The Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) certification by EC-Council is one of the most powerful qualifications in cybersecurity. But what exactly do you learn during CEH training?
In this article, we’ll walk through the essential technical and professional skills you’ll develop when pursuing CEH v13 — and how these skills prepare you to defend against modern cyber threats.
🛠️ 1. Reconnaissance & Footprinting
You’ll master the first phase of ethical hacking: gathering information about a target system or network. Skills include:
- Passive and active footprinting
- Google hacking and OSINT (Open-Source Intelligence)
- WHOIS lookups, DNS enumeration, and email tracing
These skills help identify weaknesses before an attack even begins.
🌐 2. Network Scanning and Enumeration
The CEH program teaches you how to detect live hosts and services on a network and gather data for exploitation.
You’ll learn to use tools like:
- Nmap
- Netcat
- Angry IP Scanner
- SuperScan
These techniques are vital for penetration testers and red teamers.
🧠 3. System Hacking Techniques
You’ll gain hands-on experience with:
- Password cracking
- Privilege escalation
- Malware deployment and trojans
- Keylogging and rootkits
Understanding how hackers break into systems is key to stopping them.
🔐 4. Web Application Hacking
Web-based vulnerabilities are among the most common threats. CEH prepares you to test and secure:
- SQL injection
- Cross-Site Scripting (XSS)
- Broken authentication
- Session hijacking
You’ll work with tools like Burp Suite and OWASP ZAP.
📡 5. Wireless and IoT Security
Wireless networks and IoT devices present new challenges. You’ll learn how to:
- Crack WEP/WPA/WPA2 encryption
- Intercept wireless traffic
- Exploit insecure IoT configurations
These skills are critical for modern environments like smart homes and industrial systems.
☁️ 6. Cloud Security Fundamentals
With more companies using cloud services, CEH v13 introduces cloud-focused modules. You’ll learn:
- Common vulnerabilities in cloud platforms
- Security best practices for AWS, Azure, and GCP
- Cloud malware threats and countermeasures
🛡️ 7. Cryptography and Data Protection
Understand how data encryption works — and how it can be attacked. You’ll explore:
- Symmetric and asymmetric cryptography
- Hashing (SHA, MD5)
- SSL/TLS attacks
- Steganography techniques
🤖 8. Real-World Hacking Tools
The CEH doesn’t just teach theory — it trains you with the same tools hackers use, including:
- Metasploit
- Wireshark
- John the Ripper
- Hydra
- Nikto
- Aircrack-ng
These tools are used across penetration testing, incident response, and vulnerability management.
🎯 Final Thoughts
The CEH certification is a well-rounded program that teaches much more than just “how to hack.” It’s a deep dive into security from a hacker’s perspective — giving you the technical skills, tools, and mindset needed to identify, test, and fix vulnerabilities.
Whether you’re looking to become an ethical hacker, pen tester, or cybersecurity analyst, CEH gives you the hands-on training you need to protect digital systems in a real-world context.