πŸ” SANS DFIR Certificates: FOR508
(Advanced IR), FOR610 (RE Malware)

πŸ” 1. SANS FOR508 – Advanced Incident Response, Threat Hunting, and Digital Forensics

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

Full Name: GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA) – via SANS FOR508
Issuing Organization: GIAC / SANS Institute
Official Website:

🧩 2. Certification Level and Type

Level: Advanced
Type: Technical

πŸ“œ 3. Purpose and Goals

Skills Certified:

  • Enterprise-level DFIR investigations

  • Threat hunting in Windows environments

  • Memory forensics, log analysis, timeline reconstruction

  • Identification and containment of APTs

Target Roles:

  • Incident Responder

  • Threat Hunter

  • DFIR Analyst

  • Security Operations Leader

Practical Application:

  • Blue Team

  • Enterprise security teams

  • Threat detection and forensic response

πŸŽ“ 4. Prerequisites

  • 2+ years in security operations or forensics

  • Strong Windows OS internals knowledge

  • Prior exposure to forensic tools (FTK, Volatility, Sysinternals)

πŸ“š 5. Content and Curriculum

Key Domains/Modules:

  1. Advanced threat hunting

  2. Memory and volatile evidence analysis

  3. Timeline and super timeline creation

  4. Registry and artifact correlation

  5. Active Directory and lateral movement tracking

  6. Incident containment and reporting

Tools:

  • Plaso/log2timeline

  • Volatility

  • KAPE

  • Velociraptor

  • Sysinternals

  • Windows Event Logs

  • SIFT Workstation

πŸ§ͺ 6. Learning Approach

Style: Mixed
Labs: Yes – virtual labs with real-world attack scenarios
Materials: FOR508 courseware + access to SIFT VM

πŸ“ 7. Exam Format and Details

Cert: GIAC GCFA

  • Online proctored

  • 3 hours

  • 82–115 questions (multiple choice)

πŸ’° 8. Estimated Cost

  • Course: ~$8,200 USD

  • Certification: Included or ~$949 USD separately

🌍 9. Industry Recognition

Highly respected in IR and defense teams (Fortune 500, Gov, DoD)
Often listed as preferred in Tier 3 IR or threat hunting roles

πŸ’Ό 10. Career Opportunities

  • Threat Hunter

  • Senior IR Analyst

  • DFIR Consultant

  • Forensics Manager

πŸ’΅ 11. Average Salary

USA: $115K – $145K
Europe: €75K – €110K
LATAM: $45K – $70K

πŸ“… 12. Renewal

Every 4 years
36 CPEs + $429 renewal fee

🧭 13. Recommendations

  • Ideal for seasoned Blue Team professionals

  • Best taken after some DFIR experience (or GCFE)

  • Practice timeline analysis and use of SIFT VM is crucial

πŸ” 2. SANS FOR610 – Reverse-Engineering Malware: Malware Analysis Tools and Techniques

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

Full Name: GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware (GREM) – via SANS FOR610
Issuing Organization: GIAC / SANS Institute
Official Website:

🧩 2. Certification Level and Type

Level: Advanced
Type: Technical

πŸ“œ 3. Purpose and Goals

Skills Certified:

  • Malware dissection (static and dynamic)

  • Obfuscation, packing, and encryption analysis

  • API behavior tracking and C2 discovery

  • Reverse engineering using IDA Pro, Ghidra, and more

Target Roles:

  • Malware Analyst

  • Threat Intelligence Researcher

  • Reverse Engineer

  • DFIR Specialist

Practical Application:

  • Blue Team (malware defense and analysis)

  • Red Team (malware development training)

πŸŽ“ 4. Prerequisites

  • Strong knowledge of assembly and C

  • Familiarity with Windows internals and malware types

  • Python scripting recommended

πŸ“š 5. Content and Curriculum

Key Domains/Modules:

  1. Malware analysis methodology

  2. Executable formats (PE)

  3. Debugging and deobfuscation

  4. Anti-analysis and anti-VM techniques

  5. Network behavior analysis

  6. Shellcode and exploit tracing

Tools:

  • IDA Pro / Ghidra

  • x64dbg / OllyDbg

  • Wireshark / FakeNet-NG

  • PEStudio

  • ProcMon / RegShot

πŸ§ͺ 6. Learning Approach

Style: Very hands-on
Labs: Yes – includes malware samples
Materials: FOR610 courseware + malware toolkit

πŸ“ 7. Exam Format and Details

Cert: GIAC GREM

  • Online proctored

  • 3 hours

  • 66–75 questions

πŸ’° 8. Estimated Cost

  • Course: ~$8,200 USD

  • Certification: ~$949 USD (if taken separately)

🌍 9. Industry Recognition

Top-tier certification for malware analysts
Trusted by defense contractors, CERTs, and nation-state defense orgs

πŸ’Ό 10. Career Opportunities

  • Reverse Engineer

  • APT Researcher

  • Malware Threat Hunter

  • Forensics Consultant (focused on malware origins and TTPs)

πŸ’΅ 11. Average Salary

USA: $125K – $160K
Europe: €85K – €120K
LATAM: $50K – $75K

πŸ“… 12. Renewal

Every 4 years
36 CPEs + $429 renewal fee

🧭 13. Recommendations

  • Ideal for malware specialists or those in nation-state threat defense

  • Should be taken after experience in forensics or incident response

  • Practice with Ghidra, malware CTFs (e.g., Flare-On), and build a home malware lab