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GIAC Certifications: The Highest Standard in Cyber Security Certifications

GIAC Certifications provide the highest and most rigorous assurance of cyber security knowledge and skill available to industry, government, and military clients across the world.
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Certification Focus AreasNew CertificationsNews & ResourcesExam Prep & HelpGetting & Staying CertifiedHR & Cyber SecurityReviews

Explore Certification Focus Areas

Easily explore the certification focus areas to find what will take your career to the next level.

New GIAC Certifications

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GIAC Cloud Security Essentials (GCLD)
"The GIAC Cloud Security Essentials (GCLD) certification proves that the certificate holder understands many of the security challenges brought forth when migrating systems and applications to cloud service provider (CSP) environments. Understanding this new threat landscape is only half the battle. The GCLD certification goes one step further - proving that the defender can implement preventive, detective, and reactionary techniques to defend these valuable cloud-based workloads." - Ryan Nicholson, SANS SEC488 Course Author
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GIAC Cloud Penetration Tester (GCPN)
"The GIAC Cloud Penetration Testing (GCPN) certification provides our industry with a first focused exam on both cloud technologies and penetration testing disciplines. This certification will require a mastery in assessing the security of systems, networks, web applications, web architecture, cloud technologies, and cloud design. Those that hold the GCPN have been able to cross these distinct discipline areas and simulate the ways that attackers are breaching modern enterprises."- Moses Frost, Course Author SEC588: Cloud Penetration Testing

News and Resources from GIAC Certifications

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Blog
Why should YOU get GIAC certified?
GIAC certifications span the breadth of infosec. Our certifications are concentrated in focus areas: offensive security, cyber defense, cloud security, DFIR, management, and ICS. Each focus area has multiple certifications testing various abilities and skill levels. Rather than skimming the surface of different skillsets, GIAC certifications are a mile deep for specialized job-focused tasks. This allows us to thoroughly validate a practitioner’s abilities and likelihood of success in a real-world work environment.
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Blog
Certifying from Home
There’s a certain comfort in doing things the way they’ve always been done. Testing in centers is familiar by now – we’re all used to it, even internally at GIAC. But it’s undeniable that even without the current situation created by the pandemic, technology has evolved to a point where remote proctoring is now a logical – and secure – next step for the future of certifications.
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Exam Prep & Help Getting Certified

The SANS Institute is GIAC's preferred partner for exam preparation. SANS training can be taken in three different formats: OnDemand, Live Online, and In-Person. Find a training format that best fits your schedule.

SANS and GIAC are here to help you along your certification journey. Review our handy step-by-step guide and tips for success.

SANS Training Formats Step-By-Step Help Guide

Getting Certified and Staying Certified

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GIAC Exam Overview
GIAC’s dedication to exam quality and relevancy is unparalleled. Our team of exam developers is made up of experts who have devoted their professional lives to infosec - both at GIAC and as practitioners in the field. Every detail of our exams is rigorously evaluated by a psychometrician to ensure fairness and accuracy.
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CyberLive Practical Testing
GIAC’s CyberLive exams are practical virtual machine exams in a lab environment requiring test takers to perform hands-on tasks mimicking what they might find in their daily work. CyberLive testing sets GIAC apart as a leader in infosec skill validation.
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Stay Certified
Keeping your certification active is critical to stay relevant in the cyber security workforce. Renewing ensures your place at the front lines against bad actors – and ensures job and enterprise security. To stay certified, collect 36 CPEs over the four years your cert is active or choose to retake the certification exam.
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HR and Cyber Security

An extreme shortage of qualified cyber security professionals is placing a burden on employers to fill critical security roles. SANS and GIAC provide assessments and tools to help human resource professionals and recruiters place well-qualified, pre-assessed professionals into critical cyber security roles.
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Sample Cyber Security Job Descriptions
Use these editable sample job descriptions that were provided by leading, managing information security professionals that will help you seek the right cyber security professional candidates.
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CyberTalent Assessments
SANS offers nine web-based assessment tools that provide cyber security managers with information and data to better manage their team’s skills and performance, improve their hiring efforts, and make their training investment more productive.
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Interactive Work Role Mapping
In alignment with the NICE Framework, GIAC's interactive work role mapping tool helps you identify the courses and certifications you need to advance your career.
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What GIAC Certifications Holders Say About Their Exam Experience

I feel now that I am certified, the whole "Trust Me, I'm Certified" actually does exist. I was able to land my dream role thanks to the skills and knowledge I've learned via taking SANS courses and passing GIAC exams.
Nate Gonzalez
GSEC, GCIH
The GIAC cert exam covers information in real-world terms. Even as an open-book exam it was challenging. It wasn't about memorizing answers but instead applying that information to real-life scenarios.
Ken Hansen
GISF - Quanta
A SANS / GIAC certification holds a high degree of value: it truly establishes one as an expert in their field.
Navroz Shariff
- NASA, ASRC
I value the instant respect and credibility GIAC professionals receive. People know you've worked hard to obtain the certification and they recognize the critical skills and knowledge that come with it.
Ben Boyle
GWAPT, GXPN, GPEN
GIAC certified individuals know how to use the same tools and techniques that attackers do, learn to think like an attacker and protect from them.
@shabiKurumbadi
- Twitter