Formal Appeals Policy

Certification holders may request reconsideration of any decisions made pertaining to certification-related formal sanctions issued by the certification body (an “appeal”). Official sanctions are the mechanism by which GIAC makes decisions affecting an individual’s certification status or eligibility. Appeals may only be filed for actions related to violations of GIAC Policies and Guidelines. In order to protect the integrity of the systems we have put in place to ensure a fair experience for all our customers, GIAC does not disclose details of the investigative findings unless served with a valid legal request, issued by a public authority or a court that has jurisdiction over the GIAC legal entity and is authorized to issue such a legal subpoena, court order, or search warrant, provided that the requester is within the same jurisdiction as the issuing court. Evidence from an investigation will not be shared regardless of submitting an appeal. Appeals must be submitted in writing through the GIAC Appeals Form below, adhering to the instructions included on the form.

Only GIAC-issued formal sanctions are eligible for appeal. The appeals process does not apply to exam failures, challenges to individual examination questions or answers, testing modality requirements, or retesting requests.

Appeals must be submitted within 30 calendar days of sanction(s) issuance. Make sure to provide all relevant information. If filing an appeal on behalf of a minor, the minor must provide a written statement explaining why they feel the decisions made by the certification body should be overturned. Appeals submitted more than 30 calendar days after sanction(s) issuance will not be accepted.

Appeals Procedure

All appeals will be reviewed, investigated, and submitted to the Appeals Committee for final resolution. GIAC maintains an external Appeals Committee to aid in the fair and impartial decision-making regarding appeals. The committee further serves to ensure that personnel engaged in the appeals handling process are different from those involved in the decision being appealed.

Appeals will be acknowledged within 48 business hours of receipt, and GIAC will provide the appellant with progress status reports of the appeal throughout its processing.

The appeals handling process will be led by a GIAC Operations team member independent of the appeal’s original circumstances. The representative will collect, review, and submit all supporting documents to the Appeals Committee for review and deliberation.

Resolutions will be concluded within 30 calendar days of receipt of the appeal. Once a resolution is determined, the outcome will be sent via email to the appellant and will specify the outcome of the appeal, the reasons for such outcome, and the specific relief granted, if any. Resolutions are considered final, and the case will be closed.