Prove deep fluency in the realities of Machine Learning (ML) in the security landscape, demonstrating the expertise to apply ML skills and principles to strengthen your SOC.
The GIAC Machine Learning Engineer (GMLE) certification validates a practitioner’s knowledge of practical data science, statistics, probability, and Machine Learning. GMLE certification holders are qualified to leverage Machine Learning to perform effective threat hunting and security monitoring, to create effective tools and utilities, and to solve real-world cyber security problems.
Areas Covered
- Anomaly detection and optimization
- Convolutional neural networks and deep learning neural networks
- Data: acquisition, exploration & visualization, and manipulation & analysis
- Inferential statistics and probability, probability and inference, and loss functions
- Python scripting
- Supervised and unsupervised learning
Who is GMLE for?
- Data scientists
- Forensic analysts
- Infosec professionals who want to understand Machine Learning
- Security analysts
- Security engineers
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
Instructor Testimonial
“Instructor Testimonial
I am so excited about this certification! This Applied AI and Machine Learning course has been the top requested course within SANS.edu for several years now. This certification opens the possibility for industry professionals and SANS.edu Master’s students to not only learn the most important ideas in how to perform effective threat hunting and security monitoring with machine learning and how to create tools and utilities that a SOC can leverage, but it also provides a credential that demonstrates to an employer (or prospective employer) that the individual isn’t just guessing when it comes to the realities of ML and AI in the security landscape!”
Exam Format
- 1 proctored exam
- 82 questions
- 3 hours
- Minimum passing score of 65%
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 GMLE exam at 65% for all candidates who receive the exam version released on or after September 18, 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
- Anomaly Detection and OptimizationThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding autoencoders and how they are used in anomaly detection problems. The candidate will also demonstrate a fundamental understanding of how genetic algorithms are applied to automate the optimization of neural networks.
- ClusteringThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of machine learning concepts such as clustering, and unsupervised machine learning.
- Convolutional Neural NetworksThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of how convolutional neural networks are used to solve classification problems as well as for predictive analytics.
- Data AcquisitionThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of data acquisition, cleaning, and manipulation terminology and the steps necessary to prepare threat data for additional threat hunting analysis. The candidate will demonstrate familiarity with accessing data from SQL and by web scraping.
- Leveraging PythonThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of the Python scripting language and modules such as NumPy, Pandas, and TensorFlow and how to leverage them to extract, visualize, transform, and load data.
- Neural NetworksThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of deep learning concepts using neural networks for supervised machine learning. Candidates will demonstrate an understanding of loss and error functions, vectors, matrices and tensors.
- Probability and FrequencyThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of probability theory, inference, the Bayes theorem and Fourier series.
- RegressionsThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of regressions and their application in deep learning.
- Statistics FundamentalsThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of statistics and how it is applied to data science for threat hunting use cases. The candidate will demonstrate familiarity with terminology such as mean, and median.
- Supervised LearningThe candidate will demonstrate a fundamental understanding of support vector classifiers, kernel functions, support vector machines, decision trees and random forests.
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 GMLE 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