Both the Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v12 and the Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect certifications are valuable credentials for IT professionals. CEH v12 is ideal for those pursuing a career in cybersecurity and ethical hacking, offering a broad, vendor-neutral understanding of security principles and techniques. The Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect certification is better suited for individuals focused on designing and managing solutions on the Google Cloud Platform, providing in-depth knowledge of Google Cloud services and architecture. The choice depends on the individual's career goals and the specific area of IT they wish to specialize in.
| Attribute | Certified Ethical Hacker (CEH) v12 | Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect |
|---|---|---|
| Name | — | Google Cloud Professional Cloud Architect |
| Target Audience | — | IT professionals, cloud architects, solutions architects, enterprise architects, system administrators, and operations team members in IT and cloud roles |
| Prerequisites/Eligibility Requirements | — | No formal prerequisites; Google recommends 3+ years of industry experience, including 1+ years designing and managing solutions on GCP |
| Exam Difficulty Level | — | Challenging, on par with other top cloud certifications |
| Exam Cost | — | $200 USD |
| Renewal Requirements | — | Recertify every two years by retaking the exam; renewal exam option available; renewal can be done within 60 days before expiration; 50% discount code offered upon initial certification for renewal |
| Job Role Alignment | — | Cloud Architect, Solutions Architect, Cloud Data Engineer, and Infrastructure Engineer |
| Industry Recognition and Reputation | — | Highly respected and recognized within the industry |
| Curriculum Coverage | — | Designing cloud solution architecture, managing infrastructure, security and compliance, technical and business process optimization, implementation management, and ensuring solution reliability. Specific topics include Google Compute Engine, Google Kubernetes Engine, Cloud Storage, VPC, IAM, Cloud Monitoring, and Cloud Billing. |
| Hands-on Experience Required/Recommended | — | Highly recommended; at least 1 year of experience designing and managing solutions using Google Cloud |
| Study Materials and Resources Available | — | Official Google Cloud Documentation, Google Cloud Blog, GCP Services FAQ, Google Cloud Skills Boost Learning Path, Whizlabs, Udemy courses, Coursera courses |
| Vendor Neutrality vs. Vendor Specific | — | Vendor-specific, focusing on Google Cloud Platform |
| Salary Expectations Post-Certification | — | $139,000 to $175,000 per year on average; entry-level positions can earn between $80,000 and $120,000 annually; mid-level positions range from $120,000 to $160,000; senior-level positions can command salaries of $160,000 and above |
| Price | — | $200 USD |
| Ratings | — | Not available |