Signal readiness to manage real threats from detection to remediation, demonstrating effective incident handling skills and applying insight into attackers’ techniques.
The GIAC Incident Handler (GCIH) certification validates a practitioner's ability to detect, respond to, and resolve computer security incidents using a wide range of essential security skills. GCIH certification holders are qualified to defend against attacks when they occur, managing security incidents by understanding common attack techniques, vectors, and tools.
Areas Covered
- Incident handling and computer crime investigation
- Computer and network hacker exploits
- Hacker tools (Nmap, Metasploit and Netcat)
Who is GCIH for?
- Incident handlers
- Incident handling team leads
- System administrators
- Security practitioners
- Security architects
- Any security personnel who are first responders
CyberLive: Real labs. Real tools. Real skills.
CyberLive is a hands-on exam format that replaces traditional multiple-choice testing with performance-based challenges in realistic lab environments to validate real-world capability.
Virtual Machines:
Full-scale lab systems that behave like physical computers: install, attack, defend, and run services.
Real Security Tools:
Exact tools used by professionals every day including all the quirks and challenges
Authentic Code:
Real code, real exploits, real impacts
Exam Format
- 1 proctored exam
- 106 questions
- 4 hours
- Minimum passing score of 69%
Note: GIAC periodically reviews and may update certification specifications to ensure fairness, validity, and reliability. Using a psychometric standard-setting study, GIAC has set the passing score for the GCIH exam at 69% for all candidates who receive the exam version released on or after May 10th, 2025.
To confirm the exam format and passing score that apply to your specific attempt, please refer to the Certification Information section of your GIAC account: https://exams.giac.org/pages/attempts.
Certification Delivery
GIAC certification attempts will be activated in your GIAC account after your application has been approved and according to the terms of your purchase. Details on delivery will be provided along with your registration confirmation upon payment. You will receive an email notification when your certification attempt has been activated in your account. You will have 120 days from the date of activation to complete your certification attempt.
NOTE: All GIAC Certification exams are web-based and required to be proctored. There are two proctoring options: remote proctoring through ProctorU, and onsite proctoring through PearsonVUE. Click here for more information.
Exam Certification Objectives & Outcome Statements
- Attacking PasswordsThe candidate will demonstrate a detailed understanding of how to conduct password attacks.
- Detecting Evasive and Post-Exploitation TechniquesThe candidate will be able to identify and defend against an attacker already in an environment, discover methods used to establish persistence, hide their presence, and achieve actions on objectives.
- Detecting Exploitation and Covert Communications ToolsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how to identify and defend against the use of exploitation tools such as Metasploit and covert communications tools such as netcat.
- Endpoint Attack and PivotingThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how to identify and defend against endpoint specific attacks and pivoting in an environment.
- Exploiting Insecure Web Application ReferencesThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of common methods for exploiting insecure web application references.
- Incident Response and Cyber InvestigationThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the PICERL and DAIR incident handling processes and incident response challenges.
- Integrating LLMs with Offensive OperationsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of LLM prompt processing, risks, common attack methods, and defend against AI specific attacks in modern environments.
- Malware and AI Assisted InvestigationsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the steps necessary to perform basic basic malware analysis and understand how AI can be used to augment investigative efforts.
- Network and Log InvestigationsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the steps necessary to perform effective investigations of network and log data.
- Scanning and MappingThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how to discover and map networks and hosts, reveal services and vulnerabilities, and identify and defend against scanning.
- Securing Credentials and Data in the CloudThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how to identify, defend against, and mitigate password attacks and insecure storage in cloud-based environments.
- SMB SecurityThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of SMB features, vulnerabilities, how to discover and access shares, and how to secure the service.
- Understanding PasswordsThe candidate will be able to identify password hashes, understand password weaknesses, and secure passwords.
- Web Application API AttacksThe candidate will demonstrate the basics of interacting with and abusing access to web APIs.
- Web Application Injection AttacksThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of common web application injection attacks.
Practice Tests
- Practice exams are a simulation of the real exam, allowing you to become familiar with the test engine and style of questions
- Practice exams can serve as a gauge to determine if your preparation methods are sufficient
- The bank of practice questions is limited, so you may encounter the same question on multiple practice tests
- Practice exams never include actual exam questions
- Purchase a GCIH practice test here
Other Resources
- Training is available in a variety of modalities including live training and OnDemand
- Practical work experience can help ensure that you have mastered the skills necessary for certification
- College level courses or self-paced study through other programs or materials may meet the needs for mastery
- Understand the procedure to contest exam results
- Use this justification letter to share key details of this certification opportunity with your boss