www.giac.org

GIAC Recertification Policy

All GIAC certifications must be renewed every four years.

Candidates have four months to complete a recertification attempt, once you are registered and payment is  received.  Recertification exams are done in a single exam format delivered in a proctored setting. For details go to: the GIAC Proctor Program. Log into your portal account to see any completed certifications by clicking on the "Cert Attempts / History" link.  If you don't see this link, or don't see your certifications, please email recert@giac.org. Please include any email addresses that you have used during your training and certification. It is possible that you have more than one account and we will need to merge accounts and consolidate all your certification history into a single portal account.

Your recertification will become available for registration in your portal account one year in advance of your certification expiration. You will be able to see your certification and its new expiration date in your portal account via the "Certification History" link on your portal home page.  Recertification will require one proctored exam. Recertification candidates will be taking exactly the same exams as current certification candidates.

Why Recertify?

It may be tempting to postpone renewing your certification, or simply to let it expire. Here are some things to consider:

Reinforcement of your education.
With all the time and effort you put into your original certification, you learned a lot. If you do not continually refresh that knowledge it will disappear before you know it. Studying for the recertification exam is an excellent way to stay up-do-date with security information and new technologies. SANS courses are updated three times per year, so there will be twelve updates to your subject by the time you recertify.
Top-notch reputation.
GIAC's reputation for rigor, quality, and therefore value continues to grow. Holding a GIAC certification shows employers and peers that you possess both the dedication to apply yourself to complete the program, and the top-quality knowledge and skills required to pass.
Financial benefits.
Holding a GIAC certification can provide financial benefits. Foote Partners' IT Professional Salary Survey and Hot Technical Skills and Certifications Pay Index (HTSCPI) continues to rank GIAC-certified professionals at the top for receipt of bonus pay for earning their certifications.
Public recognition of your ability.
Holding a GIAC certification provides a way for you to directly demonstrate your skills to the community.
Advantage for your organization.
Many organizations are starting to follow the lead of the US Department of Defense with their 8570 instruction. Your organization will enjoy a competitive advantage if you have people with the right certifications. Additionally, you may not be able to work in some positions unless you hold a certification.
Certification can demonstrate due diligence.
Another benefit to organizations is that having people with current appropriate certifications demonstrates the practice of due diligence. GIAC certifications are primarily job task related and teach good practice and procedure for specific security roles such as operating system security, penetration testing, forensics, perimeter and wireless security. This can reduce an organization's exposure to liability lawsuits.
Prestige over time.
Maintaining your certification demonstrates your ability to keep up with changes in the field over time. Ten years from now, wouldn't you be proud to have a low analyst number? If your certification expires you lose your original analyst number. Wouldn't you hate to lose that prestigious "low number" showing you were among the first people certified?
Updated courseware.
When you pay your recertification fee, you will be shipped the latest SANS course books for your certification to help bring you up to date during your recertification period.
It's cheaper to recertify.
The fee to recertify is a fraction of the cost of your original training and/or certification. Recertification is a benefit of your certification, providing current courseware at a significantly reduced rate.

Frequently Asked Questions about Recertification

What happens if I don't pass the exam?
If you fail an exam before your final deadline, you may purchase up to two retakes. Retakes are $199. Retakes can be purchased by logging into your portal account and clicking on the "buy retake" link in the certification grid. A retake will extend your final deadline by one month. The adjusted deadline will be displayed in the certification grid in your portal account. If you purchase a second retake, payment must be received by the end of the previous retake period. The retake option will not be available unless you have attempted and failed some portion of the certification within the retake period.
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What happens if I register for my recertification attempt before my original certification actually expires?
Beginning your recertification attempt early will have no negative impact on your certification status. We allow certified professionals to recertify up to one year in advance of the actual due date. Even if you complete your recertification attempt with a few months left on your original certification time frame, your new certification time frame will not start ticking until the first one has completed.
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Why do I have to renew my certification?

The field of information technology in general, and information security in particular, changes rapidly. As a certified security professional, it is important to not only demonstrate your knowledge at a given point in time, but continue to learn and maintain that same level of knowledge over time.

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Are there limits to when I can renew my certification?

Yes. Re-certification will be available starting one year before your expiration date, and will remain available through your expiration date. You must register for the re-certification before your certification expiration date. All certifications have now gone to a four year certification period.

Log into your portal account to see any completed certifications by clicking on the "Certification History" link. Your certification should be listed, and if you are within a year of your certification's expiration date, you will see a "recertify now" option. If you don't see this link, or don't see your certifications, please email recert@giac.org. Please include any email addresses that you have used during your training and certification. It is possible that you have more than one account and we will need to merge accounts so that you will be able to consolidate all your certification history into one single portal account.

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What if my certification previously expired under the old two year certification period?
All certification listings have been updated to reflect the four year certification period. If your certification listing is showing a date in the future, then you will be able to recertify through your portal account.
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How much time do I have to complete the recertification?
Once you register and payment is received, you have four months to take and pass the recertification exam (even if this takes you past your certification expiration date). Your exam deadline will be displayed from the "Certification Attempts" link in your portal home page.
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How will I know when my certification is due for renewal
Your certification and expiration date will be displayed in two places. All certifications are posted at http://www.giac.org/certified_professionals/. Your certification and expiration date will be posted in your portal account. Once you log in, click on the "Certification History" link on your portal home page. As noted above, if you don't see your certification or recertification registration option in your portal account, please email mailto:recert@giac.org along with any email addresses that you have used in your training or certification.
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What is the cost of the recertification?

The recertification fee is $325 plus applicable shipping fees for the current course materials should you choose to purchase them. Once your registration and payment have been processed, your course books will be shipped to the address used in your registration. You will receive access to audio files, as available, of the course as presented at a recent conference through the "Self Study Files" link on your portal home page. You'll receive two practice exams available from the "Practice Exams" link on your portal home page. This will allow you to study, keep current with the latest SANS course material, and prepare for the exam. You are not required to complete the online course - you are only required to pass the exam.

You'll have access to recertification and deadline information through the "Cert Attempts / History" link. You'll have four months from the date your registration is processed to complete your review of the course materials and take the current certification exam. You will be taking exactly the same exam as current certification candidates.

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What is involved in the recertification?
Recertification candidates must complete one proctored exam, the same exam that current certification candidates are taking. For details regarding the GIAC Proctor Program please visit http://www.giac.org/proctor/. The exams are based on the current course and training objectives. The objectives remain fairly stable over time, but will of course be updated to reflect changes in technology and the current state of practice. You will not have to complete any written assignment for recertification.
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What is the deadline for completing the recertification?
You must register for the re-certification before your certification expiration date. If you are not sure, please check your portal account to verify your certification expiration date. After that date, the recertification option will no longer be available to you. From the date that you register and payment is received, you will have four months to review the current courseware and take the recertification exam.
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What if I don't finish before my deadline?
Once you start your recertification attempt, purchasing extensions is a possibility. Extensions cost $199 each, and will extend your access to the recertification attempt 30 days from its current expiration date. In order to maintain your original analyst number and any Gold status you may have earned, you must start your recertification attempt before your current certification expires. Failure to do so will result in the need for you to start the certification process over again, if you wish to re-obtain GIAC certified status.
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Are practice exams available?
Practice Tests are a proven aid in helping to master material covered on the GIAC exams. You will be provided with 2 practice exams for each exam you need to take. Additional practice exams are available for $99 each through the GIAC website. The practice tests are taken on-line and have the same format as the actual examinations. The practice questions are written by the actual exam writers so you can be confident that the practice exams will be of similar quality as the actual exams.
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What happens after I pass my recertification exam?
Your certification is valid for another four years from your certification expiration date. In order to receive an updated certificate, you must send your name, as you want it to appear on your certificate, your current mailing address, and your portal account SD number to certificate@giac.org.
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What happens if my certification expires?

If your certification expires, you are no longer certified. If you wish to reinstate your certification, you must reapply for certification by completing the full certification requirements. If you reinstate your certification after it expires, your "certified since" date will become the date of your new certification. You will also lose your original analyst number and be assigned a new one.

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How do I register?

Registration will be through your SANS portal account via the "Certification History" link. The option to recertify will become available to you one year before your certification expires to allow for time management. The link will appear as "recertify now."

If the option to register for your recertification is not available from your portal account, please contact recert@giac.org. You will need to provide the original email address used during your certification as identification.

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Where can I get supplemental training information to help me recertify?

The recertification price includes the latest version of associated SANS courseware materials, should you choose to pay the shipping fee. If additional training is desired, recertification candidates can choose any of the following options:

50% off the associated SANS training course, via the following methods:

OnDemand Bundle (http://www.sans.org/ondemand/bundle.php) for $399

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Number of certified professionals: 29,295
SANS 2010-sky-c