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EC-Council’s Essentials Series is a Cybersecurity certificate series covering essential skills in network defense, ethical hacking, and digital forensics. The Network Defense Essentials (N|DE), Ethical Hacking Essentials (E|HE), and Digital Forensics Essentials (D|FE) are 3 foundational, industry recognized Cybersecurity certification programs, that help students and early career professionals learn real-world skills required in today’s entry-level cybersecurity field. The Essentials Series was designed to educate cybersecurity beginners in a range of techniques and topics across industry verticals, such as securing local networks, combating cybercrime and cyber threats, mitigating network security breaches, ethical hacking, cyber-attacks from hackers, conducting forensic investigations, and more.

The Essential Series includes three beginner level courses, each covering essential skills in Network Defense, Ethical Hacking, and Digital Forensics. This course series is designed for today's entry-level careers in information security, network defense, and digital forensics and is ideal for computer science and computer network learners aspiring to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

All 3 Essentials Series courses are closely aligned to specific work roles within the National Initiative of Cybersecurity Education (NICE) framework. In result, students taking Essentials Series courses should be able to clearly determine which work roles in today’s industry they are prepared for with each cybersecurity certification.

Each course offers an industry certification exam. Exams for each course are 2 hours and consist of 75 multiple choice questions.

Network Defense Essentials

Network Defense Essentials covers the fundamental concepts of information security and network defense across operating systems, computer network, security breaches, and local networks. This introductory cybersecurity course is designed for today's entry-level information security or cybersecurity careers and is ideal for learners aspiring to pursue a career in cybersecurity.

Ethical Hacking Essentials

Ethical Hacking Essentials is an introductory cybersecurity course that covers ethical hacking, penetration testing fundamentals and prepares learners for a career in cybersecurity. This course will introduce learners to cyberattacks and cyber threats, as well as security breaches, phishing, password cracking, web application attacks, IoT and OT attacks, cloud computing, pen testing fundamentals, and more.

Digital Forensics Essentials

Digital Forensics Essentials helps learners increase their competency and expertise in digital forensics and cybercrime, thereby adding value to their workplace and employer. This course will introduce learners to Computer Forensics Fundamentals as well as the Computer Forensics Investigation Process. Plan to learn about Dark Web, Cyberattacks and threats, Windows, Linux, Malware Forensics, and so much more! The interactive labs component of this course ensures that learners receive the hands-on, practical experience required for a future in digital forensics.