GIAC Continuous Monitoring Certification (GMON)
Demonstrate that you are a continuous defender, able to build, monitor, and adapt defenses for real-time visibility.
The GIAC Continuous Monitoring (GMON) certification validates a practitioner's ability to deter intrusions and quickly detect anomalous activity. GMON certification holders understand defensible security architecture and are qualified to implement network security monitoring, continuous monitoring, and continuous diagnostics and mitigation.
Areas Covered
- Security architecture and security operations centers (SOCs)
- Network security architecture and monitoring
- Endpoint security architecture, automation, and continuous monitoring
Who is GMON for?
- Individuals working to implement continuous diagnostics and mitigation, continuous security monitoring, or network security monitoring
- Security architects
- Senior security engineers
- Technical security managers
- SOC analysts, engineers, and managers
- CND Analysts
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
- 82 questions
- 3 hours
- Minimum passing score of 74%
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 GMON exam at 74% for all candidates who receive the exam version released on or after October 04, 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
- Account & Privilege Monitoring & AuthenticationThe candidate will demonstrate the ability to control the privilege levels of accounts & applications
- Attack TechniquesThe candidate will learn to distinguish between traditional and modern attack techniques
- Configuration MonitoringThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the tool and techniques used for configuration change monitoring
- Cyber Defense PrinciplesThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of traditional and modern cyber defense principles
- Device MonitoringThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the tool and techniques used for endpoint monitoring
- Discovery and Vulnerability ScanningThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the tools and techniques used for network and endpoint discovery and vulnerability scanning
- Exploit Methodology and AnalysisThe candidate will be able to utilize network traffic analysis methods and principles of exploit detection to be able to rapidly discover intrusions on the network
- HIDS/HIPS/Endpoint FirewallsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how host intrusion detection/prevention systems & endpoint firewalls work, what their capabilities are and the roles they play in continuous monitoring
- Network Data EncryptionThe candidate will be able to apply principles of exploit detection to be able to rapidly detect encrypted intrusions on the network
- Network Security Monitoring ToolsThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how and why to use an assortment of network monitoring tools to improve the ability to detect intrusions on the network
- NIDS/NIPS/NGFWThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how network intrusion detection/prevention systems & next generation firewalls work, what their capabilities are and the roles they play in continuous monitoring
- Patching & Secure Baseline ConfigurationsThe candidate will understand how to use baseline configuration auditing and patching to make endpoints more resilient.
- Perimeter Protection DevicesThe candidate will demonstrate the ability to identify points of access into the perimeter and network devices that can be used to protect the perimeter
- Proxies & SIEM The candidate will demonstrate an understanding of how proxies & security information and event managers work, what their capabilities are and the roles they play in continuous monitoring
- Security Architecture OverviewThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of traditional and modern security architecture frameworks and the role Security Operations centers provide
- Software Inventories and Application ControlThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of the benefits of maintaining software inventories and how to control application allow and deny lists.
- Threat Informed DefenseThe candidate will demonstrate an understanding of adversary tactics and techniques and how to use attack frameworks to identify and defend against these threats in local and cloud-based 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 GMON 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