SANS Cyber Guardian Program

I am not sure if anyone is interested, but I put together a spreadsheet of the breakdown of the SANS cyber guardian program. It has helped me plan my next move and thought it may be helpful to some.

It includes current prices (as of April 2013)
It uses boxes to be more visually appealing. Its worth the download instead of viewing in Google Docs. Feedback is welcome.

I have another version that breaks down the SANS Masters (Engineering) as well if anyone is interested.

https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9lMdGwYd7vVRWhFTXRDU2JlQTA/edit?usp=sharing

Cheers!

MSISE
SANS Masters Spreadsheet.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9lMdGwYd7vVaHc5czdILWJFTmM/edit?usp=sharing

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ChooseLife

I'm interested in the SANS Master doc - can you post the file here, please?

SephStorm

seeing those costs makes me queasy...

Save up for a house or a SANS course...

Drackar

lol yeah, Those SANs courses are no joke.

Drackar

ChooseLife wrote: »

I'm interested in the SANS Master doc - can you post the file here, please?

There you go ChoosenLife. I added the MSISE Program.

dbrink

Is the SANS Masters curriculum accredited yet?

YuckTheFankees

I spoke with SANS roughly a year ago and they said "We are shooting for 2014 to be accredited". So I believe they are definitely on their way but just not yet.

But it's definitely too much $$$$ for me.

datschmo

Drackar wrote: »

I am not sure if anyone is interested, but I put together a spreadsheet of the breakdown of the SANS cyber guardian program.

Nice spreadsheet! Are you required to take both Red and Blue team courses as part of the cert?

+1 feeling queasy for the cost.

JasonP03

Save up for a house or a SANS course...

Accurate comparison

Nice list

ChooseLife

Drackar wrote: »

There you go ChoosenLife. I added the MSISE Program.

Cheers - great docs!

SephStorm wrote: »

Save up for a house or a SANS course...

No kidding...

Psyco32

Anyone know if you could use the GI BILL for the SANS Masters???

f0rgiv3n

I'm pretty sure that SANS isn't an accredited University. So if the GI BILL requires that, you'd be out of luck.

Drackar

Psyco32 wrote: »

Anyone know if you could use the GI BILL for the SANS Masters???

Sadly, no. Not yet. When I had enrolled in the Cyber Guardian program I asked about when SANS expected to become accredited. I was told summer 2013. That was last year though. Hopefully soon though. The GI bill will pay for any accredited institution. So, whenever they get accredited I would guess they are going to get pretty busy.

Thanks Chosenlife. I am glad I could give back a little bit.

Drackar

datschmo wrote: »

Nice spreadsheet! Are you required to take both Red and Blue team courses as part of the cert?

Thanks and no, you need all of the baseline certs and one additional cert from the Red Team list. Once you have completed all of the certifications you must take the GSE to finish the program. If you complete the Cyber Guardian: Red Team and want to get the Cyber Guardian: Blue Team you can just take one of the Blue Team Certifications. I guess I should have included that in the spreadsheet. I included the Red Team certs below.

Red Team Courses & Certifications

[TH]Course[/TH]
[TH]Certification[/TH]

SEC542: Web App Penetration Testing and Ethical Hacking
GIAC Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT)

SEC617: Wireless Ethical Hacking, Penetration Testing, and Defense
GIAC Assessing Wireless Networks (GAWN)

SEC660: Advanced Penetration Testing, Exploits, and Ethical Hacking
GIAC Exploit Researcher and Advanced Penetration Tester (GXPN)

Blue Team Courses & Certifications

[TH]Course[/TH]
[TH]Certification[/TH]

SEC502: Perimeter Protection In Depth
GIAC Certified Firewall Analyst (GCFW)

SEC505: Securing Windows
GIAC Certified Windows Security Administrator (GCWN)

SEC506: Securing Unix/Linux
GIAC Certified UNIX Security Administrator(GCUX)

JockVSJock

f0rgiv3n wrote: »

I'm pretty sure that SANS isn't an accredited University. So if the GI BILL requires that, you'd be out of luck.

What about Post-9/11 instead of GI-Bill?

Drackar

JockVSJock wrote: »

What about Post-9/11 instead of GI-Bill?

Still a No-Go for now. It looks like we'll have to wait until SANS gets accredited before we can use our GI bills for SANS courses. Post-9/11 or not.

docrice

Every time I look at the Cyber Guardian program, I can't help but imagine a few people at SANS thinking of ways to generate additional revenue.

"How about we round up a bunch of our high-level core training courses, ensure that they pass the related GIAC exams including the GSE, and wrap the word Cyber over it. We'd make millions!"

The US Government apparently needs an army of cyberwarriors. Shove a bunch of people through the program and you might get a few diamonds. Problem solved?

I don't mean to sound so negative about it though. I already meet a good portion of the requirements. Just two more certs, pass the GSE, and I'm basically there, although I'm way over the two year time limit to get it all done. My brain already hurts from all the training that I've gotten and if I learn anything else new within the next few months, some of that knowledge will spill out the other side. I can't take it anymore.

Drackar

docrice wrote: »

My brain already hurts from all the training that I've gotten and if I learn anything else new within the next few months, some of that knowledge will spill out the other side. I can't take it anymore.

haha, yeah I feel the same way. I have completed about half of the Cyber Guardian so far this year and my braid feels like a dead battery.

I used your write up of your GAWN testing experience to help prepare me for my GAWN last week. Thanks for that. It was very helpful for me.

I have no doubt that SANS is trying to make money. I know they have taken plenty of my money. SANS really is the only place that I know of to get this kind of specialized training. I have not found it in traditional universities.

JockVSJock

Drackar wrote: »

Still a No-Go for now. It looks like we'll have to wait until SANS gets accredited before we can use our GI bills for SANS courses. Post-9/11 or not.

Any word on how long this process will take for SANS to get accredited?

JDMurray

JockVSJock wrote: »

Any word on how long this process will take for SANS to get accredited?

I contacted SANS back in 2009 and asked that question. They said they were hoping their regional (CHEA) accreditation would happen by 2011. In early, 2013 they said the process is 99% completed and accreditation will happen sometime this year. So far, I only see STI as having pre-accredited status awarded by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education on 03/04/2010.

ChooseLife

JDMurray wrote: »

I contacted SANS back in 2009 and asked that question. They said they were hoping their regional (CHEA) accreditation would happen by 2011. In early, 2013 they said the process is 99% completed and accreditation will happen sometime this year. So far, I only see STI as having pre-accredited status awarded by the Middle States Commission on Higher Education on 03/04/2010.

I see multiple similar posts floating around on Internet starting circa 2006, and in every case the expectation is to have the accreditation in now()+1yr to now()+2yr range.

kiki162

docrice wrote: »

The US Government apparently needs an army of cyberwarriors. Shove a bunch of people through the program and you might get a few diamonds. Problem solved?

I don't mean to sound so negative about it though.

I hear ya on that one. You hear about it all over the news, yet you don't see any mass hirings anywhere? Especially with all the sequestration and congress budget problems going on right now. Problem is there's no money right now to toss around. Would be nice if there was a scholarship...or lower the cost of the program all together.

Here's an idea...go through the program, and when you finish and get hired on by a company. That company pays a fee for your first year,two, or three salary back to SANS. Discounted tuition....problem solved.

Lots of those Ruby on Rails bootcamp programs are doing that.

chanakyajupudi

The spreadsheet work is just awesome. I have started my way towards the MSISE from STI.

I understand that it is not accredited but it does not mean anything in my country. It would be a nice gift wrap if it got accredited in the next two to three years.

I have started with the GCIH and will go on to do the GPEN and GSEC if time permits this year.

As far as the finance part is concerned . I have applied for work study programs in India , Singapore , Malaysia and Thailand !

So lets hope I get them all that way !

Cheers !

If anyone else is interested we could always help each other with tips and help in the labbing !

Drackar

Thanks for the compliment chanakyajupudi I am glad it has been useful.

chanakyajupudi

Another question. In your spreadsheet it says that the GSE is required.

There is no mention of this on the site.

MSISE: Master of Science Degree in Information Security Engineering

Thank you in advance !

My apologies it says so !!

Sheesh ! There are only 73 GSE in the world !

Drackar

When I enrolled in the Cyber Guardian Program it was a requirement that I take the GSE (not necessarily pass). This was a bit confusing for me also.
The website also states that you do not have to take the GSEC as a requirement for the program if you already have the CISSP. However, the GSEC is a requirement to sit for the GSE exam. That was a real bummer for me to find out. I will update the original thread with a new spreadsheet to show these changes because I think it changes the program requirements some what, or at least it did for me.

I also included a progress bar as well.

I found this out last week as well. When you are enrolled into the Cyber guardian the certifications that you take can only be transferred into the MSISE program if your test score was above 80%. So, for those passing their certs with anything less than a 80%, you will not be able to transfer that certification into the Masters program.

**Update**

Never mind, I cant update the original post that I can see. Here is the link to the new Spreadsheet.
https://docs.google.com/file/d/0B9lMdGwYd7vVVjNFTXU4MVdQUzQ/edit?usp=sharing