πŸ” SANS GIAC GCFE
(Certified Forensics Examiner)

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

🧩 2. Certification Level and Type

  • Level: Intermediate to Advanced

  • Type: Technical (Digital Forensics / Windows Investigations)

πŸ“œ 3. Purpose and Goals

  • What skills does it certify?
    Performing forensic analysis on Windows systems, including event logs, registry, browser history, email, file metadata, and user activity artifacts

  • Target roles or profiles:
    Forensics Analyst, Incident Responder, Cybercrime Investigator, SOC Tier III Analyst

  • Practical applications:
    Post-breach analysis, employee misconduct investigation, malware impact assessment, legal evidence preservation

πŸŽ“ 4. Prerequisites

  • Recommended prior certifications:
    GSEC, MCFE, Security+ or equivalent forensics/Windows knowledge

  • Suggested experience:
    1–3 years in DFIR, IT security, or system administration

  • Required technical knowledge:
    NTFS/MFT, Windows Registry, Event Logs, UserAssist, Prefetch, LNK files, timestamps

πŸ“š 5. Content and Curriculum

  • Key domains/modules:

    1. Windows Operating System Forensics

    2. Event Log and Registry Analysis

    3. Browser and Internet Artifact Recovery

    4. Email and Communication Artifact Analysis

    5. Time-Based Analysis and Timeline Reconstruction

    6. Imaging, Hashing, Chain of Custody

    7. Legal Issues and Report Writing

  • Technologies/tools:
    FTK Imager, Autopsy, Sleuth Kit, Magnet AXIOM, Volatility, EnCase (optional), Sysinternals, Plaso

  • Framework mapping:
    NIST SP 800-86, ISO/IEC 27037, SWGDE best practices, FBI CART standards

πŸ§ͺ 6. Learning Approach

  • Style: Theoretical + practical (scenario-driven, but no hands-on in the exam)

  • Labs/environments: Included in SANS FOR500 (optional course)

  • Materials:

    • FOR500 courseware (recommended)

    • GCFE practice exams

    • SANS cheat sheets

  • Recommended platforms: SANS OnDemand, DFIR.training, CyberDefenders (for practice labs)

πŸ“ 7. Exam Format and Details

  • Mode: Online proctored (ProctorU)

  • Duration: 4 hours

  • Questions: ~115 multiple choice

  • Languages: English

  • Passing score: ~70% (not publicly disclosed)

  • Retake policy: Available after 30-day wait (fee applies)

  • Certification validity: 4 years

πŸ’° 8. Estimated Cost

  • Exam-only fee: $949 USD

  • FOR500 + exam bundle: ~$7,000–$8,000 USD

  • Renewal cost: $479 USD or 36 CPEs over 4 years

🌍 9. Industry Recognition

  • Demand/popularity: Highly respected in legal, law enforcement, military, and corporate DFIR settings

  • Organizations that value it: FBI, NSA, global incident response teams, Fortune 500s, DFIR firms

  • Comparison:

    • More forensic-depth than CHFI or MCFE

    • Less malware-focused than GCFA (GCFE = Windows OS artifacts; GCFA = post-exploit memory + malware)

    • Ideal for pure forensic examiners

πŸ’Ό 10. Career Opportunities

  • Job roles:
    Forensics Analyst, Windows Forensic Investigator, Legal Evidence Examiner, Corporate Investigator

  • Suggested paths:
    β†’ GSEC β†’ GCFE β†’ GCFA / GNFA / CCE
    β†’ GCFE + CHFI = Balanced IR + Forensics foundation

πŸ’΅ 11. Average Salary

  • USA: $100,000–$130,000/year

  • Europe: €70,000–€100,000/year

  • Salary impact: High in forensic-specific or legal-evidence environments

  • (Sources: GIAC alumni data, LinkedIn, SANS Cyber Workforce Survey)

πŸ“… 12. Renewal and Maintenance

  • Validity: 4 years

  • Renewal options:

    • Submit 36 CPE credits

    • Pay $479 renewal fee

    • Retake the exam

🧭 13. Final Recommendations

  • Ideal for:
    DFIR professionals and analysts who need deep skills in Windows forensic investigations and formal evidence handling

  • When to pursue:
    After basic forensics training (MCFE, C)DFE) or incident response experience

  • Tips:
    Build an index during study. Practice timeline reconstruction and registry analysis. Focus on core artifacts like Prefetch, LNKs, SRUM, and browser history.