Joe Grand's Hardware Hacking Basics @ BSides Brisbane 2026

Interested in hardware hacking, but don't know where to start? This class, taught by world-renowned hacker and engineer Joe Grand, teaches fundamental hardware hacking concepts and techniques used to reverse engineer and defeat the security of electronic devices. It is hosted in partnership with Division 5 and being held just prior to BSides Brisbane!

Training Overview

This two-day comprehensive course teaches fundamental hardware hacking concepts and techniques used to explore, manipulate, and exploit electronic devices, including product teardown, component identification, circuit board reverse engineering, soldering and desoldering, signal monitoring and analysis, and memory extraction. Combining lecture and hands-on exercises, it culminates with a final challenge where you’ll identify and defeat the security mechanism of a custom hardware target. No prior hardware experience is required.

This class premiered in 2005 and is the longest-running hardware hacking training of its kind. It is continually updated to reflect the current state-of-the-art.

Agenda

Day 1:

• Hardware Hacking Overview

• Information Gathering

• Product Teardown

  • Opening housings

    • Product assembly/disassembly methods

    • Anti-tamper mechanisms

    • Hands-on exercise: Defeat epoxy encapsulation

  • Component identification

    • Discrete components

    • Integrated circuits

    • Finding and reading data sheets

    • Hands-on exercise: Identify target components

• Schematics and PCBs (Printed Circuit Boards)

  • Creating/reading schematics

  • PCB construction/fabrication methods

  • Hands-on exercise: Modify target PCB

• Soldering and Desoldering

  • Tips/techniques

  • Hands-on exercise: Soldering

  • Hands-on exercise: Desoldering

• Buses and Interfaces

  • Identifying interfaces

  • Determining pin function

    • Hands-on exercise: Measurements w/ multimeter

    • Hands-on exercise: Create block diagram/schematic

Day 2:

• Buses and Interfaces (continued)

  • Signal monitoring/analysis

    • Tools/techniques

    • Serial communications interfaces (UART, I2C, SPI)

    • Hands-on exercise: Signal monitoring w/ logic analyzer

    • Hands-on exercise: Digital decoding w/ logic analyzer

    • Hands-on exercise: Interactive console via UART

• Signal/Data Manipulation

  • Tools/techniques/examples

  • Debug interfaces (vendor-specific, JTAG)

• Memory and Firmware

  • Memory types

  • Hands-on exercise: Extract/modify data from EEPROM

  • Firmware analysis tools/techniques

• Hardware Hacking Challenge

  • Apply the knowledge and skills learned to defeat the security mechanism of a custom electronic device.

Target Audience

This class is for anyone interested in hardware hacking, including security researchers, digital forensic investigators, design engineers, and executive management. Whether you are looking to expand the capabilities of your organization or would like to understand how hackers may be reverse engineering your products, this class is a great starting point.

What to Bring

Students will need to provide their own x86/x64-based laptop running Windows 7 or later (administrator access is required, within a virtual machine is OK) and containing two USB Type A sockets (through a dongle is OK). An ARM-based laptop may not work for all exercises. Software and drivers will need to be installed.

Everything else required for the class will be provided, including (but not limited to) soldering iron, multimeter, logic analyzer, device programmer, and safety goggles. You will receive the course materials on thumb drive and a custom circuit board to take with you.

Coffee and snacks will be provided. Lunch will be on your own. The venue has a refrigerator if you choose to bring your own meals.

Prerequisite Knowledge & Skills

No prior hardware, electronics, or security experience is required. Each student will be led through the material and hands-on exercises regardless of past experience. Questions are encouraged along the way!

About the Trainer

Joe Grand, also known as Kingpin, is a computer engineer, hardware hacker, teacher, honorary doctor, occasional YouTuber, member of legendary hacker group L0pht Heavy Industries, and the proprietor of Grand Idea Studio. He has been creating, exploring, and manipulating electronic systems since the 1980s.