Cyber Defense Certifications

Cyber defenders play an essential role in securing the enterprise. Defending against attacks is only possible with the right skill set - and confidence in your abilities and those of your team. GIAC's Cyber Defense certifications span the entire defense spectrum and are focused in two areas: cyber defense essentials and blue teaming. Whether your needs are beginner-level, advanced, or for a specialized area of defense, GIAC has the credentials you need to keep your organization safe from the latest threats.
Blue Team OperationsCyber Defense EssentialsPurple Team

Blue Team Operations Certifications

Prove your ability to detect, respond to, and recover from an attack.
GOSI
GCIA
GCWN
GMLE
GMON
GDSA
GCDA
GSOC
GX-CS
GX-IA

Cyber Defense Essentials Certifications

Prove your mastery of essential skills needed to defend the enterprise.
GISF
GSEC
GCED
GCIH
GISP

Purple Team Certifications

Improve the "red-blue" feedback loop by certifying in cross-focus areas.
GFACT
GDAT

"Working in a Managed Detection & Response team, my GSEC gave me the building blocks needed to become a well-rounded defender and has sparked my motivation to continue getting more education and certs. I am now enrolled in GCIH and I can already tell this course will boost my confidence and skills to protect organizations across the globe." - Nate Gonzalez, GSEC, GCIH

GIAC Certifications FAQ’s

  • Students can add a GIAC Certification exam attempt to their SANS course purchase either during the registration process, or through their SANS Account dashboard up until thirty days after the completion of their in-person, Simulcast, or Live Online course. For OnDemand orders, students have until ninety days after the registration date to add the GIAC Certification exam attempt bundle.

    The deadline to complete the GIAC Certification exam attempt is four months from the completion of the in-person, Simulcast, or Live Online course. For OnDemand orders, the deadline to complete the GIAC Certification exam attempt is the same as the online training deadline.

    To add a GIAC Certification exam attempt bundle after registering:

    1. Log in to your SANS Account and click the "My Orders" link in your dashboard
    2. Select "Add Available Bundled Items to Your Order" and submit your payment information to complete your purchase

  • For OnDemand orders, you will receive access to the training and exam when you manually start the course from your account, or automatically within 14 days of payment. For in-person or LiveOnline training, you will receive access to the exam 7-10 days after the conclusion of your training event.

  • The option to add the GIAC exam is available when you register for the associated SANS training course. Check out the list of SANS courses to get started.

More FAQ's