Prove your acumen identifying threats to cloud environments and your skill leveraging tools and custom automations to respond effectively when it matters most.
The GIAC Cloud Threat Detection (GCTD) certification validates a practitioner's ability to detect and investigate suspicious activity in cloud infrastructure. GCTD certification holders are experienced professionals in cyber threat intelligence, secure cloud configuration, and critical practices for defending cloud solutions and services.
Areas Covered
- Detecting attacks in the cloud
- Cloud investigations and cyber threat intelligence
- Assessments and automation in AWS and Azure
Who is GCTD for?
- Anyone who performs monitoring, threat detection, or incident response
- Anyone responsible for logging in a cloud environment
- Security analysts
- Security engineers
- Security architects
- Vulnerability assessors
- Incident responders
Exam Format
- 1 proctored exam
- 2 hours
- Minimum passing score of 70%
- 75 questions
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 GCTD exam at 70% for all candidates who receive the exam version released on or after March 25, 2023.
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
- Application and Proxy MonitoringThe candidate will demonstrate a hands-on ability to monitor Azure and AWS application logs including web servers, proxies, and load balancers.
- Automated Detection and ResponseThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of cloud automation options and serverless functions used to create automated response workflows.
- Cloud Monitoring FundamentalsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the unique security concerns related to the cloud, as well as a knowledge of cloud access, monitoring, and data collection sources.
- Cloud Vulnerability AnalysisThe candidate will demonstrate the ability to conduct a basic vulnerability assessment and perform data discovery activities.
- Containers and OrchestrationThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of containers and orchestration, as well as common threats and log sources.
- Cyber Threat Intelligence for the CloudThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of types and sources of cyber threat intelligence and their use.
- Data and Storage MonitoringThe candidate will demonstrate a hands-on ability to monitor Azure and AWS buckets, databases, and storage services.
- Host OS MonitoringThe candidate will demonstrate a hands-on ability to configure and access operating system logs for Windows, Linux, and macOS virtual machines.
- Investigating AWS EnvironmentsThe candidate will demonstrate the ability to perform discovery and investigation tasks using AWS consoles and services.
- Investigating Azure EnvironmentsThe candidate will demonstrate the ability to perform discovery and investigation tasks using Azure consoles and services.
- Log CentralizationThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of data centralization, shipping, and enrichment in Azure and AWS cloud environments.
- Network and Flow MonitoringThe candidate will demonstrate a hands-on ability to configure and access network and flow logs in Azure and AWS cloud environments.
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 GCTD 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