EC-Council Ethical Hacking Essentials

Ethical Hacking Essentials is an introductory cybersecurity course that covers ethical hacking and penetration testing fundamentals. It offers hands-on experience in computer and network security concepts such as threats, vulnerabilities, password cracking, web applications, and more. No IT/cybersecurity experience is required for course.

Gain hands-on skills through 12 comprehensive modules and 47 labs that simulate real-world scenarios, enabling you to apply concepts, think like an attacker, and confidently apply ethical techniques. Apply and test your skills in real-world CTF capstone challenges that simulate live attacks and build true hacking. Validate these newly acquired skills through proctored exams and earn a globally recognized certification to add to your resume early in your career.

Skill you'll learn in the Ethical Hacking Essentials program

• Information Security principles such as CIA triad, AAA model, threat vectors, and layered defense strategies, including Zero Trust and Defense-in-Depth.

• Cryptography fundamentals, including symmetric/assymetric encryption, hash functions, digital signatures, and their role in security systems and data.

• Threat sources and vulnerability types, identifying motives behind cyberattacks, vectors of exploitation, and their organizational impact.

• Ethical hacking foundations, including hacker classifications, responsibilities and the full ethical lifecycle from reconnaissance to covering tracks.

• Attack models and frameworks, utilizing methodologies like Cyber Kill Chain, MITRE ATT&CK, and IoC analysis for understanding adversary behaviour.

• Malware categories and techniques, including Trojans, worms, viruses, ransomware, spyware, rootkits, and countermeasures against them.

• Password cracking approaches, covering brute-force, dictionary, and hybrid attacks, supported by tools and defence strategies.

• Social engineering tactics, such as phishing, SMiShing, fake apps, insider threats, identity theft, and mitigation using SET and other tools.

• Network-level attack techniques, including sniffing, ARP spoofing, DoS/DDoS, session hijacking, and relevant tools and detection methods.

• Web and application-layer security, exploring OWASP Top 10 risks, SQL injection types, web server misconfigurations and testing tools.

• Wireless and Bluetooth attack methods, including rogue APs, MAC spoofing, jamming and mobile security controls like MDM.

• IoT and OT system vulnerabilities, including device-level threats, IIoT challenges, Purdue Model layers, and botnet-based attcks.

• Cloud and container security, understanding Docker/Kubernetes, OWASP cloud risks, attacks like cryptojacking and MITC, and security tools.

• Penetration testing essentials, covering testing types, methodologies, phases, ethical considerations, risk handling, and when to conduct test.

Target Audience

• High school students, college, and university students.

• IT, technology, cybersecurity teams with little or no prior work experience.

• Anyone who wants to start their cybersecurity career and master the fundamentals of security online.

• Professionals who want to get into the cybersecurity field but are unsure where to start their education journey.

• Anyone who wants to prepare for a cybersecurity career and aid their IT education.

Course Outline

Module 1: Information Security Fundamentals

• Overview of information security.

• Defense strategies in information security.

• Threats, threat sources, and vulnerabilities.

• Cryptography concepts.

• Information security laws, regulations, and standards.

Module 2: Ethical Hacking Fundamentals

• Hacking concepts and hacker classes.

• Ethical hacking concepts, scope, and limitations.

• Phases of hacking cycle.

• Hacking methodologies and frameworks.

Module 3: Malware Threats and Countermeasures

• Malware concepts, types, and attack mechanisms.

• Malware propagation techniques and indicators.

• Malware countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises:

  • Create and deploy malware to compromise target systems.

  • Detect, analyze, and remove malware from systems.

Module 4: Ethical Hacking Phase

• Reconnaissance.

• Footprinting, and OSINT techniques.

• Scanning and enumeration methodologies.

• Vulnerability scanning and assessment concepts.

• Gaining access, maintaining access, and covering tracks.

• Countermeasures across hacking phases.

• Lab Exercises

  • Gather information using advanced Google hacking techniques.

  • Perform DNS footprinting, host discovery, port scanning, and banner grabbing.

  • Perform NetBIOS and SNMP enumeration.

  • Perform vulnerability scanning and exploitation.

  • Perform image steganography.

Module 5: Password Cracking Techniques and Countermeasures

• Introduction to password cracking

• Password cracking techniques.

• Password cracking countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Perform password attacks and audit password strength.

Module 6: Social Engineering Techniques and Countermeasures

• Social engineering concepts.

• Social engineering techniques.

• Insider threats and identity theft.

• Social engineering countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Perform social engineering to capture user credentials

  • Detech phishing attacks.

Module 7: Network Level Attacks and Countermeasures

• Packet sniffing concepts.

• DoS and DDoS attack methods.

• Session hijacking techniques and attack methods.

• Network attack detection and countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Perform MAC flooding to compromise the security of network switches.

  • Perform ARP poisoning and detect ARP spoofing attempts.

  • Perform DHCP starvation attack.

  • Launch and defend against DoS/DDoS attacks.

  • Perform and detect session hijacking.

Module 8: Web Application Attacks and Countermeasures

• Web server attacks.

• Web application attack techniques and exploitation methods and countermeasures.

• SQL Injection attacks and countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Perform web server and web application attacks.

  • Exploit and detect web application vulnerabilites

  • Peform SQL injection attacks and detection.

Module 9: Wireless Attacks and Countermeasures

• Introduction to wireless networks.

• Wireless network security fundamentals.

• Common wireless attack techniques.

• Bluetooth threats and wireless security risks.

• Wireless attack countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Analyze wireless network traffic.

  • Perform wireless attacks to compromise network security.

Module 10: Mobile, IoT, and OT Attacks and Countermeasures

• Mobile attack vectors and vulnerabilities.

• Mobile device management (MDM) and BYOD security.

• Mobile attack countermeasures.

• IoT attacks and countermeasures.

• OT attacks and countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Perform mobile device exploitation and security hardening.

  • Capture and analyze IoT device traffic.

Module 11: Cloud Computing Threats and Countermeasures

• Cloud and computing concepts.

• Containerization in cloud computing.

• Cloud computing threats and attacks.

• Cloud attack countermeasures.

• Lab Exercises

  • Perform cloud resource enumeration and exploitation

Module 12: Penetration Testing Fundamentals

• Introduction to Penetration Testing.

• Types, phases, and approaches to penetration testing.

• Guidelines and recommendations for penetration testing.

Exam Details

Pre-requisite: No prior cybersecurity knowledge or IT work experience required.

Exam Code: 112-52

Number of Questions: 75

Duration: 2 hours

Test Format: Multiple choice

Please contact us to schedule your exam, book a private corporate class, or join a public class.