MAD SOCA
MITRE ATT&CK Defender — SOC Assessment
MAD20 track for assessing SOC capabilities using the ATT&CK framework. 17 lectures, heatmap and defensive recommendation walkthroughs. Teaches methodology for systematic assessment of detection coverage. Not a traditional certificate, but a badge upon course completion (9 CPE hours).
› 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
Course-based with badge: 17 lectures + hands-on walkthroughs. No separate exam. 9 CPE hours.
› Recertification
Annual AMF program required to keep certification current. Access to updated course content and exclusive webinars.
› 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
MAD ATT&CK Fundamentals (prerequisite). Recommended: SOC experience.
› 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.
› 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.
See this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.