Are the SANS Courses (Practically) Necessary for the GIAC Certs?

Hello all:

I have long been interested in pursuing a GIAC cert as I know they are well-respected in the field. Right now, I am particularly interested in the Web Application Penetration Tester (GWAPT) cert.

My question is, how essential are the "official" SANS Courses (SEC542 in this example) for passing the test? I have some background knowledge. I am a developer by profession and also possess some cybersecurity experience (including CompTIA CySA+ and ECC CEH certs); however, cybersecurity has …

courses cybersecurity giac sans