GRID
GIAC Response and Industrial Defense
Active defense and incident response for ICS environments.
› 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.
› Built for these roles
› Exam format
Open-book MCQ exam, 75 questions over 3 hours, online proctored.
30-day wait. SANS course bundles typically include 2 attempts.
› Recertification
36 CPE credits over four years (avg 9/yr) plus the $499 renewal fee per cycle.
› NICE Framework work roles
The NIST NICE work-role IDs this cert maps to. NICCS lookup.
› Core domains covered
The 3 domains this cert is centrally about. Passing the exam demonstrates working knowledge of each.
SCADA, PLC security, Purdue model, ICS-specific threats, IT/OT convergence, IEC 62443.
IR playbooks, memory/disk/network forensics, chain of custody, malware analysis.
SOC operations, SIEM tuning, SOAR playbooks, alert triage, log analysis, runbook development.
› Prerequisites
GICSP or equivalent OT experience strongly recommended.
- ICS-specific IR playbooks
- Active defense in SCADA environments
- Safety-aware containment
› 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.
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.
- SANS ICS515 Course Materials — SANS
- GIAC Practice Tests (2 included with exam)
› Version & lifecycle
› Salary signal
ICS detection / response engineer, US, 3-5 years.
Robert Half Salary Guide · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range
› How it compares
GRID is ICS detection + response; GICSP is foundational ICS practitioner.
↔ Compare side-by-side› Careers that commonly pursue this cert
Protect critical infrastructure — power grids, water treatment, manufacturing. Where cyber meets the physical world.
See this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.