It’s official, I received the email from SANS letting me know that I earned the GSE certification! I am GSE #141 in a group of impressive information security professionals.

There are a ton of people that I would like to thank, including co-workers and friends. I would also like to thank Chris Sanders (GSE #64) for just being awesome and fielding some of my questions. Lastly, I would like to thank my lovely fiancée, Sophie, for putting up with my constant study and the late nights where, in her own words, I am “in the Matrix.”

Taking the lab practical was quite an experience and I made some new friends during the stressful time. I would like to congratulate a few who sat the practical with me:

• Josh Brower - GSE #143
• Chris Davis - GSE #144
• Jon Mark Allen - GSE #145
• Paul Ackerman - GSE #147
• Shaun McCullough - GSE #148
• Cary Barker - GSE #151

I won’t get into the details of the exam, but it was a fantastic challenge that tested a wide range of infosec skills. It was difficult (tough, but fair), and is not for the faint of heart.

I have to admit, it was very nice getting a slew of emails the next morning regarding the re-up of all my SANS certs.

With the GSE done, it’s time to start programming and blogging more. Be on the lookout for some new posts and projects!

Here are some links about the exam if you would like additional details:

http://www.giac.org/certification/security-expert-gse https://danielmiessler.com/blog/the-giac-gse-the-grandmaster-of-information-security-certifications/

Thanks for reading!

Mike