The GREM Certification course program by kodestree is built for professionals who want to master malware analysis and reverse engineering. Mapped to the SANS GREM course objectives, it covers static, dynamic, and code-level analysis of Windows malware, malicious documents, packed executables, and self-defending malware. Through live instructor-led sessions and lab-driven practice, learners gain the practical skills needed to approach the GIAC Reverse Engineering Malware GREM exam and advance their cybersecurity careers.
Prerequisites
GIAC does not mandate a formal prerequisite for the GREM exam itself, but candidates get the most value from this training when they already carry:
- A working understanding of Windows operating system internals and file structures
- Comfort navigating both Windows and Linux environments, including basic troubleshooting
- Prior exposure to virtualization tools (VMware or similar) for lab-based environments
- Familiarity with core programming logic, variables, loops, and functions, even without a coding background
- A general grounding in networking and security fundamentals; 1-2 years in IT, security operations, or forensics is helpful but not mandatory
Why Learn GREM?
Malware volumes and evasion techniques keep advancing, and organizations increasingly need analysts who can go beyond automated sandbox verdicts to explain exactly what a specimen does. The GREM credential exists precisely for that gap, it’s the certification GIAC built to validate hands-on reverse-engineering ability rather than theoretical knowledge alone.
- It is one of the few certifications that tests live, tool-based malware analysis skill through GIAC’s CyberLive format instead of pure multiple-choice recall
- It is anchored to the widely respected SANS GREM course (FOR610), giving it strong recognition inside DFIR, threat intel, and SOC hiring teams
- Reverse engineering skills transfer directly into incident response, threat hunting, and malware research roles- functions that are difficult to outsource or automate
- A GIAC GREM credential signals to employers that you can independently triage a malicious file rather than depend solely on vendor tools
- It supports DoD 8140 and similar workforce-framework alignment, which matters for government and defense-adjacent roles
Course Objectives
By the end of this training, you will be able to:
- Set up and use an isolated malware analysis lab safely and repeatably
- Apply static, behavioral, and code-level analysis methods to unknown Windows binaries
- Read and interpret x86/x64 assembly using a disassembler and debugger
- Analyze malicious PDFs, Office macros, RTF files, and obfuscated scripts
- Unpack, deobfuscate, and dump packed or self-defending malware from memory
- Recognize and bypass common anti-analysis and anti-debugging techniques
- Examine .NET and fileless malware behavior and extract usable indicators of compromise
What You Will Learn
This training walks through the full malware analysis lifecycle, module by module:
- Building and hardening a controlled malware analysis lab environment
- Static properties analysis, string extraction, and file triage
- Behavioral analysis using process, registry, file-system, and network monitoring tools
- Disassembly and debugging of Windows executables at the assembly level
- Deobfuscating malicious JavaScript, PowerShell, and VBA macros
- Analyzing malicious PDF, RTF, and Microsoft Office documents
- Identifying and unpacking packed executables using a debugger
- Detecting code injection, process hollowing, and sandbox-evasion techniques
- Reverse-engineering .NET malware and interpreting obfuscated assemblies
- Extracting indicators of compromise (IOCs) for threat intelligence and incident response
Who Is This Course For?
This program fits professionals who touch malicious code as part of their job, or want to:
- Incident responders and SOC analysts who need to assess malware impact firsthand
- Digital forensics investigators handling cases that involve malicious software
- Threat intelligence analysts who need to extract IOCs and attacker TTPs from samples
- Security Engineers and system/network administrators expanding into malware analysis
- IT auditors and security consultants who evaluate malware-related risk
- Anyone with informal malware-analysis exposure looking to formalize that skill with a recognized certification
Tools You Will Work With
- Ghidra (disassembler/decompiler)
- x64dbg (Windows debugger)
- REMnux (Linux malware-analysis toolkit)
- PEStudio (static PE file triage)
- Wireshark (network traffic analysis)
- Process Hacker / Process Monitor (behavioral analysis)
- YARA (pattern-based malware identification)
- olevba and oletools (malicious Office macro analysis)
- dnSpy (.NET assembly analysis)
Skills You Will Gain
You’ll leave this training able to demonstrate:
- Independent static and dynamic malware triage
- Assembly-level code reading and control-flow analysis
- Safe handling and unpacking of obfuscated or self-defending malware
- Malicious document and script analysis (PDF, Office, RTF, JS, PowerShell)
- Anti-analysis and anti-debugging technique recognition
- IOC extraction and threat-intelligence reporting
Career Outcomes
A GREM-aligned skill set opens doors into specialized, harder-to-automate cybersecurity roles, including:
- Malware Analyst
- Threat Hunter
- Digital Forensics & Incident Response (DFIR) Analyst
- Threat Intelligence Analyst
- Reverse Engineer
- SOC Analyst (Tier 2/3) and Incident Response Lead
Why Choose kodestree for This Training?
A few reasons professionals pick kodestree for their GREM Certification preparation:
- Curriculum mapped to official GIAC GREM exam objectives and SANS GREM course concepts
- Live, instructor-led sessions with trainers experienced in malware analysis and DFIR work
- 100% hands-on labs using real analysis tools- not slide-only theory
- Flexible batch timings for working professionals, with recorded sessions for revision
- Certification and career-support guidance through exam preparation and beyond
- Lifetime access to updated course materials as tools and techniques evolve
