SecProve
AssociateVendor-neutralGIAC· issued from US

GFACT

GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies

GIAC Foundational Cybersecurity Technologies

Official page at GIAC↔ Compare with another cert
Exam fee
$979
Ongoing
$0/yr AMF · 9 CPE/yr
Study time
60–120 hrs
Delivery
Hybrid
Validity
4 yrs (renewal cycle)

› Quality score

25.0 / 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.
SEC275-aligned fundamentals ECO; broad entry-level coverage.
7.0/10
Practical evidence
Hands-on labs / written reports vs pure MCQ.
Open-book MCQ recognition.
4.5/10
Currency & upkeep
How aggressively content is kept current with the field.
Refreshed alongside SEC275 to track modern fundamentals.
8.0/10
Market recognition
How often this signal actually moves a hiring decision.
Entry-level GIAC; popular SEC401-prep stepping stone.
5.5/10

› Exam format

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

Passing score
60% (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 through 36 CPE credits or renewal exam (479 USD). Each GIAC cert separately.

› NICE Framework work roles

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

PD-WRL-003PD-WRL-001IO-WRL-006
Recognition
Global
Exam languages
en

› Core domains covered

The 2 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.

A1Governance, Risk & Compliance

Risk frameworks (NIST RMF, ISO 31000, FAIR), policy development, audit, regulatory compliance, third-party risk.

A2Network Security

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

› Prerequisites

Experience

None. Entry-level certification for cybersecurity fundamentals.

› 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 SEC275 refresh
Released
2024-04

› Salary signal

Career-changer / IT generalist, US, 0-2 years.

$60K–$90K
median $72K

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

› How it compares

vs
Security+

GFACT is broader IT-foundations; Security+ is security-specific. Often pursued before Security+.

↔ Compare side-by-side

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