CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS IN 150 COUNTRIES
CERTIFIED PROFESSIONALS IN 150 COUNTRIES
Become a
Certified Network Defender (CND)
What is the EC-Council Certified Network Defender (C|ND) Program?
EC-Council’s Certified Network Defender (C|ND) is an essential vendor-neutral network security certification for every IT and systems administrator who needs to operate with a secure mindset.
Students will learn the critical skills required to defend their networks and operating environments across local networks, endpoints, cloud infrastructure, applications, OT, and mobile. They will also acquire knowledge of effective proper log analysis, network traffic monitoring, basic investigation and response, as well as business continuity and disaster recovery. Additionally, they will dive into threats, analyzing the attack surface, and studying threat prediction and threat intelligence as it relates to their administration and defense responsibilities.
Often referred to as blue-teaming, C|NDs will be able to apply defense and countermeasure strategies in their organizations, playing a critical role not only in attack prevention but also in detection, response, and remediation as they configure networks and systems to operate securely. The C|ND program will cover the concepts and fortify skills through hands-on practice across over 100+ labs delivered on live target machines.
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The C|ND program designed by industry experts prepares network defenders with strategic, technological, and operational network security capabilities, enabling them to design, develop, and maintain secure networks.
EC-Council’s Certified Network Defender (C|ND) program, a network security course is a pathway to start your career in cybersecurity and in blue team. C|ND’s network security course stands out from other networking programs as it offers a comprehensive approach that extends beyond networking skills and builds robust networking security skills.
Key Features and Critical Components of The C|ND Program
The Certified Network Defender program has been upgraded and loaded with battle-ready ammunition to help blue teams defend and win the war against network breaches.
- It is the world's first network security program with a continual/adaptive security strategy, i.e., Protect, Detect, Respond, and Predict. This approach built on a 4 pronged approach not only proves effective in responding to a network attack but stops them before they happen.
1. Protect
Defense-in-depth security strategy
- Protect Endpoints
- Protect Data
- Protect Network
2. Detect
- Continues Threat Monitoring
3. Respond
- Incident Response
4. Predict
- Threat Intelligence
- Threat Hunting
- Attack Surface Analysis
- It covers defense-in-depth security strategy:
1. Policies, Procedures, and Awareness 2. Physical 3. Perimeter 4. Internal Network 5. Host 6. Application 7. Data
- It covers all the five functions of the NIST Cybersecurity Framework (CSF):
1. Identify 2. Protect 3. Detect 4. Respond 5. Recover
- Accredited by the ANAB ISO/IEC 17024 ANSI National Accreditation Board
- Recognized by the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) – part of GCHQ (UK's intelligence, security, and cyber agency)
- Covers the latest tools and advanced network security requirements used by top cybersecurity experts worldwide.
- It covers four security approaches:
1. Preventive Approach 2. Reactive Approach 3. Retrospective Approach 4. Proactive Approach
- Includes 100+ hands-on labs—more labs than any globally recognized network security certification.
- Approved by the US Department of Defense (DoD) under Directive 8570/8140
- Mapped with the NICE Framework
- Mapped with real-time job roles and responsibilities of network security professionals.
The Credential That Sets the Global Benchmark
for Network Security Skills and Builds Careers in Network Security and Blue Team
Acquire the Skills to Harden A Network
Best Defense Thwarts Any Offense
US Department Of Defense (DoD) 8570/8140 Approved Certification
Key Benefits of the C|ND Program
Build Your Network Security Career and Skills with the C|ND Program
Career Opportunities with C|ND
Stop Network Attacks Before They Happen
Acquire The Skills To Predict An Attack With C|ND
World’s Most Practical Network Security Program
How Does the C|ND Compare to Other Programs?
| Certification | Focus | Vendor Type | Security Focus |
|---|---|---|---|
| C|ND | Network Security | Vendor Neutral | Defend networks and operating environments and apply countermeasure strategies |
| CCNA | Networking | Vendor Specific (CISCO) | Basic security aspects |
| Network+ | Networking | Vendor Neutral | Security basics, common attacks, and awareness |
In summary,
1. C|ND focuses on network security, while CCNA and Network+ focus mainly on networking with a small focus on security basics/fundamentals.
2. CCNA is vendor-specific to CISCO, while Network+ and C|ND are vendor-neutral.
Are you interested in learning robust network security skills? The C|ND is the comprehensive network security course of choice in cybersecurity, with the best coverage of networking concepts and secure design delivered through the Protect, Detect, Respond, and Predict learning process. If you have done CCNA or Network+, add network security skills to your hardware and networking skills with the C|ND.
*Above is an EC-Council view of other certifications in the industry.
Why Do Top Network Security Professionals Across the Globe Love the C|ND Certification?
C|ND FAQs
Accreditations, Recognitions and Endorsements
