European hackers beat US and the rest of the world's hackers to dominate EC-Council's global Ethical Hacking Leaderboard

    ALBUQUERQUE, NM, August 06, 2020 /24-7PressRelease/ -- Europeans lead EC-Council's Ethical Hacking All-Time Leaderboard. Of the top 10 experts ranked on the list, 4 are from Europe. The results are not surprising. According to the Global Cybersecurity Index (GCI) published by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), Europe boasts the highest number of member states actively providing cybersecurity training to the professionals who need it. This high-level commitment to cybersecurity is based on key data from five vital cyber pillars including technical, legal, organizational, capacity building and cooperation.

"The results of the Global Ethical Hacking Leaderboard by EC-Council has validated that statistics found by the ITU," said Jay Bavisi, President and CEO of EC-Council. High scoring players Björn Voitel (Germany, score of 90%), Denis Ratchenko (Russia, score of 87%), Peter Repasy (UK, score of 87%), and Roman Alferov (Russia, score of 85%) ensured Europe's domination of the Ethical Hacking Leaderboard.

The GCI is rooted in the ITU Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA) that was launched in 2007, and reflects its five pillars: legal, technical, organizational, capacity building, and cooperation. The GCI combines 25 indicators into one benchmark measure to measure the cybersecurity commitment of 193 ITU Member States against the five pillars endorsed by the Global Cybersecurity Agenda (GCA).

To rank on the leaderboard itself is no easy task. Each candidate is graded on their scores in the CEH certification exam, the CEH (Practical) live challenge, and the collective time taken to complete the two. The 6-hour long practical exam demands a candidate work through 20 complex scenarios faced on the job and is nerve-racking for candidates. Doing well on the Practical exam requires that candidates thoroughly understand ethical hacking concepts and know how to apply in a real-world scenario, where the stakes are high, and time is a factor. Passing the CEH certification exam and the CEH (Practical) challenge begets a candidate the CEH (Master) designation, validating their skills and knowledge in ethical hacking.

EC-Council's leaderboard is updated every quarter to showcase new and exciting talent in the field of ethical hacking from around the world. Europe is also the most dominant region in terms of cybersecurity prowess, with 5 nations in the top 10 list. Their dominance in the ethical hacking leaderboard echoes the efforts of the candidates' respective countries to promote cybersecurity education.

"I started with a career in networking and slowly transitioned to cybersecurity as I started my own consulting business. Since I've trained in 2 different variants of the CEH, and have been implementing that over the last 10 years, I did find the CEH practical exam challenging, but I had no idea that it would make me the leading European, in the history of EC-Council to do that," says Björn Voitel (90%) from Germany. Björn also happens to be an active CEI (Certified EC-Council Instructor) for CEH.

Peter Repasy from Great Britain, "I had taken some courses in cybersecurity in order to understand the core concepts. But I took the CEH (Practical) to validate my proficiency. I feel extremely encouraged and humbled to be featured on the leaderboard, and to represent my country."

The region ranking second on the tally was APAC with Singaporean Chelson Chong (92%) leading the all-time leaderboard, followed by Yohan Muliono (Indonesia, 86%), and Leon Mok (Singapore, 85%).

From the Americas, Anthony Jamahl Bowe (Bahamas, 88%), Dennis Enoch (USA, 87%), and Thomas McNeela (USA, 85%) represented their countries.

To check out the Ethical Hacking Leaderboard, visit – https://www.eccouncil.org/ethical-hacking-leaderboard-all-time/

About EC-Council:

EC-Council programs set the cybersecurity bar in over 140 Countries. Trusted by 7 of the Fortune 10, 47 of the Fortune 100, the Department of Defense, Intelligence Community, NATO, and over 2,000 of the world's top universities, colleges and training companies.

EC-Council's sole purpose is to build and refine the cybersecurity profession. We help individuals, organizations, educators, and governments address global workforce problems. Through the development of world-class cybersecurity education programs and their corresponding certifications, EC-Council provides cybersecurity services to some of the largest businesses around the globe.

Best known for the Certified Ethical Hacker program, EC-Council builds individual and team/organization cyber capabilities through the Certified Ethical Hacker Program and other programs including: Certified Secure Computer User, Computer Hacking Forensic Investigator, Certified Security Analyst, Certified Network Defender, Certified SOC Analyst, Certified Threat Intelligence Analyst, Certified Incident Handler, as well as the Certified Chief Information Security Officer.

EC-Council is an ANSI 17024 accredited organization with earned recognition from the DoD under Directive 8140/8570, in the U.K. by the GCHQ and a variety of other authoritative bodies that influence the entire profession.

Founded in 2001, EC-Council employs over 400 people worldwide with 10 global offices in the USA, U.K., Malaysia, Singapore, India, and Indonesia. Its U.S. offices are in Albuquerque, NM, and Tampa, FL. Learn more at www.eccouncil.org.

# # #