Why Become GIAC Certified? | GIAC Certifications

Job Security

82% of organizations prefer hiring candidates with certifications. The right certification could be what gets your foot in the door at almost any enterprise. Certs signal to HR teams and hiring managers that you have the specific job-role skills they need.

Enterprise Security

Certifications provide confirmation of the skills needed to combat breaches and mitigate threats to the enterprise. 94% of cybersecurity practitioners believe their certs have better prepared them for their current role, allowing them to successfully protect their organization.

Proven Ability

If you have a certification proving you've mastered a specific skillset, both employers and your industry peers know that you've got what it takes. Hands-on practical testing, like GIAC's CyberLive, takes this skill verification a step further.

Personal Validation

Setting goals to learn new skills and pass a certification exam can be a challenging and rewarding internal experience. Proving to yourself that you can master skills and conquer the exam creates a sense of purpose and personal satisfaction.

The best thing about a GIAC certification is that beyond earning the certification itself, you enter a sharing community of specialists that allows you to continue learning and sharing what you learn.

Frederik Raabye

GWAPT, GSEC

I don't get certs to impress anyone else. I do it for me. I'll get out of my defender comfort zone and conquer that fear of "What if I'm not good enough?"

Danny Akacki

GPEN

The most valuable thing to me about being GIAC certified is that fellow infosec professionals recognize that the knowledge associated with the cert is there. GIAC certs and exams aren't exercises in rote memorization.

Nick R.

GIAC certified individuals know how to use the same tools and techniques that attackers do, learn to think like an attacker and protect from them.

@shabiKurumbadi

I value the instant respect and credibility GIAC professionals receive. People know you've worked hard to obtain the certification and they recognize the critical skills and knowledge that come with it.

Ben Boyle

GWAPT, GXPN, GPEN

Why Certify with GIAC?

GIAC certifications span the breadth of infosec

GIAC certifications are a mile deep for specialized job-focused tasks across industry focus areas including offensive operations, cyber defense, cloud security, DFIR, management, and ICS.

GIAC exams test real-world skills

Every certification confirms a practitioner's abilities and likelihood of success in a real-world work environment. GIAC exams with CyberLive take this validation a step further, requiring candidates to perform lab-based, hands-on tasks.

Industry recognition and respect

GIAC certifications are listed as preferred qualifications on thousands of job postings across the globe. That's because hiring managers and infosec professionals know that GIAC certifications are a guarantee of critical skill mastery.

Dedication to exam quality and relevancy

Our team of exam developers is made up of experts who have devoted their professional lives to infosec - both at GIAC and as practitioners in the field. Every detail of our exams is rigorously evaluated by a psychometrician to ensure fairness and accuracy.

Start the path to become a security expert

GIAC can guide you on your career journey through progressively more complex skills and job roles. The GIAC Security Expert (GSE), recently ranked the highest-value certification in the industry, is widely recognized as one of the most challenging and meaningful credentials in cybersecurity.

Become part of the SANS & GIAC family

Everyone who successfully completes their certification exam is welcomed into the community to share information, explore resources, and create new connections, and high scorers are invited to join the GIAC Advisory Board.