GIAC Critical Infrastructure Protection Certification (GCIP) icon

GIAC Critical Infrastructure Protection Certification (GCIP)

Practitioner Certification

The GIAC Critical Infrastructure Protection (GCIP) certification validates that professionals who access, support and maintain critical systems have an understanding of the regulatory requirements of NERC CIP as well as practical implementation strategies.

Areas Covered

  • BES cyber system identification and strategies for lowering their impact rating
  • Nuances of NERC defined terms and CIP standards applicability
  • Strategic implementation approaches for supporting technologies
  • Recurring tasks and strategies for CIP program maintenance

Who is GCIP for?

  • ICS cyber security practitioners
  • Field support personnel
  • Compliance staff
  • Team leaders and managers
  • Auditors

Exam Format

  • 1 proctored exam
  • 75 questions
  • 3 hours
  • Minimum passing score of 70%

Delivery

NOTE: All GIAC Certification exams are web-based and required to be proctored. There are two proctoring options: remote proctoring through ProctorU, and onsite proctoring through PearsonVUE. Click here for more information.

GIAC certification attempts will be activated in your GIAC account after your application has been approved and according to the terms of your purchase. Details on delivery will be provided along with your registration confirmation upon payment. You will receive an email notification when your certification attempt has been activated in your account. You will have 120 days from the date of activation to complete your certification attempt.

Exam Certification Objectives & Outcome Statements

  • BES Cyber System Categorization
    Knowledge of Attachment 1 Criteria, Operational Effects and Impacts, NERC Functional Model, BES Reliability Operating Services, BES Cyber Asset Identification
  • Configuration Change Management and Vulnerability Assessments
    Knowledge of Change Management, Configuration Monitoring, Vulnerability Assessment, Transient Cyber Assets, Removable Media
  • Electronic Security Perimeter(s)
    Knowledge of Electronic Security Perimeter Architecture, External Routable Connectivity communication, Access Rules, Dial-Up, Malicious Communication Detection, Intermediate Systems and Interactive Remote Access, Multi-factor Authentication
  • Incident Reporting and Response Planning
    Knowledge of Incident Response Plan, Incident Response Plan Testing and Exercise, Incident Response Plan Reporting
  • Information Protection
    Knowledge of Information Protection Program, Identification, Classification, Protection, Disposal, Reuse
  • NERC CIP Terms and Definitions
    Knowledge of terms and definitions relevant to BES, NERC, and CIP
  • Personnel & Training
    Knowledge of Awareness Program, Cybersecurity Training Program, Personnel Risk Assessment, Access Management Program
  • Physical Security of BES Cyber Systems
    Knowledge of Physical Security Plan, Physical access controls, Visitor control program, Maintenance and Testing, Monitoring, Logging and Alerting
  • Recovery Plans for BES Cyber Systems
    Knowledge of Recovery Plan, Recovery Plan Testing and Exercise, Recovery Plan Reporting
  • Security Management Controls
    Knowledge of Senior Manager Requirements, Policies, Low facility Requirements
  • Standards Development
    Knowledge of Compliance Monitoring and Enforcement Program, Request For Interpretation, Standards Authorization Request, Urgent Action Request, Balloting, Violation Severity Level, Violation Risk Factor
  • Standards Enforcement
    Knowledge of Audit Prep, Enforcement Treatment, Reliability Standards Auditor Worksheet, Reliability Assurance Initiative, Interactive Remote Access, Internal Controls Evaluation
  • System Security Management
    Knowledge of Port and Service management, Patch Management, Malicious Code Prevention, System Logging, Authentication Requirements, Account management, Monitoring and Alerting

Other Resources

  • Training is available in a variety of modalities including live training and OnDemand
  • Practical work experience can help ensure that you have mastered the skills necessary for certification
  • College level courses or self paced study through another program or materials may meet the needs for mastery.
  • Get information about the procedure to contest exam results.

Practice Tests

  • These tests are a simulation of the real exam allowing you to become familiar with the test engine and style of questions.
  • Practice exams are a gauge to determine if your preparation methods are sufficient.
  • The practice bank questions are limited so you may encounter the same question on practice tests when multiple practice tests are purchased.
  • Practice exams never include actual exam questions.
  • Purchase a GCIP practice test here.
  • GIAC recommends leveraging additional study methods for test preparation.

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