You can see it againUnder pressure people bring back shapes and positions long after the wording has gone.
Picture superiority · Shepard 1967, Standing 1973
GIAC (SANS)GIAC AI Security Automation Engineer
The GIAC AI Security Automation Engineer (GASAE) certification validates your ability to apply practical, real-world automation and artificial intelligence across offensive, defensive, and cloud security operations. It is designed for security professionals who build and operate AI-driven security workflows, from automated vulnerability discovery and adversary emulation to SOAR-driven incident response. Earning GASAE proves you can engineer scalable, resilient security automation that combines AI with hands-on technical skill.
Exam formatCyberLive hands-on performance-based exam
Duration180 minutes
DeliveryGIAC
Passing score70%
Free questions438
Content last reviewed 30 July 2026 · Up to date
The certification
What GIAC AI Security Automation Engineer proves, and what it asks of you
What this certification covers, who it is written for, and what the exam itself looks like on the day.
5domains
10objectives
80concepts
What it is
What this certification is
What it validates, who it is written for, and the experience it assumes.
About this certification
The GIAC AI Security Automation Engineer (GASAE) certification validates your ability to apply practical, real-world automation and artificial intelligence across offensive, defensive, and cloud security operations. Certified professionals prove their proficiency in applying advanced tactics such as automated vulnerability discovery, AI-driven attack simulations, host remediation, infrastructure automation workflows, and SOAR-driven incident response.
GASAE is a hands-on, performance-based certification delivered through GIAC's CyberLive format, which replaces traditional multiple-choice testing with realistic lab environments. You will work with full-scale virtual machines, real security tools, and authentic code to demonstrate your ability to design agentic workflows, automate adversary emulation, deploy AI-driven response playbooks, and operate at enterprise scale. This certification is for practitioners who build, not just observe, and who can turn the promise of AI and automation into tangible security outcomes.
Who it’s for
The GASAE certification is for security professionals who are responsible for integrating automation and AI into their organization's security operations. This includes Security Operation Center (SOC) Analysts, Incident Responders, Forensic Analysts, Red Team Operators, Penetration Testers, Purple Team Engineers, Security Automation and Orchestration Engineers, Cloud Security Engineers, Detection Engineers, Threat Hunters, DevSecOps and Infrastructure as Code Engineers, and Security Architects. If you are hands-on with security tools, write scripts or infrastructure as code, and are looking to validate your ability to build AI-driven security workflows that operate at scale, GASAE is designed for you.
Recommended experience
Practical work experience in security operations, incident response, or offensive security, along with familiarity with scripting, cloud platforms, and automation concepts. Hands-on experience with security operations, incident response, or offensive security; Familiarity with scripting languages and infrastructure as code; Understanding of cloud platforms such as AWS and Azure; Exposure to security automation tools and SOAR platforms
The syllabus
What you’ll learn
Every domain and objective GIAC (SANS) measures, with the weight they carry on the exam.
The official GIAC (SANS) exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
Security Automation Foundations
- Security Automation Fundamentals
- Automating Workflows
- Security Orchestration Automation and Response
Cloud Security Automation
- AWS Cloud Security and Incident Response Automation
- Azure Cloud Security and Incident Response Automation
AI and Adversary Emulation
- Artificial Intelligence Fundamentals
- Adversary Emulation Fundamentals
Offensive and Defensive Automation
- Automating Offensive Workflows
- Defensive Security Automation
Advanced Automation for Incident Response
- Using Automation and AI for Detection Engineering and Incident Response
On the day
The exam itself
Everything GIAC (SANS) publishes about sitting it, and nothing we inferred.
Prerequisites
No mandatory prerequisites — this certification has no required predecessor exam or credential.
CertificationGIAC AI Security Automation Engineer
Exam formatCyberLive hands-on performance-based exam
Duration180 minutes
Questions82 questions
Passing score70%
DeliveryGIAC
LanguagesEnglish
After you pass
Where this credential goes next
The path GIAC (SANS) lays out, how the credential is kept, and where to book.
Step-by-step path to GIAC AI Security Automation Engineer
Credential earnedGIAC AI Security Automation Engineer Certification Renewal and maintenance
GIAC certifications must be renewed every four years by earning 36 Continuing Professional Education (CPE) credits or by retaking the exam. Stay current with the latest technologies and maintain your certification.
Learn more about renewal requirements Lifecycle status
This certification is currently active and available. GIAC (SANS) maintains this certification to validate current skills and industry relevance.
Exam status: ActiveMaintained by GIAC (SANS)
Exam registration
Register for the exam through GIAC, GIAC (SANS)’s authorized testing partner.
Schedule your examVisit the official GIAC (SANS) certification page for exam policies and requirements.
View the official pageYour coach
And when you are serious, your coach Pip takes over
Your coach in the app reads what you have answered with the book closed and tells you one thing to do tonight. It will not count an answer you gave with the page open, and it will tell you when you are not ready.
See how the coach worksBefore you book
Questions people ask
How is GASAE different from other GIAC AI certifications?
GASAE focuses specifically on the combination of AI and automation across offensive, defensive, and cloud security operations. It is distinct from certifications like GAIPS (AI platform security) or GOAA (offensive AI) in that it validates the ability to engineer AI-driven security workflows, not just apply AI in a single domain.
Do I need to earn a lower-level GIAC certification before taking GASAE?
No. GIAC does not require any prerequisite certifications for GASAE. You can take the exam directly, though practical experience and training are recommended.
Is the GASAE exam hands-on?
Yes. GASAE uses GIAC's CyberLive format, which is a performance-based exam delivered in realistic lab environments. You will work with virtual machines, real security tools, and authentic code to complete challenges.
How do I schedule or reschedule my GASAE exam?
After your application is approved and your attempt is activated in your GIAC account, you will receive an email with details on scheduling. You have 120 days from activation to complete the exam. Rescheduling policies are managed through the GIAC portal.
What are the proctoring requirements for the GASAE exam?
All GIAC exams are proctored. You can choose remote proctoring through ProctorU or onsite proctoring through PearsonVUE. You will need a valid government-issued photo ID and a suitable testing environment.
What is the retake policy if I fail the GASAE exam?
GIAC's retake policy is not explicitly detailed on the GASAE page. For specific retake rules and waiting periods, refer to the GIAC certification policies or contact GIAC support.
Are there any vouchers or discounts available for the GASAE exam?
GIAC does not publicly list voucher or discount programs on the GASAE page. Check the GIAC website or contact GIAC for information on available offers.
How soon will I receive my GASAE exam results?
GIAC does not specify the exact timing for score release on the GASAE page. Typically, results are available in your GIAC account after the exam is completed. Check the GIAC portal for updates.
What job roles does the GASAE certification map to?
GASAE is designed for roles such as SOC Analysts, Incident Responders, Red Team Operators, Purple Team Engineers, Security Automation Engineers, Cloud Security Engineers, Detection Engineers, Threat Hunters, DevSecOps Engineers, and Security Architects.
Can I recertify GASAE by passing a different GIAC exam?
GIAC certifications can be renewed by retaking the same exam or by earning CPE credits. Passing a different GIAC exam does not automatically renew GASAE, but CPEs earned from other certifications may count toward renewal.
Information freshness · Content last reviewed on 2026-07-30 Up to date
Practice free questions 438 questions, free, no account needed.
The curriculum
The whole exam, mapped and written
Every domain, every objective, and every concept GIAC (SANS) measures — each one written out.
5domains
10objectives
80concepts
91free pages
The domains, and what sits inside them
Every objective below is a page you can open and practise now, without an account.
The official GIAC (SANS) exam outline · checked 30 July 2026 · See the source
1Security Automation Foundations125 questions
2Cloud Security Automation91 questions
3AI and Adversary Emulation85 questions
4Offensive and Defensive Automation97 questions
5Advanced Automation for Incident Response40 questions
Not a table of contents
Every line on this map already opens
In front of every objective the practice pages are already there, free and without an account. This is one objective, opened.
Security Automation Fundamentals9 pagesOpen →
Free in front of it
44 questions on this objective, five to a page. Every range above is a real page, open now, with no account.
Reading the map is not the same as knowing the ground
The curriculum tells you what is on the exam. Proving you know it is a different job — and it is the one the closed-book run does.
Free questions
438 questions. No account, no card.
The whole bank is open. 5 questions to a page, every answer explained, and a discussion thread on each one.
438questions
91pages
10objectives
Freealways
Browse by domain
Every objective, and every page range, is a link — so you can pick up exactly where you left off.
1Security Automation Foundations125 questions
2Cloud Security Automation91 questions
3AI and Adversary Emulation85 questions
4Offensive and Defensive Automation97 questions
5Advanced Automation for Incident Response40 questions
What a practice page gives you
1Five to a page
Short enough to finish, long enough to matter.
2Every answer explained
Not only which one is right — why the others are wrong.
3A discussion on each
Ask, answer, and vote. Every question has its own thread.
A question, and the idea behind it
Every question comes from a concept
These are not trivia. Each one is written against a concept in the book, so when you get one wrong there is somewhere to go and find out why.
The visual book
See it once. Carry it into the exam.
The pages shown here come from our AI-900 book — an example of how each concept is written in plain language and, where the idea needs one, drawn as a full page you can take in at a glance.
80concepts
438free questions
Why a picture, and not another paragraph
Three reasons, and each one is a real finding rather than a slogan.
You can see it againThe whole idea at onceWhere it starts, what happens in the middle, what comes out, and the mistake to avoid.
Multimedia principle · MayerThe look-alikes sit togetherThe pairs the exam tests are drawn side by side, so the difference is seen, not told.
Dual coding · PaivioWhat one page is made of
You are never asked to read a poster here — only to see how one is built. After that, every other page is legible at a glance.
1A numbered strip on top
The idea as a sequence, followed with a finger before a word is read.
2Panels for the parts
What it is, how the machine learns it, when it is the right tool.
3The trap, framed
The distinction the exam tests, given its own box instead of buried in prose.
4One line at the bottom
The sentence to carry into the exam room.
Open book, on purpose
Answer it with the picture beside you
This is the part that teaches. The illustration and the written explanation stay where they are while you work, so a scenario stops being a memory test and becomes something you can simply look at.
It teaches · it does not count
A smartphone uses AI to unlock when the owner looks at the camera. Which AI capability is being used?
AImage classification
BFacial recognition
COptical character recognition
DObject detection
Look at the five steps. Detect finds a face, align straightens it, encode turns it into numbers, search compares it with a stored face, and decide answers one question: is this the same person? Classification would only say “a face”. Detection would only draw a box. Neither decides whose.
Then the page shuts, and it starts counting
The same questions come back with the book closed — that run is the one that counts. After it, your coach picks one thing for tonight, sized to the time you have, and brings pages back before you lose them.
Testing effect · Roediger & Karpicke 2006 · spacing effect · Cepeda et al. 2006
Official resources
Straight from GIAC (SANS)
Where the exam is defined, scheduled and scored.
3official links
80concepts mapped
The source
GIAC (SANS)’s own pages
We link to them rather than repeat them, so nothing here goes stale behind them.
Checked against the source
Every objective on the official GIAC (SANS) outline already has questions here
We build from the official skills outline, not from a summary of it — 10 objectives, 80 concepts written under them, and free questions against every one. When GIAC (SANS) changes the outline, this page changes with it.
10objectives on the outline→80concepts written→438free questions
An official page tells you what will be asked. It cannot tell you what you will get right.
That is the only question worth answering the night before, and no link answers it. You answer it by taking the questions with the book closed, and seeing what comes back.