Role Overview
This position centers on uncovering and analyzing security flaws in hardware, firmware, and embedded platforms. The analyst conducts in-depth technical assessments to expose weaknesses that could compromise system integrity. Work includes hands-on experimentation, low-level code analysis, and developing methods to test the resilience of security controls.
Key Responsibilities
- Examine hardware and embedded systems to map functionality, identify failure modes, and assess potential impacts of exploitation.
- Defeat existing security mechanisms to access protected data, including enabling debug interfaces, circumventing signature checks, and escalating privileges under controlled conditions.
- Retrieve firmware and executable code from devices and inspect them for vulnerabilities, hardcoded credentials, or embedded cryptographic material.
- Conduct side-channel analysis to capture and interpret data leaks, such as power variations or timing signals, to extract sensitive information like encryption keys.
- Implement fault injection techniques to disrupt normal operation and bypass security checks or unlock restricted functionality.
- Create custom exploits that demonstrate the practical impact of discovered flaws, focusing on privilege escalation, data recovery, or control bypass in embedded environments.
- Document test setups, procedures, and findings in detail to ensure results can be replicated and maintained over time.
- Keep pace with emerging research and tools in hardware reverse engineering and physical security to maintain technical edge.
Qualifications
Candidates must be eligible to obtain and retain a U.S. Government Security Clearance. Technical familiarity with low-level programming and hardware analysis is essential.
Preferred expertise includes proficiency in C/C++, Python, and assembly languages; experience with reverse engineering tools such as IDA Pro or Ghidra; and knowledge of FPGA systems, cryptography, embedded software, and physical attack methods including side-channel and fault injection techniques.
