Defensive Security
Certifications for security defenders, incident responders, and threat hunters. These focus on detecting, analyzing, and responding to security threats.
Defensive Security at a glance
This category covers 8 cybersecurity certifications, with top reported salaries reaching $180,000. Each certification below maps to a specific role and skill profile — pick the one whose target audience and career paths match where you are or where you want to be.
The certifications
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GCIH (GIAC Certified Incident Handler) GIAC · Intermediate
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 2-3 weeks prep
- Salary$105,000 - $155,000
- DemandVery High - incident response
- Validity4 years
Incident responders, security analysts, SOC analysts
Career paths: Incident Response Analyst · SOC Analyst · Threat Analyst
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GCIA (GIAC Certified Intrusion Analyst) GIAC · Intermediate
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 2-3 weeks prep
- Salary$110,000 - $160,000
- DemandHigh - threat analysis
- Validity4 years
Network security analysts, threat analysts
Career paths: Network Security Analyst · Threat Analyst · SOC Analyst
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GCDA (GIAC Certified Detection Analyst) GIAC · Intermediate
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 2-3 weeks prep
- Salary$115,000 - $165,000
- DemandVery High - detection roles
- Validity4 years
Detection engineers, SOC analysts, threat hunters
Career paths: Detection Engineer · SOC Analyst · Threat Hunter
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GCED (GIAC Certified Enterprise Defender) GIAC · Intermediate
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 2-3 weeks prep
- Salary$120,000 - $170,000
- DemandHigh - enterprise security
- Validity4 years
Enterprise security defenders, security engineers
Career paths: Enterprise Security Engineer · Security Architect · SOC Manager
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GDAT (GIAC Defending Advanced Threats) GIAC · Advanced
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 3-4 weeks prep
- Salary$130,000 - $180,000
- DemandHigh - advanced threat roles
- Validity4 years
Advanced threat defenders, threat hunters
Career paths: Threat Hunter · Advanced Analyst · Security Architect
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GMON (GIAC Continuous Monitoring Certification) GIAC · Intermediate
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 2-3 weeks prep
- Salary$105,000 - $155,000
- DemandHigh - SOC operations
- Validity4 years
SOC analysts, security operations managers
Career paths: SOC Analyst · Security Operations Manager · Analyst
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GSOC (GIAC Security Operations Certified) GIAC · Intermediate
- Cost$2,995 course + $499 exam
- Study time5 days intensive + 2-3 weeks prep
- Salary$100,000 - $150,000
- DemandVery High - SOC roles
- Validity4 years
SOC analysts, security operations professionals
Career paths: SOC Analyst · Operations Manager · Analyst
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CND (EC-Council Certified Network Defender) EC-Council · Intermediate
- Cost$1,100 exam fee
- Study time6-10 weeks study time
- Salary$110,000 - $160,000
- DemandHigh - network security
- Validity3 years
Network security professionals, defenders
Career paths: Network Security Analyst · Security Engineer · Defender
How to choose
Start with the cert whose target audience matches your current role and the level matches your experience. Among those, the practical filter is usually cost and study time — pick what you can realistically commit to over the next 6 months. The career paths section tells you which roles each cert opens up; the salary range is a rough industry signal but varies heavily by region and employer.