When Foote Partners, a Florida-based consulting firm, released its latest 2009 IT Skills Trends report, three of the top ten certifications were SANS Institute’s GIAC Certifications (Global Information Assurance Accreditation). GIAC’s area of
And these results are corroborated by hiring managers who continue to search for security professionals for technical and hands-on positions. Martin C. Walker, chief knowledge officer at Information Defense Corporation, a New Jersey-based information security solutions provider said “It’s pulled straight out of a pile of resumes and seriously scrutinized.”
GIAC-accredited professionals are less product-centric and have a better understanding of concepts and how to apply them, he adds. Daryl Pfeil, CEO of Digital Forensics Solutions, a New Orleans-based full-service computer security and digital forensics company, prefers to hire GIAC-certified individuals and sometimes has GIAC Certifications for employees. said it may invest in SANS training She finds vendor-neutral training that focuses on open source tools very helpful. Certified Practitioners are competent and qualified to perform practical research and analysis.
“The trends in hiring and retaining IT security departments, especially given the tight economy, are shifting from soft security skills (policy, security awareness, compliance) to more hands-on security skills (technical incident handling). Processing, Intrusion Detection, and Systems GIAC Certifications Director Jeff Frisk said, “This change in demand is driving the need for hands-on technical staff, both technical and quantitative security knowledge. enables staff to work effectively and add value to the business.
Behind the Demand
The top reasons behind the growing demand for GIAC certifications include:
- Increased use and dependence on digital devices: We use computers and other digital mobile devices to make calls, text messages, surf the web, access email, and bank accounts, pay bills, and watch videos. etc. Rob Lee, curriculum lead for digital forensics training at the SANS Institute and director of his Mandiant, a leading provider of information security, said: Consulting services and software for Fortune 500 companies and the US government. As a result, crimes, civil lawsuits, and incidents exploiting the data stored on these devices are on the rise.
- Security incidents and fraud on the rise: Incidents such as TJX, Heartland, Hannaford, and this past Independence Day breach are regularly in the news. Data breaches cost millions of dollars. It becomes necessary and important to be able to respond, investigate, and ultimately address these situations effectively.
- Insider Theft: The insider threat is an increase in criminal activity, especially in the case of corporate mergers, acquisitions, and layoffs. “In today’s economy, more and more people are working remotely, creating more opportunities for malicious employees to mount malicious attacks,” said a computer forensics investigative firm based.
- Increased use of electronically stored evidence: The use of electronically stored evidence is increasing in civil litigation. It has become common in criminal cases to recover cell phones, computers, and other electronic devices from criminals and victims to help solve crimes, Lee argues.
- Ease of attack tools: “Additionally, attack tools are as easy to use as point-and-click cameras,” says Frisk, so organizations are realizing the value of responding to security incidents.
The need for forensics, intrusion, and incident-handling professionals is increasing due to the number of incidents and cases all organisations face. As a result, companies are now investing in hiring skilled professionals to meet these challenges. It worked,” says Frisk.
Overview of the Three Hot Certifications
1. GIAC Certified Incident Handler (GCIH)
There are currently over 4,000 GCIH certification holders. These professionals have the knowledge, skills, and abilities to handle incidents. Understand standard attack techniques and tools. It also defends and/or responds when such attacks occur. GCIH certification holders are prepared to respond to various security incidents ranging from accidental internal security breaches in the most minor organizations to large international incidents involving governments and Fortune 100 companies.
Individual responsible for incident handling/response. Individuals who need to understand current threats to systems and networks and effective countermeasures are typical candidates for this certification.
Christopher Carboni, GIAC’s Associate Technical Director, said: “GIAC Certifications recipients, especially the GCIH, have expertise in troubleshooting advanced technical and security issues, work with a high degree of independence, and have a high level of confidence in handling incidents. It’s remarkable in many ways,” said Clay Boswell of CISSP. Director of Information Security for GCIH, GCFA, GSEC, and global manufacturer Sealed Air Corporation.
- Job Roles- GCIH-certified individuals are well suited for a variety of technical positions such as Incident Responder, Security Analyst, Security Operations Center Analyst, and Security Auditor, and are often security architects, security directors, and technical directors. / You can get a job such as an assistant.
- Who are you hiring? All Federal and State Agencies, Software Vendors, Financial and Banking Agencies, Intelligence Agencies, Consulting Firms, and IT and Security Consulting Firms are always looking for these experts.
- Cost– Certification costs $499 to register for training and $899 to take the certification exam without associated training.
2. GIAC Certified Forensics Analyst (GCFA)
GCFA is the industry’s leading, vendor-neutral digital forensics certification with over 1,550 accredited individuals. The GIAC GCFA handles advanced incidents, legally collects and secures evidence, conducts incident investigations, conducts electronic discovery (EED), and produces litigation-ready forensic reports, and forensic computers I have the knowledge, skills, and ability to conduct lawful investigations into, network, and hard drive. GCFA-certified personnel can show you step-by-step how commercial forensic tools work and explain the process in court. They are adept at obtaining living and dead evidence and full forensic detail analysis. In addition, certified analysts can clarify and ensure legally and forensically sound proceedings if you are required to testify in court.
“It not only tests your core knowledge of computer forensics but also covers the cutting edge of the field,” says Lee. These areas include memory acquisition and analysis, registry analysis, recovery point verification, and volume shadow analysis. The SANS Institute adds the latest technology to the materials several times a year. “Some items for Windows 7, for example, are already in the documentation,” Lee says.
“I like to hire SANS-certified candidates into my company because they are innovative, broad-minded, and familiar with a variety of tools, techniques, and programs, computer forensics, and electronic detection. A boutique shop to run. The GCFA certification at SANS helped him become a subject matter expert and gave him high confidence in his problem-solving skills and understanding of concepts.
- Who are you hiring?- Three broad industries routinely require qualified digital forensics expertise.
- Information Security: Stop hackers and computer-based attacks and recover from data breaches.
- Law: Win civil and criminal cases with electronically stored evidence.
- Law Enforcement/Defense Industrial Base: Criminal Apprehension and Prosecution/Deterrence of Enemy
Job Roles Include –
- Information Security Criminal Investigator/Forensic Scientist – This professional analyzes how an intruder entered your infrastructure and identifies compromised systems/networks.
- Forensic Analyst – Focuses on collecting and analyzing data from computer systems to track user-based activity that can be used internally or in civil/criminal proceedings.
- Incident Responder – Your first line of defence during a breach. Cost – Certification costs $499 if he enrols in training and $899 if he takes the certification exam without associated training.
3. GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst (GCIA)
GCIA certifications have served the needs of the industry since 2000. There are currently over 2,000 certified GCIA professionals. GCIA certification holders have assured a thorough understanding of network protocols, traffic, and network theory, including standard and malicious fragmentation, abnormal stimulus responses, and TCP/IP fundamentals. Proficient in attacks against NIDS, computer systems, and network infrastructure. You can analyze general network traffic patterns and examine packets when you need more information.
The GCIH focuses on individuals responsible for network and host monitoring, traffic analysis, and intrusion detection. GIAC Technical Director Jeff Pike said: “There is currently no other security credential like his GCIA offered by any other GIAC certifications body.” Since the certification was introduced, the skills required to complete the GCIA successfully have been in high demand. he adds.
Jared McLaren is a security expert and analyst at SBL Financial Group and has been GCIA certified since 2003. He claims the GCIA has been very helpful in his work, especially in authenticating and authorizing his web applications, debugging traffic, understanding system interconnectivity, and attempting attack mitigation strategies. . “GCIA has proven that I am a competent professional in my work,” he says.
- Jobs role includes- Information Security Criminal Investigator, Incident Responder, Malware Analyst, Network Security Engineer, Security Analyst, Computer Criminal Investigator, Security Operations Center Analyst, and Intrusion Analyst.
- Recruiters- All federal and state agencies, software vendors, network and solution hosting companies, financial and banking institutions, pharmaceutical and medical institutions, retail trades, intelligence agencies, consulting firms, IT and security consulting firms. There is a strong need for experts.
- Cost– Certification costs $499 to register for training and $899 to take the certification exam without associated training.
GIAC certifications focus on particular areas of cybersecurity knowledge to help certification candidates build the skills they need to tackle the highly technical nature of cybercrime. Each qualification corresponds to a specific job function.
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