πŸ›‘οΈ GCFA – GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

  • Full name: GIAC Certified Forensic Analyst (GCFA)

  • Issuing organization: GIAC (Global Information Assurance Certification)

  • Reputation and global recognition: A leading certification in digital forensics, recognized globally by incident response teams, government agencies, and security consultancies.

πŸ“š 2. Curriculum and Skills Covered

  • Covered domains:

    • Advanced incident response and digital forensics

    • Windows file system forensics (NTFS, MFT, Registry, Prefetch)

    • Timeline analysis and file recovery

    • Memory forensics and volatile data collection

    • Persistence mechanisms and anti-forensic techniques

    • Attribution and attack reconstruction

  • Depth of content: Deeply technical, hands-on with real forensic artifacts

  • Technologies and tools included:

    • Autopsy

    • FTK Imager

    • Sleuth Kit

    • Volatility

    • Plaso/log2timeline

    • Sysinternals Suite

  • Relevance in the current job market: Highly valued in IR consulting, internal DFIR teams, and legal/HR cyber investigations

  • Mapping to frameworks:

    • NIST SP 800-86 (Guide to Integrating Forensics Techniques)

    • NIST CSF (Respond & Recover)

    • MITRE ATT&CK (Persistence, Defense Evasion)

🧩 3. Prerequisites and Recommended Level

  • Prior certifications or experience required: Not required but recommended to have experience in system administration or security operations

  • Expected skill level: Advanced

  • Recommended knowledge areas: File systems, memory structure, Windows internals, incident response, malware behavior

πŸ“ 4. Exam Format and Duration

  • Exam type: Proctored, open-book, multiple-choice

  • Number of questions: Approximately 106

  • Duration: 4 hours

  • Passing score: Around 70%

  • Delivery format: Online (ProctorU) or in-person testing center

πŸ’° 5. Cost and Availability

  • Exam cost: ~$949 USD (includes 2 practice tests)

  • Training cost (optional via SANS FOR508): ~$7,000 USD

  • Renewal policy: Valid for 4 years; renewable via CPEs or retake

  • Financial support: Employer training programs or government sponsorships are common for DFIR roles

🎯 6. Career Pathways and Outcomes

  • Typical roles:

    • Digital Forensics Analyst

    • Incident Response Specialist

    • DFIR Consultant

    • Malware Analyst (entry to intermediate level)

  • Industries: Cybersecurity firms, legal investigation units, law enforcement, critical infrastructure

  • Career progression: Pathway to GREM (reverse engineering), threat hunting, or court-admissible forensics expertise

  • Average salary (Europe): €65,000 – €95,000

  • Average salary (USA): $100,000 – $135,000+