OSDA
Offensive Security Defense Analyst
Offensive Security Defense 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
Practice-based: 23 hours 45 min. hands-on exam (SOC Analyst, log analysis, threat detection) + report. Proctored.
Retake voucher $249 separately. No wait period beyond exam scheduling availability.
› Recertification
Valid indefinitely. No renewal required.
› 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.
SOC operations, SIEM tuning, SOAR playbooks, alert triage, log analysis, runbook development.
SIGMA/YARA/Suricata rule writing, hypothesis-driven hunting, log deep-dives, detection gap analysis.
IR playbooks, memory/disk/network forensics, chain of custody, malware analysis.
› Prerequisites
No formal prerequisites. SOC-200 course recommended. Basic SOC knowledge required.
› 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.
› Version & lifecycle
› Salary signal
SOC analyst / blue team operator, US, 2-4 years.
Robert Half Salary Guide · 2024 · US base only · p25–p75 range
› How it compares
OSDA is hands-on lab-graded SOC analyst; CySA+ is multiple-choice + scenario.
↔ Compare side-by-side› Common exam traps to study
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See this cert’s domains highlighted on the interactive map, or compare it against the rest of the catalog.