Joe Grand's Hardware Hacking Basics [FTSCon 2025]
Event description
Joe Grand's Hardware Hacking Basics
This training course offering is hosted by the Volatility Foundation in conjunction with From The Source (FTSCon). Course registration includes a complimentary ticket to FTSCon on Monday, October 20, 2025. For more details about FTSCon, visit the event page: https://volatilityfoundation.org/from-the-source-2025/.
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.
Training Description
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
Security/code protection bypass examples
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.
Software & Hardware Requirements
Everything required for the class will be provided, including (but not limited to) soldering iron, multimeter, logic analyzer, device programmer, wire strippers, test clips, safety goggles, and a laptop pre-loaded with the required software.
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!
Resources Provided
Course presentation on USB thumb drive
Custom training circuit board
Daily Schedule
Breakfast, lunch & refreshments are included with course registration.
8:15AM-9:00AM Breakfast
9:00AM-12:30PM Training
12:30PM-1:15PM Lunch
1:15PM-5:00PM Training
ABOUT THE TRAINER
Joe Grand (@joegrand), 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 (grandideastudio.com). He has been creating, exploring, and manipulating electronic systems since the 1980s.
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