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Courses  /  GIAC  /  GIAC GSEC
GIAC DoD 8140 / 8570College credit Guaranteed to run

GIAC GSEC

This course also helps students prepare to take the GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) exam — a certification accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by ANAB and aligned to the US Department of Defense directive 8140.

5 days, instructor-led In class or live online Class Hub + 90 days Military funding accepted DoD 8570: IAT II Accepted for college credit

Course overview

thinQtank® Learning is offering a unique instructor-led training camp that gives students the knowledge and skills needed to defend a real network rather than describe one — networking and protocols, defensible network design, authentication and access control, Linux and Windows security, cryptography, risk and vulnerability management, malware, virtualization, wireless, VoIP and physical security. The emphasis throughout is on what actually stops an attack and what actually detects one.

This course also helps students prepare to take the GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC) exam — a certification accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by ANAB and aligned to the US Department of Defense directive 8140.

Your certification path

Where this course sits: what to have first, and where it leads.

Before A solid working understanding of information security concepts
This courseGIAC GSEC
Next Ask us about your next step

Course objectives

What you will be able to do by the end of the class.

Work confidently with networking fundamentals, protocols and the traffic a defender has to read
Design a defensible network: segmentation, architecture and defense in depth
Implement authentication, access control and password management that holds up
Deploy and tune network security devices, and understand what each one can and cannot see
Secure and harden Linux systems, and use the command line as a security tool
Secure and harden Windows: access controls, security policy, services and the Microsoft cloud
Apply cryptography correctly, and understand where it is applied in practice
Run risk management: identify, assess and treat risk in an operational setting
Secure virtualization and cloud workloads, and understand where AI changes the picture
Run vulnerability scanning and understand what a penetration test does and does not tell you
Recognize malicious code, and apply exploit mitigation on the endpoint
Handle and respond to incidents, and use log management and SIEM to detect them
Apply data loss prevention and mobile device security
Secure wireless networks, VoIP and the physical layer everything else sits on
Apply the security frameworks and CIS Controls that give the work a structure

Who it is for

Who gets the most from this class, and what to know before you start.

Who should attend

  • Security analysts, security engineers and security administrators
  • Systems and network administrators taking on security responsibility
  • IT staff whose role now requires demonstrable security knowledge
  • Service members, veterans and military spouses using AF COOL, Army Credentialing Assistance, MyCAA or VET TEC 2.0
  • Anyone in a DoD 8140 work role that accepts GSEC

Prerequisites

  • A solid working understanding of information security concepts
  • Practical familiarity with networking, and with both Linux and Windows
  • Our Cybersecurity Foundations material is the recommended preparation if you are coming in without that grounding

Course features

How the class is taught, and why it works.

Live, instructor-ledEvery session is taught live by a certified instructor, in the classroom and online at the same time.
Hands-on labsLabs are built into the modules so you practise what you learn.
Exam preparation built inPractice questions and focused review.
Class Hub for 90 daysRecordings, materials and practice stay open for the class plus 90 days after it ends.
Attend your waySterling, VA, Atlanta, GA, Burbank, CA, or live online from anywhere.
Funding friendlyMilitary flat rate, thinQflex monthly payments, or a formal quote for your employer.

What you get

Everything below is included in the course price.

Class Hub access for the length of the class plus 90 days
thinQtank® Learning Accelerated Custom Exam Study Guide for the GSEC exam
Structured help building your EXAM INDEX — the single biggest factor in passing an open-book GIAC exam
A 98% success rate on the exam
Your exam attempt scheduled and activated for you - GIAC proctors its own exams, so this one is not sat in our classroom
Custom and focused exam preparation software and materials
Course specific thinQtank® Learning publications to promote a fun and exciting learning
Membership to the thinQtank® Learning University Online
WE DO NOT "TEACH THE TEST" - Students will receive valuable examples and discussion
All courses taught by certified instructors
Additional hours of remote lab access
Custom video recordings with even more in-depth learning of course topics
Customized practice exam software
Digital courseware
Retake any or all portions of the course as many times as you like in person or live on-line for 24 months
Six months mentoring access to our engineers after completing the course

Study plan

How the 5 days run, plus what to do before and after class.

Before class
  • Check the prerequisites above and fill any gaps
  • We send joining details and course materials before day one
Day 1
  • Work confidently with networking fundamentals, protocols and the traffic a defender has to read
  • Design a defensible network: segmentation, architecture and defense in depth
  • Implement authentication, access control and password management that holds up
Day 2
  • Deploy and tune network security devices, and understand what each one can and cannot see
  • Secure and harden Linux systems, and use the command line as a security tool
  • Secure and harden Windows: access controls, security policy, services and the Microsoft cloud
Day 3
  • Apply cryptography correctly, and understand where it is applied in practice
  • Run risk management: identify, assess and treat risk in an operational setting
  • Secure virtualization and cloud workloads, and understand where AI changes the picture
Day 4
  • Run vulnerability scanning and understand what a penetration test does and does not tell you
  • Recognize malicious code, and apply exploit mitigation on the endpoint
  • Handle and respond to incidents, and use log management and SIEM to detect them
Day 5
  • Apply data loss prevention and mobile device security
  • Secure wireless networks, VoIP and the physical layer everything else sits on
  • Apply the security frameworks and CIS Controls that give the work a structure
  • Final review and exam strategy
After class
  • Class Hub stays open 90 days: recordings, labs and practice
  • Book your exam while the material is fresh

The order of topics can shift with the class; your instructor confirms the schedule on day one.

The certification exam

The exam this class prepares you for.

  • GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
  • 106 questions
  • Four hours to complete
  • Minimum passing score of 72%, for exam versions released on or after 6 April 2026
  • Twenty-six objective areas, from networking and protocols through Windows and Linux security to incident handling, cryptography, cloud and wireless
  • THE EXAM IS OPEN BOOK. GIAC allows all printed books, notes and study guides — no digital material of any kind. Building your own indexed reference is the single biggest factor in passing, and we build it with you in class
  • Proctored, and web delivered. You have 120 days from activation to sit your attempt
  • Accredited to ISO/IEC 17024 by ANAB, and aligned to US Department of Defense directive 8140

DoD 8140 and college credit

What this certification counts for with the Department of Defense, and toward a degree.

DoD 8140 / 8570 GSEC qualifies for 1 of the 14 DoD workforce category, and also covers IAT Level I because higher IAT and IAM levels satisfy lower ones.
Information Assurance Technical, Level II IAT Level II
2–5 years typicalGS-9 to GS-11
System administrator · Network administrator · Junior security analyst · ISSO on a small system
Typically performs (DCWF): 451 System Administrator; 441 Network Operations Specialist; 521 Cyber Defense Infrastructure Support Specialist

DoD 8570 was replaced by DoD 8140 work roles (contractors since February 2026), but job postings still use these categories. DoD publishes no crosswalk between the two; the work roles shown are what this population typically performs, not an official mapping. Experience figures are typical, not requirements.

College credit Pass the exam and these universities will count it toward a degree. This is what each school publishes about its own transfer policy; the registrar makes the final call.
Accepted WGU amount not published

Most schools only count IT certifications earned in the last five years, and several will not award transfer credit once you have enrolled. Get your evaluation done first.

Upcoming dates

Every class runs in the classroom and live online at the same time. Pick the dates; choose how you attend when you register.

DatesLocationFormat
Nov 2 – 6, 2026GUARANTEED Burbank, CA Classroom + live online Reserve
Nov 30 – Dec 4, 2026 Sterling, VA Classroom + live online Reserve
Dec 14 – 18, 2026 Atlanta, GA Classroom + live online Reserve
Jan 4 – 8, 2027 Burbank, CA Classroom + live online Reserve
Jan 25 – 29, 2027 Sterling, VA Classroom + live online Reserve
Feb 8 – 12, 2027 Atlanta, GA Classroom + live online Reserve
Feb 22 – 26, 2027 Burbank, CA Classroom + live online Reserve
Mar 22 – 26, 2027 Sterling, VA Classroom + live online Reserve
Apr 5 – 9, 2027 Atlanta, GA Classroom + live online Reserve
Apr 19 – 23, 2027 Burbank, CA Classroom + live online Reserve
May 17 – 21, 2027 Sterling, VA Classroom + live online Reserve
Jun 7 – 11, 2027 Atlanta, GA Classroom + live online Reserve

10 more dates through November 2027. Ask about a later date.

Paying for it

The price above is our standard rate. These options can bring it down or spread it out.

Military & veterans
$1,500

Flat rate per class when you use Air Force COOL, Army Credentialing Assistance, MyCAA or VET TEC 2.0. Your program confirms eligibility.

Funding details
thinQflex™
Name your price

Paying yourself? Tell us what you can pay and over how many months, up to twelve. We say yes, or come back with terms.

Make an offer
Employer or agency
Formal quote

A formal quote with the course and exam voucher as separate lines, valid 30 days. Group and government pricing available.

Request a quote

How to enroll

Four steps from here to certified.

  1. Pick your datesChoose a class from the dates above, in a classroom or live online.
  2. Reserve or get a quoteReserve your seat, ask for a quote for your employer, or make a thinQflex offer.
  3. Get readyWe confirm your seat and send joining details and materials before day one.
  4. Attend and certifyTake the class, with Class Hub open for 90 days after.

Frequently asked questions

What does it cost?
The standard price is $3,850; exam voucher priced separately. Military students using AF COOL, Army CA, MyCAA or VET TEC 2.0 pay $1,500, and thinQflex lets you name your own price and monthly payment.
How long is the class?
5 days of live, instructor-led training.
Can I attend live online?
Yes. Every class runs live online at the same time as the classroom, with the same instructor and labs.
How long do I keep access to the materials?
Your Class Hub stays open for the length of the class plus 90 days.
Is the exam included?
The exam voucher is priced separately; we can add it to your registration or quote.
Can I use military funding?
Yes. With Air Force COOL, Army CA, MyCAA or VET TEC 2.0 you pay a flat $1,500 per class.
Can my employer pay?
Yes. Request a quote and we will send a formal one, valid for 30 days.
What if I cannot pay all at once?
Use thinQflex to name your price and spread payments over up to twelve months.
Where are the classrooms?
Sterling, Virginia; Atlanta, Georgia; and Burbank, California. Every class also runs live online, so you can join from anywhere.
What do I need to attend online?
A computer with a reliable internet connection, a headset or speakers, and a microphone. A webcam is recommended.
Will I get a certificate of completion?
Yes. You receive a thinQtank Learning certificate of completion when you finish the class.
Do you run private classes for teams?
Yes. We deliver private classes on-site or online for teams and agencies, on your dates. Ask for a quote.
Can you help me choose the right course?
Yes. Call 855-868-4467 or email sasmith@thinqtanklearning.com and we will recommend the right starting point.

Ready to earn your GIAC GSEC?

Next class Nov 2 – 6, 2026 · Burbank, CA and live online.