Passed GCIA...GCED next?

I was reading some posts on here and everyone is saying that the GCED is a basic cert but on the SANS roadmap it's considered advanced. I am really trying to get more certs on the blue side. I have the GCIA, is it worth getting the GCED? If not, what blue side cert would you recommend?

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Comments

cyberguypr

A few questions. 1) who is paying for this? 2) what's your experience. 3) what are your goals? The only reason I took this class is because work paid for the Work Study Program and this was the only class available. If you understand the topics that GCED covers, something more specific to a particular topic may be bring better value.

charismaticx

Congrats on passing the GCIA! That exam is a beast, but quite rewarding. GCED is also quite challenging and I can honestly say that I wouldn't want to retake either one. If you're looking for more Blue team certs than I highly recommend the GCWN course. Jason Fossen is an incredible instructor and it's truly tailored to Blue team.

alkior70

Any tips for the GCIA? I'm going through the On Demand right now, it's a lot lol. Also is there a difference between the workbooks and labs?

doo108

Yup....GCIA is one of the harder SANS certs....these are my tips in youtube video (easier than typing lol). Hope this helps.

https://youtu.be/7I1g-NniXrs

JDMurray

Does the GCED get any recognition in job postings like the GSEC, GCIA, and GCIH? Ten years ago nobody know about it; SANS was pushing it as the next course to take after GSEC. Is GCED more recognized now?

E Double U

I do not know anyone that holds the GCED nor have I seen it requested in any job postings. Whether its worth it or not depends on what one is trying to get out of it. If the syllabus contains topics you are interesting in learning then I would say its worth it. Having done my share of SANS courses, I always recommend GCIH to security professionals no matter if they are red or blue team.

alkior70

Whats ur take on the GCIA E Double U?

E Double U

@alkior70 - GCIA was worthwhile for me and you can read about my experience from 2017 on the following thread https://community.infosecinstitute.com/discussion/126802/passed-gcia#latest.

I took SEC503 training because I was interested in learning more about reading packets and working with Snort which are skills I needed at the time of taking the course. The topics covered in the material were both difficult and useful. Not for the faint of heart though.

alkior70

@edoublep

Oh Man, i'm going through book 3 and the labs/lessons are getting harder lol

doo108

Passed the GCED a few weeks ago! I can honestly say that it was easier than I thought it would be. This is coming from the perspective of an mid experienced analyst and someone that has taken GCIA (SEC 503) already. I have thought about it and feel like it is what the CISSP should be if you wanted the CISSP to be more technical. I would recommend it for someone fairly new to cyber (not no experience new but junior) but someone with a good amount of experience can skip this one. I am going to be doing the Defending Advanced Threats (GDAT - SEC599) next. Anyone have any experience with this one?