage Learning © 2009 (384 pages) Citation
ISBN:9781435488533

Now I am actually thinking about purchasing the Certified Ethical Hacker Exam Prep book instead of a Transcender for the C|EH certification. Again I learn better with reviewing practice questions. I still want the hands-on-training for the C|EH certification though.

Also, coworkers have told me not to worry about the C|EH certification now, and to start studying for the CISSP. I am considering that now. What do you think?

Bl8ckr0uter

Why are they telling you to stop doing the C|EH? Do you have enough exp to get the full CISSP?

-Foxer-

I agree with using Backtrack. It is a great resource to have, even though a lot of the tools on it aren't covered, you can still learn a lot of concepts from it.

Ethanp

Things have changed. I have been communicating with the EC-Council’s training department that was selling that FlexClass online for about $2,500. EC-Council dropped the price down to $2,195 but refused to work with me, so I have now decided to self study for the Certified Ethical Hacker certification (C|EH).
Or drop the goal in getting my C|EH all together and start studying for the CISSP. I am now leaning towards this decision because of reading the discussion; "CEH Outdated?"

rogue2shadow

Ethanp wrote: »

Things have changed. I have been communicating with the EC-Council’s training department that was selling that FlexClass online for about $2,500. EC-Council dropped the price down to $2,195 but refused to work with me, so I have now decided to self study for the Certified Ethical Hacker certification (C|EH).
Or drop the goal in getting my C|EH all together and start studying for the CISSP. I am now leaning towards this decision because of reading the discussion; "CEH Outdated?"

If the "drop the goal in getting my C|EH" is the decision I would say reconsider especially if your job falls under the CND specialties of the 8570. I mean it literally covers all but one catgeory so the ROI is definitely there. In my op and I've heard this several times, when it comes to this cert, the tools get outdated but the methodology stays the same. The tools themselves are a matter of preference :P

Bl8ckr0uter

rogue2shadow wrote: »

If the "drop the goal in getting my C|EH" is the decision I would say reconsider especially if your job falls under the CND specialties of the 8570. I mean it literally covers all but one catgeory so the ROI is definitely there. In my op and I've heard this several times, when it comes to this cert, the tools get outdated but the methodology stays the same. The tools themselves are a matter of preference :P

I agree 100%. I want a government job and that alone is enough for me to justify the exam. Besides you get out of it what you put into it. Lab up more current tools and practice newer techniques.

Ethanp

I currently do have a government job as a Contractor, but I do not work in the Computer Network Defense sector and I do not plan on it either. Currently, I am a System Administrator who is currently looking to get a job in the Information Assurance sector under IAT or IAM. I thought getting the C|EH would help me get the CISSP certification, and that was the only reason why I was going to get the C|EH certification. Recently though my employer informed me that they would only pay for the CISSP which has made me reconsider getting the C|EH. My new goal is to take the CISSP exam by May 2011.

SephStorm

Definatly advise against CEH in that case. CEH and CISSP are not in the same arena. CISSP will give you a wide overview of security, and is designed as a management level cert. It will defiantly help you get that IAM spot. CEH is specialized, and is designed as an entry level compsec cert, it will only be of benefit for CNO/CND type positions.

It loks like you may have the experience to sit for the CISSP (not that is matters), I say start studying now.

rogue2shadow

SephStorm wrote: »

Definatly advise against CEH in that case. CEH and CISSP are not in the same arena. CISSP will give you a wide overview of security, and is designed as a management level cert. It will defiantly help you get that IAM spot. CEH is specialized, and is designed as an entry level compsec cert, it will only be of benefit for CNO/CND type positions.

It loks like you may have the experience to sit for the CISSP (not that is matters), I say start studying now.

After seeing his new post, I definitely agree.