Course Details

This is a four-day crash course in rapid prototyping for hardware hacking. You'll build upon the basics you already covered in an introductory hardware hacking course and will design and assemble, from scratch, multiple malicious hardware implants.
We'll start with analysis and prototyping. you will:

• Analyze an undocumented debug connector

• Design and print an interface jig

• Layout, fabricate, and assemble a PCB interposer

• Safely make electrical connections

• Bit-bang a custom hardware protocol in software

Once you have those skills under your belt, we'll use them to design, build and program:

• A standalone hardware protocol payload delivery device

• A wireless 'tap' for a wired hardware protocol

• A hardware implant-in-the-middle device

In order to squeeze all of this into 4 days, we'll rely on existing open-source hardware and software that we can customize to fit our needs. We'll bring our portable lab of PCB mills, 3D printers, and a pick-and-place machine so that you can assemble and test the devices you design.

For more information on this training, please go here.

Details last updated June 27, 2026

About the Instructor:

Joe FitzPatrick (@securelyfitz) is a trainer and researcher at SecuringHardware.com with a personal mission to make all hardware devices at least a bit more secure.

He builds tools like Tigard and Erebus, and teaches Applied Physical Attacks trainings to help people break - and secure - their hardware devices.
His actual superpower is the ability to instantly end awkward conversational pauses if you ask him about BSides Portland, the CTRL-H Hackerspace, or drone taco delivery at ToorCamp.