CNDEC Council Certified Network Defender
Created per CertMap methodology · About the editorial team → · Official page ↗
▾ Jump to …5 sections
What is CND?
EC-Council's Certified Network Defender attests to network defence knowledge and addresses administrators who run and protect networks. It is earned through proctored exam 312-38: four hours, 100 multiple-choice questions, with a cut score set per exam form somewhere between 60 and 85 percent. The subject areas span perimeter and endpoint protection, the protection of applications and data, and the detection, response and prediction of security incidents. The credential is valid for three years and is renewed through EC-Council's CPE programme with 120 credits per cycle.
Suitable for
Quick facts
CertMap assessment & background
CND is a credential for network operations, not an analyst exam. Its institutional footing is in the US market: EC-Council lists it among the certifications recognised by the US Department of Defense and maps the programme to the NICE framework and to DoD roles in system and network administration; comparable evidence for German-speaking markets is missing. The route without training is easy to underestimate: two years of work experience in information security, verified through the eligibility process, plus a non-refundable application fee of 100 US dollars. The limit is the format: despite the operational subject matter, it is four hours of 100 multiple-choice questions with no lab or performance section. Follow-up costs keep running: 550 US dollars for the voucher, then 120 CPE credits per three-year cycle and an 80 US dollar CE fee per year, 240 US dollars across the cycle. Anyone who needs to evidence hands-on defence work requires an exam with a lab component.
More on CertMap editorial methodology →Cost, prerequisites, exam & renewal
Cost over 5 years
Prerequisites
Candidates who have attended official EC-Council training are eligible for the exam with no further conditions. Without training, EC-Council requires two years of work experience in information security, an eligibility application verified through a named referee, and a non-refundable application fee of 100 US dollars.
Exam format
The certification is earned through proctored exam 312-38: four hours, 100 multiple-choice questions, with no lab or performance section. There is no single fixed pass mark. EC-Council sets a separate cut score per exam form, and it can range from 60 to 85 percent.
Renewal & maintenance
CND is valid for three years. It is renewed through EC-Council's Continuing Professional Education programme: 120 CPE credits per three-year cycle, roughly 40 per year, recorded in the Aspen portal. On top of that comes the annual continuing education fee, which EC-Council lists for CND at 80 US dollars per year, or 240 US dollars across the cycle. The fee is mandatory and must be paid before renewal.
CertMap score and matching roles
Rating
Schema quality 3/3: ISO/IEC 17024, accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board, with CND listed by name. Practice evidence 1/3: four hours, 100 multiple-choice questions, no lab or performance section. Currency 2/3: revision cycle of three years or sooner documented, the latest documented version being exam blueprint v4.0 effective 10 April 2024. Market recognition 2/3: DoD recognition and NICE mapping documented, both from the provider itself.
Matching NICE roles
More certifications
From EC-Council
CASEEC Council Certified Application Security Engineer (.NET or Java)CCISOEC Council Certified Information Security OfficerCEHEC Council Certified Ethical HackerCHFIEC Council Computer Hacking Forensics InvestigatorCNDAEC Council Certified Network Defense ArchitectCPENTEC Council Certified Penetration Testing Professional
From the knowledge base
View all articles →CISSP or CISM? Two Careers, One Decision
Both require five years of experience, both cost roughly the same at first glance. Yet CISSP and CISM lead to different professions. The comparison with the numbers that course providers don't show.
CISM or CISA? Two ISACA paths, one directional decision
Both come from ISACA, both require five years of experience, and both cost almost the same. The difference is not the price but the role: managing or auditing. The comparison with the numbers and the role mapping.
CC or Security+? The Free Entry Point and the Job-Market Classic
Both are entry-level certifications with no admission barrier, both cover the fundamentals of cybersecurity, and yet they stand for different strategies: one as a low-threshold, temporarily free start, the other as an established credential with weight in the job market. The comparison with the numbers and the opposing cost logic.