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GIACGIACGSEC

GIAC GSEC

We do not teach just for the test.Worked examples and real discussion, not a question bank. The exam is then delivered in the classroom — 98% pass it first time.
$3,850MSRP per seat
$1,500with military fundingAF COOL · Army CA · MyCAA
Name your pricethinQflex™ — tell us what you can payIn full, or across twelve monthly payments
Next dates
  • Oct 5–9Sterling, VAGTR
  • Oct 19–23Atlanta, GAGTR
  • Nov 2–6Burbank, CAGTR
Request informationSee all 24 datesCourse datasheet (PDF)
5 daysMonday to Friday
Live onlineor in the classroom
IntermediateSecurity
24 monthsfree retakes

Course overview

Download the course datasheetThe full outline for GIAC GSEC, as a PDF.
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.

What's included

15 items
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

What you'll be able to do

15 objectives
  • 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

The exam

106questions maximum
72to pass, of 6
  • GIAC Security Essentials (GSEC)
  • Four hours to complete
  • 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
  • GSEC Voucher — an exam attempt is available through thinQtank for $949 USD. Ask when you register and we will add it to your enrollment

Who it's for, and what you need first

Target Audience

  • 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

How it's delivered

Instructor-Led Training
Immersive Live-Online Training
On-Site and Custom Delivery

Training Camp Format

This course is delivered as an instructor-led training camp. Camps are scheduled by cohort, and the balance of lecture and hands-on lab work is set to suit the group and the delivery method. Contact us for the schedule covering your dates.

Dates and locations

24 scheduled
DatesLocationStatus
Mon Oct 5 – Oct 9, 20265 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirGuaranteed to runRequest info
Mon Oct 19 – Oct 23, 20265 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWGuaranteed to runRequest info
Mon Nov 2 – Nov 6, 20265 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdGuaranteed to runRequest info
Mon Nov 30 – Dec 4, 20265 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Dec 14 – Dec 18, 20265 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Jan 4 – Jan 8, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Mon Jan 25 – Jan 29, 20275 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Feb 8 – Feb 12, 20275 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Feb 22 – Feb 26, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Mon Mar 22 – Mar 26, 20275 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Apr 5 – Apr 9, 20275 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Apr 19 – Apr 23, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Mon May 17 – May 21, 20275 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Jun 7 – Jun 11, 20275 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Jun 21 – Jun 25, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Mon Jul 12 – Jul 16, 20275 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Jul 26 – Jul 30, 20275 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Aug 9 – Aug 13, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Mon Sep 13 – Sep 17, 20275 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Sep 20 – Sep 24, 20275 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Oct 4 – Oct 8, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Mon Nov 1 – Nov 5, 20275 days · Mon–FriSterling, VA21481 Ridgetop CirOpenRequest info
Mon Nov 15 – Nov 19, 20275 days · Mon–FriAtlanta, GA431 Marietta St NWOpenRequest info
Mon Nov 29 – Dec 3, 20275 days · Mon–FriBurbank, CA3301 N San Fernando BlvdOpenRequest info
Guaranteed to run means the class goes ahead whatever the enrollment.
Prices shown are MSRP. Qualified military personnel funding through Air Force COOL, Army Credentialing Assistance, MyCAA or VET TEC 2.0 pay a flat $1,500 per class, whatever the listed price. Everyone else — call 855-868-4467 about group pricing, discounts and current promotions.