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ProfessionalVendor-neutralGIAC· issued from US

GAWN

GIAC Assessing Wireless Networks

GIAC Assessing Wireless Networks

Official page at GIAC↔ Compare with another cert
Exam fee
$979
Ongoing
$0/yr AMF · 9 CPE/yr
Study time
120–240 hrs
Delivery
Hybrid
Validity
4 yrs (renewal cycle)

› Quality score

26.0 / 40

Four-axis SecProve rubric, each 0–10. SecProve editorial assessment — each axis carries a written justification so you can push back on any single call without dismissing the whole score.

Blueprint rigor
How well-defined and rigorous the exam blueprint is.
SEC617-aligned wireless pentest ECO.
7.5/10
Practical evidence
Hands-on labs / written reports vs pure MCQ.
Cyber Live segment with wireless exploitation labs.
6.5/10
Currency & upkeep
How aggressively content is kept current with the field.
Refreshes trail WPA3 / Wi-Fi 6 adoption; SEC617 was last refreshed in 2022.
6.5/10
Market recognition
How often this signal actually moves a hiring decision.
Specialist wireless pentest signal; small absolute market.
5.5/10

› Built for these roles

Penetration TesterRed TeamerOffensive Security AnalystSecurity ResearcherSecurity Consultant (technical, entry to mid-level)

› Exam format

75 questions + CyberLive, 3 hours, open-book, proctored via Pearson VUE. Passing score: ~70%.

Passing score
65% (scaled per attempt)
Retake policy
Fee: $999 per attempt
Wait: 30d between attempts

30-day wait between attempts. SANS course bundles typically include 2 attempts.

› Recertification

Valid for 4 years. Renewal via 36 CPE credits or renewal exam ($479). Each GIAC cert separately.

› NICE Framework work roles

The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.

PD-WRL-007IO-WRL-004
Recognition
Global
Exam languages
en

› Core domains covered

The 3 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.

A9Penetration Testing & Red Teaming

Methodology (OSSTMM, PTES), web/network/mobile pentesting, social engineering, purple teaming.

A2Network Security

Firewalls, IDS/IPS, network segmentation, DNS security, SD-WAN, VPN, traffic analysis, wireless security.

A16Mobile & IoT Security

MDM, mobile app vulnerabilities, IoT protocols, firmware analysis, embedded systems security.

› Prerequisites

Experience

No formal prerequisites. Associated SANS course highly recommended.

› Progression

requiredrecommended

Where this cert fits in the typical learning path. Required edges are vendor-gated; recommended edges reflect de facto industry progression.

Required prereqs (0)

No vendor-gated prereqs.

Recommended priors (1)
GSECGIAC / SANS
GAWN
GIAC
Required by (0)

No certs require this one.

Recommended next (0)

No follow-on certs reference this one yet.

› Study materials

Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.

Official guides
Practice tests
  • GIAC Practice Tests (2 included with exam)
Free / community

› Version & lifecycle

Current version
2024 SEC617 refresh
Released
2024-04

› Salary signal

Wireless security analyst / pentester, US, 3-5 years.

$105K–$160K
median $130K

Robert Half Salary Guide · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range

› How it compares

vs
CWSP

GAWN is offensive wireless pentest; CWSP is defensive wireless security architecture.

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