Hardware Ethical Hacker

This is a fully remote position, open to applicants in Texas.

📋 Description

• Plan and implement comprehensive hardware penetration tests on embedded and IoT devices, adhering to a specific scope and rules of engagement.

• Identify, access, and exploit on-board debug interfaces such as JTAG, SWD, and UART to achieve code execution or memory access.

• Retrieve firmware through debug ports, in-circuit flash reads (SPI / I2C / NAND), or chip-off techniques when necessary, and analyze it for vulnerabilities.

• Capture and evaluate data on common embedded buses (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, USB) utilizing logic analyzers and protocol decoders.

• Where applicable, conduct side-channel analysis and fault injection (power analysis, voltage/clock glitching) to bypass secure boot, readout protection, or authentication mechanisms.

• Reverse engineer firmware and embedded binaries using tools such as Ghidra, IDA, and Binwalk to identify logic flaws, hardcoded secrets, and exploitable conditions.

• Evaluate the physical attack surface, tamper resistance, and storage of keys/secrets.

• Produce high-quality technical reports and present findings to both technical and non-technical client stakeholders.

• Provide practical, prioritized remediation advice that clients can implement.

• Develop and maintain lab tools, testing rigs, and internal methodologies.

• Contribute to enhancing the standards of hardware security work across the organization.

⛳️ Requirements

• A graduate in Information Security, Computer Science, or Computer/Electrical Engineering, or possess equivalent hands-on experience.

• Strong foundation in electronics, with the ability to read schematics and datasheets and deduce information about a circuit board from them.

• Proficient in hands-on soldering, including surface-mount (SMD) rework and basic chip removal.

• Proven experience in accessing debug interfaces (JTAG, SWD, UART) and retrieving firmware from actual devices.

• Comfortable using essential bench instruments such as logic analyzers, oscilloscopes, and multimeters.

• Skills in firmware reverse engineering and scripting capabilities in Python, along with sufficient knowledge of C to interpret embedded code.

• Familiarity with prevalent embedded architectures (ARM/Cortex-M, MIPS, AVR, RISC-V) and concepts related to RTOS/bare-metal.

• Strong written and verbal communication skills.

• Preferred qualifications (one or more would be an advantage): experience with side-channel/fault-injection (e.g., ChipWhisperer).

• Experience in RF and wireless technologies: SDR, BLE, sub-GHz, Wi-Fi.

• Understanding of secure boot chains, Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), secure elements, and Hardware Security Modules (HSMs).

• Familiarity with PCB design tools (KiCad / Altium) to understand target boards.

• Published CVEs, conference presentations, CTF placements, or contributions to open-source tools.

• Relevant certifications (e.g., OSCP for breadth or hardware-focused training).

🏝️ Benefits

• Immediate and ongoing training in offensive security.

• Mentorship and professional development opportunities to enhance your technical skills.

• Competitive salary and potential for growth.

• Flexible work environment that allows employees to excel in their roles.

• Fully remote position available within Canada or Texas.