EC-Council Research Paper

International Council Commerce Consultants (EC-Council)
Author
Institution

Abstract
Hacking is an illegal activity, the primary intention of hackers is to steal data either from individuals or companies, in most cases, the information is beneficial to the online thieves financially. Also, some online attacks may be carried out by terrorists with the intention of causing harm; this includes the hacking of power plants and interfering with normal operations of the stations which might cause explosions and injure or kill people in the process. In most cases, the people responsible for hacking are not arrested as they are keen to block the paths that might be used to trace them. The EC-Council was created with the intention of detecting all the loopholes that might be used by hackers to gain unauthorized online access and secure them; this is referred to ensuring information security through ethical hacking. The research below provides information about the EC-Council and some certification programs it offers; these include the Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT), the Certified Network Defender (CND), and the Certified Security Computer User (CSCU).

International Council Commerce Consultants
EC-Council was created as a result of the research that was conducted on the devastating September 11 attack on the World Trade Center. The founder of the organization, Jay Bavisi, was motivated to create the council based on the high likelihood that a similar attack might be carried out on the cyber battlefield.

In case of such an attack, the information security community needs to be equipped with the necessary resources and tools to prevent it. Lack of the required precautionary platforms at the time motivated the formation of the EC-Council which trains and provides certification programs to help the community and the economy survive devastating attacks carried out over the internet.
Hacking continues to evolve; hackers are now targeting critical operations such as nuclear and electric power plants with intentions of taking control over them (Staff, 2015). In the worst case scenario, terror groups through hackers could infiltrate or interrupt vital air control infrastructures leading to fatal crashes and bringing the flight systems to a halt. Cyber aggression is continually being implemented as the primary weapon in international conflicts. In most cases, countries are to blame for countrywide attacks on national infrastructure. Governments across the Western world understands the importance of allocating resources to defend the cyberinfrastructure.
The EC-Council has quickly gained the support of top researchers and experts in matters relating to cybersecurity. Currently, EC-Council operates in 145 countries around the world. The first information security program the council launched was the Certified Ethical Hacking (CEH). EC-Council has experienced a continuous growth among its team of information security researchers; this has motivated the establishment of other additional programs such as License Penetration Testing (Practical) Programs, Certified Security Analyst (ECSA), and Computer Hacking Forensics Investigator (C|HFI). The Council has trained over 200,000 information security experts around the world who have made an impact on the cybersecurity mindset of many organization globally.
One of the methods of producing the best experts is providing the education programs in stages. Individuals who are in their initial phases of studying computer security and wish to advance are advised to start by undertaking the CSCU program which is a certification for beginners. Upon finishing the course, they can proceed to the ECSS which specializes in security in the cyberspace. For candidates who wish to advance their education and finally become ethical hackers, the next step is to undergo certification in ethical hacking. EC-Council considers CEH as the core certification for more specialized and advanced certifications. However, it is not mandatory for candidates to undertake the course if they wish to specialize in a particular field of information security.
Another entry-level certification, the CSCU which deals with security of computer users, it is appropriate for people who have prior knowledge in protecting information assets. A CSCU expert is capable of shielding systems using data encryption and antivirus software, understands how to safeguard operating systems, identify theft tactics, and recognizes social engineering procedures (Tittel & Lindros, 2017). A CSCU certified candidate is equipped with knowledge that is useful in disaster recovery, data backup and internet security techniques for email communication, online transactions and mobile devices. Like most EC-Council credentials, only one examination is required to acquire this certification. At the fundamental levels, EC-Council does not offer any advanced certification programs beyond the CSCU.
IT and network administrators who deal with cybersecurity education and job task analysis are advised to undertake a course in the CND certification which deals with network defense and is also a beginner course created by the NICE which is an initiative on cybersecurity education. NIST supervises the certification program; this is the body that handles standards in technology. For CND candidates it is mandatory to have knowledge on protecting, detecting and coming up with an appropriate response to network security issues and possess a clear understanding of security standards and policies, network and physical security. Also, CND candidates should understand, prevention mechanisms for intrusions, operating system hardening, troubleshooting, network threats, application and web security and log analysis.
One of the most prestigious and rigorous certification programs provided by the EC-Council is the Licensed Penetration Tester (LPT). An LPT certified expert is equipped with the necessary skills for understanding and selecting the best penetration testing. The professionals are also equipped with the knowledge needed to achieve organizational compliance standards and regulatory requirements. LPT experts are aware of all the aspects of licensed penetration framework; this is necessary for performing various kinds of penetration testing. A candidate applying for the LPT examination must have the ECSA certification with at least two-years of experience in penetration testing or an industry certification from an approved institution.
Information security experts that have passed EC-Council certification programs attain the required qualifications for a wide range of jobs. For example, the EC-Council CND certification is the minimum requirement for practicing information security. It allows those that have attained it to maintain, install, configure, and manage the security infrastructure of organizations; this includes, intrusion detection, security, firewalls, endpoint securities and other protection technologies services that are very marketable to companies.

References
Staff, T. (2015). Next 9/11 will be caused by hackers, not suicide bombers, cyber expert warns. Timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 15 January 2018, from https://www.timesofisrael.com/hackers-will-cause-next-911-cyber-expert-warns/Tittel, E., & Lindros, K. (2017). EC-Council Certification Guide: Overview And Career Paths – EC-Council Certifications. Tom’s IT Pro. Retrieved 15 January 2018, from http://www.tomsitpro.com/articles/ec-council-certification-guide,2-1014.html