GIAC Information Security Professional Certification (GISP)

Leadership Certification Overview

Validates a practitioner's understanding of the eight domains of cybersecurity knowledge, as defined by ISC2, that form the CISSP exam.

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Overview
Exam Objectives
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Who It's For
FAQs

What Is the GISP Certification?

The GIAC Information Security Professional (GISP) certification validates a practitioner's understanding of the eight domains of cybersecurity knowledge, as defined by ISC2, that form a critical part of the CISSP exam. GISP and the CISSP exam are not the same exam, though they test the same body of knowledge.

By the numbers

4 hrs

Exam duration

150

Questions

70%

Min. passing score

What GISP Covers

GISP's eight exam objectives group into six practical clusters, matching LDR414's course structure.

Security and Risk Management

Security governance, compliance, and risk management principles.

Asset Security & Security Architecture and Engineering

Data classification, asset handling, and secure architecture fundamentals.

Security Architecture and Engineering & Communication and Network Security

Cryptography, physical security, and network architecture and protocols.

Identity and Access Management (IAM)

Identification, authentication, and authorization controls.

Security Assessment and Testing & Security Operations

Security testing strategies, investigations, logging, and incident response.

Software Development Security

Secure software development lifecycle practices.

Prepare With This Course

LDR414: SANS Training Program for CISSP® Certification

Course Details

How LDR414 Prepares You for GISP

LDR414 is built around the exam objectives that make up the GISP certification:

Section 1, Introduction, Security and Risk Management builds skills tested under GISP's Security and Risk Management domain.
Section 2, Asset Security and Security Engineering (Part 1) builds skills tested under GISP's Asset Security and Security Architecture and Engineering domains.
Section 3, Security Engineering (Part 2): Communication and Network Security builds skills tested under GISP's Security Architecture and Engineering and Communication and Network Security domains.
Section 4, Identity and Access Management builds skills tested under GISP's Identity and Access Management (IAM) domain.
Section 5, Security Assessment and Security Operations builds skills tested under GISP's Security Assessment and Testing and Security Operations domains.
Section 6, Software Development Security builds skills tested under GISP's Software Development Security domain.

Across all six sections, 320 practice questions and a digital index give you the chance to work through each domain's concepts before you sit the exam.

Read the full GISP certification overview

LDR414 Course Authors

Eric Conrad

President at Backshore Communications

Eric Conrad, a SANS Faculty Fellow and course author, has 28 years of information security experience. Eric is the CTO of Backshore Communications and his specialties include Intrusion Detection, Threat Hunting, and Penetration Testing.

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Seth Misenar

Founder at Context Security Consulting

Seth, SANS Faculty Fellow and author of SEC411, LDR414, and SEC511, combines cutting-edge consulting and education to equip defenders worldwide. Founder of Context Security and GSE #28, he brings clarity, humor, and purpose to cybersecurity training.

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Who Should Pursue GISP

Security Professionals Pursuing CISSP

Security Managers

System Administrators

Network Administrators

Frequently Asked Questions

GISP proves you understand the eight domains of cybersecurity knowledge defined by ISC2, the same body of knowledge the CISSP exam covers.

A single 4-hour proctored exam with 150 questions and a minimum passing score of 70%.

GIAC certifications are renewed on a recurring cycle through continuing education credits and a maintenance fee. For the current renewal requirements, see GIAC’s renewal page.

GISP fits security professionals who want to understand CISSP's core concepts, along with system, security, and network administrators and security managers looking to validate broad security domain fluency.

LDR414 covers all eight domains across six course sections, with 320 practice questions and a digital index to work through the material before test day.

SANS Institute is a training organization. GIAC LLC is an independent certification body accredited by the ANSI National Accreditation Board (ANAB) under ISO/IEC 17024:2012. Completion of SANS training is not required for GIAC certification, nor does it guarantee a passing exam result.

Ready to earn your GISP certification?

Add the GISP exam attempt when you register for LDR414.

Already trained? Register for the exam directly through GIAC.

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