SecProve
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.

↔ Compare side-by-side

› Common exam traps to study

Cybersecurity cert exams reuse the same 25 distractor patterns over and over — category confusion, RTO vs RPO, IDS vs IPS, MD5 vs SHA-256, and more. Once you can name the trap, you stop falling for it. Each archetype page covers what it is, the specific pairs candidates confuse, and how to avoid it.

Browse all 25 cert-exam trapsStart with: BEST vs correct

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