Security+ vs GSEC
Both certify foundational security knowledge. One costs $425 and the other costs $999, and that gap is the decision for almost everybody.
GSEC is deeper, longer and open book. Security+ is broader, cheaper and named far more often in job postings.
Side by side
| Security+ | GSEC | |
|---|---|---|
| Exam cost | $425. | $999, and considerably more with SANS training. |
| Experience assumed | Two years in IT with a security focus suggested, none enforced. | None enforced. Written for people with hands-on responsibility. |
| Format | Up to 90 questions in 90 minutes, with performance-based items. | Long proctored exam, open book with printed materials permitted. |
| Depth | Broad. Recognition-level across many topics. | Deeper and more technical, with real command output and configuration. |
| Study time | Six to ten weeks. | Ten to sixteen weeks, or a SANS course week plus revision. |
| Difficulty | Fair to anyone who has done the reading. | Harder material, but open book and long, which offsets some of it. |
| Typical roles | SOC analyst, security administrator. Named in postings and in DoD 8140 IAT Level II. | Security engineer and analyst roles, common in government and defence contracting. |
| Renewal | Three years, 50 CEUs. | Four years, with CPE credits or a retake. |
Which one to take first
Security+ for almost everybody. It is a quarter of the price, it is the certification job postings name, and it satisfies the same DoD 8140 IAT Level II requirement that makes GSEC attractive to defence candidates.
GSEC when somebody else is paying. Employers who fund SANS training are the main route to it, and in that situation the depth is genuinely worth having and the price is not your problem.
If you are self-funding and choosing between them, the $574 difference buys Security+ plus most of CySA+, which is a stronger pair of credentials than GSEC alone.
When the answer is the other one
Take GSEC instead if your employer funds SANS
SANS courses are the best-regarded training in the field and GSEC is the certification attached to the foundational one. If the training budget exists, the depth you get is real and the certification is respected in government and defence work where Security+ is merely the floor.
Take CySA+ instead if you already hold Security+
GSEC overlaps heavily with Security+ and is not a step up in the way its price suggests. Somebody who already holds Security+ gets more from moving to analysis work with CySA+ than from certifying the same foundational ground again at $999.
Take neither yet if you have no security experience
Both assume you have seen a network, a firewall and a log. Starting with either while also learning what those are means paying exam fees to discover you were not ready, and A+ or Network+ is a cheaper way to find out.
The short version
Self-funding: Security+, and it is not close.
Employer-funded through SANS: GSEC is worth taking, and the training is most of the value.
Frequently asked questions
Is GSEC better than Security+?
It is deeper and more technical. Whether it is better depends on who is paying and which postings you are answering, because Security+ is named far more often and costs a quarter as much.
Is GSEC really open book?
Yes. GIAC exams permit printed reference material, which is why indexing your notes is a standard part of preparing. It does not make the exam easy, because the questions are long and the clock still runs.
Do both satisfy DoD 8140?
Both appear on the approved list for IAT Level II. If the requirement is the reason you are certifying, Security+ satisfies it at a quarter of the cost.
Answer a few from each.
Free sample questions for both, with the full explanation on every answer. Nothing tells you which exam suits you like sitting a few of its questions.