About the role
You'll work on the hardware side of security: embedded devices, the firmware they run, and the wireless protocols they talk over. This is a beginner-friendly role. We expect you to arrive curious and leave competent. If you've opened up a device to see what's inside, you already have the instinct we're looking for.
What you'll do
- Take apart IoT devices and map out what's on the board: chips, debug pins, storage
- Connect to devices over serial (UART) and get a shell or boot log
- Pull firmware off devices and unpack it to see what's inside
- Hunt for the easy wins first: default passwords, hardcoded keys, plaintext protocols, open services
- Capture and read device traffic over Wi-Fi and Bluetooth to see what it sends and where
- Test the app and cloud side that controls the device
- Write short Python scripts to automate the boring, repetitive parts
- Write up what you found in plain language, with steps someone else can repeat
What we're looking for
- Python: you can write a working script on your own; you don't need to be an expert
- Comfortable using Linux and the terminal
- Basic electronics understanding: what a microcontroller is, what a serial connection does, how to read a datasheet or wiring diagram
- Some exposure to networking: IP, ports, and what a packet capture looks like
- Curious and patient. Hardware work is slow, and a lot of it is trying the next thing after the last one failed
- Careful with your hands and your assumptions; a wrong pin can cost you a board
- AI tools are welcome, but you must learn, explain, test, and take responsibility for any code you submit. Do not use generated code you do not understand
You don't need to already know these. We'll teach you
- Firmware extraction and analysis
- Reverse engineering and firmware analysis
- Bluetooth, Zigbee, and radio protocol testing
- Using a logic analyser and other lab equipment
Nice to have
- C/C++: even just enough to read code
- Go: used across modern security engineering
- Embedded systems or personal hardware projects
- Soldering experience
- Security lab participation or a writeup of a device or firmware investigation
What you'll get
- A real hardware lab and real devices to break, not simulations
- Mentorship from day one. You'll learn the methods, not just follow instructions