CEH vs GCIH: Which Is the Best? [Full Comparision]

There is a massive demand for cyber security jobs, and the cybercrime level is increasing on an alarming note. With rising risks, the need for cyber security professionals is also getting higher. But the availability of thousands of IT security certifications can make choosing the perfect one for you extremely difficult.

EC Council’s CEH (Certified Ethical Hacking) and GIAC’s GCIH (Global Certified Incident Handler) are the most sought-after certification in the cyber security career. Cyber professionals often choose industry-recognized certifications, and these certificates will help you build knowledge and get the validation to get jobs in prestigious organizations.

This article will help you understand the main differences between CEH vs. GCIH so you can choose the right certifications.

About Certified Ethical Hacking

With many Ethical Hacking courses online, the primary question that comes to our mind is- Is CEH a good certification?

Provided by the International Council of E-Commerce Consultants (EC-Council), the CEH certification provides legitimate hacking services to IT companies. Applicants get a valid professional designation and can perform legitimate services for the organizations. To prevent exploitation, IT companies and organizations hire a CEH to scan and repair vulnerable applications and system security systems. They offer protection from black hat hackers and others that threaten the organization.

About Global Certified Incident Handler

Certified by the GIAC, the Global Certified Incident Handler (GCIH) certification introduces the world of incident handling and seasoned employees. The certification makes the candidate understand the security incident and teaches them how to handle it after it occurs. It provides a wide range of essential security services.

What are the Differences Between CEH vs GCIH?

CEH vs GCIH - Fundamental Difference

The basic questions that come to a candidate’s mind include: Is CEH harder than security, what is the best certificate for your career- CEH or GCIH, how long is CEH good for, etc. These questions are necessary to answer before choosing the certification.

While EC-Council’s CEH and GIAC’s GCIH are similar in many ways, the differences are significant and must be kept in mind while opting for the right certification. Certified Ethical Hacking is focused on offensive security, and the candidates will learn to use attacking tools. The GCIH, however, is more focused on the defense response. The certificate helps candidates detect, respond, and handle computer security incidents. The certification uses a wide range of essential security skills. However, the GCIH is preferred by the candidates who want to become an Incident Handler.

Eligibility Requirements for CEH and GCIH

As the number of cyber-attacks increases, organizations need more ethical hackers, and they hire them to ensure there is no risk of cyber-attacks. To become a certified ethical hacker, you need to search to find the perfect course. These certificates include CEH v10 certification, Certified Hacking Forensic Investigator v8, etc. Administered by EC-Council, CISA, OSCP, and many others, these courses are the best to start your career in ethical hacking.

Eligibility Criteria for CEH Certification

• With training, candidates can get CEH certified by attending official training from ED Council.
• Without training, candidates cannot take the examination for the CEH certificate. They must have two years of experience in the information security industry to apply for the course. In addition, the certification requires a non-refundable fee along with the eligibility application form. After the EC Council approves your form, you can take the CEH exam. Read more about the ethical hacking eligibility criteria.

Eligibility Criteria for GCIH Certification 

To become a GIAC-certified Incident Handler, you start by registering and taking the exam. These GCIH exams are taken through GIAC test centers.

Salaries of CEH and GCIH Certificate Holders

India is among the top countries that pay the highest salaries to ethical hackers. Ethical hackers, also known as white hat hackers and pen testers, earn attractive salary packages in India. With attractive payrolls, a certified ethical hacker enjoys many other benefits. However, the year of experience plays a significant role in deciding the salary of these ethical hackers. Your salary becomes higher once you have gained some experience in the field.

The CEH salary for freshers starts from INR 3.5 LPA. The average salary of an Ethical Hacker in India is between INR 29k and INR 41k. Mostly between INR 19.1 LPA and INR 40.6 LPA, the average salary for GCIH is INR 26.0 LPA.

CEH and GCIH Exam Details

CEH Exam

With so many online cyber security courses, it is necessary to clear your head about the basic details of the examination you will opt for. You must analyze every aspect of the examination before applying for the examination.

Exam Details	CEH (MCQ Exam)	CEH (Practical)
Number of Questions	125	20
Exam Duration	4 hours	6 hours
Exam Format	Multiple Choice Question	iLabs Cyber Range
Exam Delivery	ECC exam, VUE	-
Availability	-	Aspen-iLabs
Passing Score	-	70%

GCIH Exam

The following are GCIH exam details. The applicants will need to register an account with SANS/GIAC before scheduling an exam date.

Particulars	Details
Number of Questions	100-150
Exam Duration	4 hours
Passing Score	73%
Exam Body	-

Who Should Apply for CEH vs GCIH Certification?

The companies choose candidates with cyber security certification to validate knowledge of best practices. However, a vast ocean of certifications is available, and selecting the one that will elevate your career can be difficult. Many forms are available, from general to vendor-specific and entry-level to advanced. Before you spend your hard-earned money on a certificate course, it's crucial to find the one that will give you a competitive advantage and fuel your career to success.

EC-Council allows you to get all the knowledge and tools as hackers, but the whole process is legitimate. The CEH certification works from a vendor-neutral perspective. Professionals with the proper theoretical background and practical skills and hone their skills by getting the CEH certificate. A CEH should know how to apply effective tools and techniques to help identify problem areas beyond what scanning software can highlight.

Candidates interested in ethical hacking as a career can earn the CEH certification if they have the following roles:

• Information Security (InfoSec) Administrator/ Analyst
• InfoSec officer
• InfoSec specialist/ Manager
• InfoSec Security Engineer
• InfoSec professional
• Information Technology (IT) Auditor
• Risk analyst/ Threat analyst/ Vulnerability analyst
• System administrator
• Network administrator
• Network engineer

Benefits: CEH vs GCIH Certification

To become a Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH), you need to be able to use the same tools and methods that ill-intending black hat hackers use to carry out malicious cyber-attacks. This ethical hacking certification will teach you how to use hacking tools and techniques to break into systems and networks and find faults and vulnerabilities. This will help you become a better penetration tester and help protect your computer systems and networks. To get deep into penetration testing, you should take EC-Council's ECSA certification. This is the follow-up certification to the CEH.

The GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler) is focused on the skills needed to detect, respond to, and resolve IT security incidents. The certification is an in-depth examination of how cybercriminals can penetrate networks and access personal information. It is also helpful for professionals who want to work as incident handlers, system administrators, and security architects. This certification is similar to EC-Council's CEH, as both involve learning the tools and techniques hackers use to compromise organizations. However, CEH focuses on offensive security - i.e., GCIH certification focuses on defending and responding to incidents, while attack tools are designed to facilitate attacks.

CEH certifications help the candidates in the following ways. 

1. Helps You to Start Thinking Like Hackers

The CEH certificate benefits you by allowing you to think like a hacker, and it evolves you and hones your skills to develop an aptitude to re-enact any threats. You will be prepared for anything cyber criminals throw at you and counter their actions effectively.

2. Escalates Your Career

If your understanding of network security is good, you may want to consider taking the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) exam. This certification will show that you have a strong foundation in network security. The certificate can open up many new career opportunities for you and help you deepen your knowledge and skills.

3. Assured Payment Hike After the CEH Certification

As previously mentioned, CEH is a certification and training program recognized worldwide throughout the IT industry. Earning this credential can help you find more high-paying job opportunities worldwide. Your earning figures are expected to increase in the years to come.

4. Explore Your Knowledge About Risks, Threats, and Vulnerabilities 

As new technologies are developed, new threats emerge to exploit them. Cybercriminals constantly learn new techniques to stay ahead of the latest technological changes. They quickly learn how to identify vulnerabilities in new technologies and plan their attacks carefully. To keep your network secure from future attacks, you must stay current on your knowledge and skills. The CEH credential can help you do this.

5. Helpful for Penetration Testers and Other Professionals in the Field 

CEH as a credential is the basis of the penetration tester's function. Network professionals and IT security experts can also benefit from a network monitoring tool.

Conclusion

To kick start your career in the cyber security field, enroll in a suitable certificate. For CEH, you must pass the official exam offered by the EC-Council. Additionally, you must pass the practical exam with a score of at least 70%. Take action right away and enroll. There are excellent certification training courses for professionals that oversee IT security across infrastructure that spans physical, cloud, and hybrid environments. KnowledgeHut’s Ethical Hacking course online is easy, comprehensive, and can help you in boosting your career in the cybersecurity field.