PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker (CLEH)

• Duration: 5 days

Course Overview

The PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker (CLEH) training course equips participants with the knowledge and practical skills required to plan, conduct, and document ethical hacking activities and penetration tests in a controlled, authorized environment.

As cyber threats continue to evolve, organizations need cybersecurity professionals who can identify vulnerabilities, evaluate security controls, and understand how attackers exploit weaknesses in networks, systems, and applications. This five-day course provides a structured approach to ethical hacking, combining foundational concepts with practical penetration testing techniques.

Participants will explore penetration testing standards and methodologies, network reconnaissance, vulnerability identification, threat modelling, exploitation, privilege escalation, pivoting, and post-exploitation activities. The course also addresses legal considerations, contractual requirements, responsible handling of testing artifacts, and the preparation of professional findings reports with actionable remediation recommendations.

The program includes practical examination activities designed to assess participants’ ability to compromise target machines through authorized penetration testing and document their findings in a written report.

Upon successful completion of the examination and fulfilment of the applicable certification requirements, participants can apply for the PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker (CLEH) credential or the relevant provisional credential.

Learning Objectives

By the end of this training course, participants will be able to:

• Explain the fundamental concepts, principles, and methodologies of ethical hacking and penetration testing.
• Understand the relationship between penetration testing methodologies, recognized standards, and regulatory frameworks.
• Plan penetration testing activities by defining the scope, understanding contractual requirements, and considering legal implications.
• Apply passive and active reconnaissance techniques to gather information about target environments.
• Identify vulnerabilities and develop threat models and attack plans.
• Apply appropriate exploitation techniques against networks, servers, client systems, wireless environments, and web applications within an authorized testing scope.
• Perform privilege escalation, pivoting, file transfers, and controlled access-maintenance activities during penetration tests.
• Understand the purpose and limitations of intrusion detection evasion techniques in authorized security assessments.
• Clean up testing artifacts appropriately after completing assessment activities.
• Prepare comprehensive penetration testing reports containing findings and practical recommendations for mitigating identified vulnerabilities.

Target Audience

This training course is intended for:

• Aspiring Ethical Hackers and Penetration Testers seeking to develop structured knowledge of penetration testing techniques and methodologies.
• Information Security Professionals looking to strengthen their technical expertise in ethical hacking and vulnerability assessment.
• Cybersecurity Officers and Specialists responsible for evaluating the security of information systems and networks.
• Information Security Team Members seeking to expand their understanding of attack techniques and security assessment practices.
• IT Managers and Security Consultants interested in planning, supervising, and managing ethical hacking activities.
• Technical Experts and Security Engineers who want to develop the skills required to plan and conduct authorized penetration tests.

Course Content

Day 1: Introduction to Ethical Hacking

• Training Course Objectives and Structure
• Penetration Testing Standards, Methodologies, and Frameworks
• Practical Lab Overview
• Fundamental Concepts of Ethical Hacking
• Network Fundamentals
• Understanding Cryptography
• Relevant Trends and Technologies
• Kali Linux Fundamentals
• Initiating a Penetration Test
• Analysing the Penetration Testing Scope
• Legal Implications and Contractual Agreements

Day 2: Initiating the Reconnaissance Phase

• Passive Reconnaissance
• Active Reconnaissance
• Vulnerability Identification

Day 3: Initiating the Exploitation Phase

• Threat Modelling and Attack Planning
• Intrusion Detection System (IDS) Evasion Techniques
• Server-Side Attacks
• Client-Side Attacks
• Web Application Attacks
• Wi-Fi Attacks
• Privilege Escalation
• Pivoting
• File Transfers
• Maintaining Access

Day 4: Post-Exploitation and Reporting

• Cleaning Up and Removing Testing Artifacts
• Preparing a Penetration Testing Findings Report
• Recommendations for Mitigating Identified Vulnerabilities
• Course Review and Closing Session

Day 5: Certification Examination

• Review of Key Course Concepts
• Preparation for the Certification Examination
• PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker Examination

Examination and Certification

The PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker examination evaluates participants’ theoretical knowledge and practical ability to conduct penetration testing activities and communicate findings professionally.

Examination duration: 6 hours

The examination is an open-book assessment and consists of two parts:

• Practical Examination: Candidates must demonstrate penetration testing capabilities by compromising at least two target machines within the examination environment.
• Report Writing: Candidates must document the penetration testing process and findings in a written report.

Participants are permitted to use the training course materials and personal notes during the examination, in accordance with the applicable PECB examination rules.

The examination covers the following competency domains:

1. Information-Gathering Tools and Techniques
2. Threat Modelling and Vulnerability Identification
3. Exploitation Techniques
4. Privilege Escalation
5. Pivoting and File Transfers
6. Reporting

The examination follows the PECB Examination and Certification Program (ECP) requirements. Details regarding examination arrangements, available languages, and applicable rules are provided by PECB.

Certification Requirements

Candidates who successfully pass the examination can apply for the relevant credential based on their professional experience, project experience, and compliance with PECB certification requirements.

1. PECB Certified Provisional Ethical Hacker

• Examination: PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker examination or equivalent.
• Professional Experience: No professional experience required.
• Project Experience: No project experience required.
• Other Requirements: Signing the PECB Code of Ethics and the PECB CLEH Code of Conduct.

2. PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker (CLEH)

• Examination: PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker examination or equivalent.
• Professional Experience: Five years of professional experience, including two years of work experience in penetration testing and cybersecurity.
• Project Experience: 300 hours of project experience.
• Other Requirements: Signing the PECB Code of Ethics and the PECB CLEH Code of Conduct.

A certificate is issued once the candidate fulfils all applicable educational, professional, and certification requirements for the selected credential.

Course Benefits

By completing this training course, participants will be better equipped to:

• Conduct Structured Penetration Tests: Apply recognized methodologies to plan and execute authorized security assessments.
• Identify Security Vulnerabilities: Use reconnaissance, threat modelling, and exploitation techniques to uncover weaknesses in target environments.
• Understand Attack Techniques: Develop practical insight into privilege escalation, pivoting, wireless attacks, and web application exploitation.
• Evaluate Security Defences: Assess security controls and understand how potential attackers may attempt to bypass defensive mechanisms.
• Strengthen Reporting Skills: Document technical findings clearly and recommend appropriate remediation measures.
• Support Organizational Risk Management: Provide technical evidence that helps organizations prioritize vulnerabilities and improve their security posture.
• Pursue Professional Recognition: Work toward the PECB Certified Lead Ethical Hacker credential by meeting the applicable examination and certification requirements.

Training Materials and CPD Credits

• Training Materials: Participants receive more than 450 pages of course materials containing theoretical information, practical examples, and exercises.
• CPD Credits: Participants who attend the training course receive an attestation of course completion worth 35 Continuing Professional Development (CPD) credits.
• Examination and Certification Fees: Included in the training course price.
• Examination Retake: Candidates who complete the training course but fail the examination are eligible for one free retake within 12 months of the initial examination date, subject to the applicable PECB rules.

Prerequisites

The course description does not specify mandatory prerequisites for attendance. However, familiarity with networking, operating systems, information security fundamentals, and basic command-line operations would be beneficial, particularly for participants preparing for the practical penetration testing examination.

All penetration testing exercises must be performed within the authorized scope and according to applicable legal, contractual, and ethical requirements.

Certification Body

PECB (Professional Evaluation and Certification Board)

PECB provides professional training, examination, and certification services across cybersecurity, information security, governance, risk, and compliance disciplines.