GIAC Introduces Industry-First Cloud Forensic Responder (GCFR) Certification

GIAC Certifications has officially introduced the GIAC Cloud Forensics Responder (GCFR) certification. An industry first, the GCFR validates a cybersecurity practitioner’s ability to track and respond to incidents across the three major cloud providers — AWS, Google Cloud Platform (GCP), and Microsoft Azure.

This certification is an important milestone, as organizations are increasingly moving to cloud-based infrastructure, and security professionals need to understand how to effectively respond to and investigate incidents that occur in those environments. Addressing gaps in the current market for cybersecurity certifications, GCFR is the result of GIAC Certifications doing its part to keep enterprises and individuals safe.

GIAC created this certification with numerous job roles in mind, including:

• Incident response team members
• SOC analysts
• Threat hunters
• Federal agents and law enforcement professionals
• Experienced digital forensic analysts
• SANS DFIR Curriculum alumni who want to round out their forensics skills

To attain the cert, you’ll need to be well-versed in log collection and interpretation, skills required for enterprise cloud environments. Specific knowledge areas include:

• Log generation, collection, storage, and retention in cloud environments
• Identification of malicious and anomalous activity that affects cloud resources
• Extraction of data from cloud environments for forensic investigations

While there is no required training to complete in order to attain this or any GIAC certification, SANS Institute has a training course with a curriculum closely aligned to the topics covered in the certification exam — FOR509: Enterprise Cloud Forensics and Incident Response. There are, of course, other ways to gain the requisite knowledge, such as courses from other training providers, practical work experience, college-level courses, and numerous books on the market.

You can now register for the certification and if you pass the exam, you’ll have achieved the highest standard of cybersecurity skill assurance in cloud forensics and incident response. As with all GIAC Certification exams, the GCFR exam will be web-based and proctored, available either remotely through ProctorU or onsite through PearsonVUE. In addition, candidates will use CyberLive during the proctored exams, a method which provides hands-on, real-world practical testing in which candidates must perform real-world-like tasks that mimic specialized job roles.

Learn more about the GIAC Cloud Forensics Responder (GCFR) certification and the different objectives and outcome statements here, find more information about the GIAC Proctor Program here, and explore hands-on CyberLive testing here.