🔍 GIAC GCFR (Forensic Response)

🧠 1. Certification Name and Issuing Body

• Full certification name: GIAC Forensic Response (GCFR)

• Issuing organization: GIAC – Global Information Assurance Certification (SANS Institute)

• Official website: https://www.giac.org/certifications/forensic-response-gcfr/

🧩 2. Certification Level and Type

• Level: Intermediate

• Type: Technical (Incident Response + Forensics)

📜 3. Purpose and Goals

• What skills does it certify?
  Ability to collect, analyze, and interpret forensic evidence from Windows systems and enterprise environments during security incidents, with emphasis on rapid triage, attacker tracing, and timeline creation

• Target roles or profiles:
  Incident Responder, SOC Analyst (Tier II/III), Threat Hunter, Forensics Analyst

• Practical applications:
  Windows forensic triage, credential theft analysis, AD incident investigation, PowerShell abuse detection, MITRE ATT&CK correlation

🎓 4. Prerequisites

• Recommended prior certifications:
  GSEC, CySA+, C)DFE, or GCFE

• Suggested experience:
  1–3 years in DFIR, blue team, or Windows security

• Required technical knowledge:
  Windows file systems and registry, event logs, common attacker techniques (e.g., lateral movement, persistence), basic PowerShell/CLI analysis

📚 5. Content and Curriculum

• Key domains/modules:

  1. Windows Artifact Triage and Analysis

  2. Credential Access and Abuse

  3. Lateral Movement and Persistence Techniques

  4. Cloud and Hybrid Identity Forensics (Azure AD integration)

  5. Timeline Reconstruction and Live Response

  6. Incident Documentation and Reporting

• Technologies/tools:
  KAPE, Velociraptor, Plaso, EventLog Explorer, Powershell logs, Registry Explorer, Elastic/Splunk (for timeline correlation)

• Framework mapping:
  MITRE ATT&CK (TA0001–TA0005), NIST SP 800-61 (Computer Security Incident Handling Guide), DFIR triage models

🧪 6. Learning Approach

• Style: Practical and scenario-based (no hands-on in exam)

• Labs/environments: Included in SANS FOR508.2 (optional course)

• Materials:

  • FOR508.2 courseware

  • GIAC practice exams

  • Cheat sheets and SANS DFIR posters

• Recommended platforms: CyberDefenders (GCFR Labs), KAPE GitHub labs, SANS Workstation

📝 7. Exam Format and Details

• Mode: Online proctored (ProctorU)

• Duration: 2 hours

• Questions: ~75 multiple-choice

• Languages: English

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

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

• Certification validity: 4 years

💰 8. Estimated Cost

• Exam-only fee: $949 USD

• FOR508.2 course bundle: ~$7,000–$8,000 USD

• Renewal cost: $479 USD or 36 CPEs

🌍 9. Industry Recognition

• Demand/popularity: Growing rapidly among enterprise SOCs, MSSPs, and IR firms needing Windows + identity forensics

• Organizations that value it: Financial institutions, defense contractors, incident response teams, cyber insurance partners

• Comparison:

  • More focused than GCFE (triage + IR instead of full disk analysis)

  • Less memory/malware focused than GCFA

  • Excellent pairing with Velociraptor/KAPE workflows

💼 10. Career Opportunities

• Job roles:
  Incident Responder, Threat Hunter, Blue Team Lead, IR Consultant, Windows Forensics Analyst

• Suggested paths:
  → GCFE or C)DFE → GCFR → GCFA / GNFA
  → GCFR + SC-200 = SOC2+ Forensic & Detection Hybrid Profile

💵 11. Average Salary

• USA: $95,000–$125,000/year

• Europe: €65,000–€95,000/year

• Salary impact: High in active IR or hybrid SOC-DFIR roles

• (Sources: GIAC alumni feedback, LinkedIn job postings, SANS Cyber Workforce Reports)

📅 12. Renewal and Maintenance

• Validity: 4 years

• Renewal options:

  • Submit 36 CPE credits

  • Pay $479 renewal fee

  • Retake exam (optional)

🧭 13. Final Recommendations

• Ideal for:
  Blue team professionals or SOC analysts transitioning into DFIR with a focus on triage-based forensics and attacker behavior

• When to pursue:
  After GCFE, MCFE, or strong Windows IR exposure; before GCFA or advanced malware forensics

• Tips:
  Master KAPE and event log correlation. Practice triage over full disk image analysis. Focus on ATT&CK alignment and report clarity.