GCDA
GIAC Certified Detection Analyst
GIAC Certified Detection Analyst
› Quality score
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.
› Exam format
75 questions + CyberLive, 3 hours, open-book, proctored via Pearson VUE. Passing score: ~70%.
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 USD). Each GIAC cert separate.
› NICE Framework work roles
The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.
› Core domains covered
The 2 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.
› Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites. Associated SANS course strongly recommended.
› Progression
requiredrecommendedWhere this cert fits in the typical learning path. Required edges are vendor-gated; recommended edges reflect de facto industry progression.
No vendor-gated prereqs.
No certs require this one.
› Study materials
Curated starting points. Not exhaustive — vet each against your learning style and the current exam version.
- SANS SEC555 Course Materials — SANS
- SANS SEC555 SIEM with Tactical Analytics
- GIAC Practice Tests (2 included with exam)
- Splunk Boss of the SOC datasets (free)
› Version & lifecycle
› Salary signal
Senior detection analyst / SIEM engineer, US, 3-5 years.
Robert Half Salary Guide · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range
› How it compares
GCDA emphasizes SIEM tactical analytics; GMON is broader continuous monitoring.
↔ Compare side-by-side› Careers that commonly pursue this cert
Build detection rules, tune SIEM systems, and hunt for threats that evade automated defenses.
A hybrid role growing out of the realisation that SOCs need engineers who understand cloud-native telemetry, IAM-first threat models, and how to instrument AWS/Azure/GCP for detection.
See this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.