GIAC
GIAC Security Essentials
GSEC · Status not verified
Historical catalog data — verify exam details and pricing with the issuer. Salary premiums are estimates, not a promise of a raise.
- Exam cost
- $999 USD (historical estimate)
- Questions · time · passing score
- 1 proctored exam, 106 questions, 4 hours time limit, 73% passing score. Includes CyberLive hands-on practical testing.
- Prerequisites
- There are no formal prerequisites for the GSEC certification. However, candidates are expected to have a foundational understanding of IT or cybersecurity concepts. The associated SANS SEC401 course is designed for new InfoSec professionals with backgrounds in information systems and networking, security professionals, security managers, operations personnel, IT engineers and supervisors, security administrators, forensic analysts, penetration testers, and auditors 5.
- Estimated salary premium
- 10–10% (historical estimate)
- Renewal requirements
- 4-year cycle · 9 CPE/CEU credits per year
- Difficulty
- Not rated
Domains covered
- ** Defense in depth
- Access control
- Password management
- Cryptography
- Cloud security
- Network architecture
- Network security
- Incident handling
- Data loss prevention
- Mobile device security
- Vulnerability scanning
- Penetration testing
Where this credential fits
MyCyberPath career mappings are planning guidance, not universal employer requirements.
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