IoT / Embedded
Security Assessment
A practical security assessment of IoT and embedded devices, focusing on real-world attack paths that adversaries actually use. We evaluate device interfaces, network communications, cloud integrations, and firmware security.
Starting at $10,000 per engagement
Practical Attack Surface Testing
Real-world attack paths without destructive analysis
Assessment Scope
Thorough evaluation of your IoT ecosystem covering these key security areas.
Device Interface & Surface Mapping
Enumerate available ports (USB, Ethernet, serial headers if visible), identify open network services, discover wireless interfaces (BLE, Wi-Fi, etc.), and document the complete attack surface.
Network & Communication Security
Intercept and analyze network traffic, validate TLS usage and certificate handling, look for plaintext credentials, tokens, or sensitive data, and check for replayability or lack of authentication.
Cloud API / Backend Security
Test authentication and authorization mechanisms, validate API key handling and storage, check for insecure endpoints, and evaluate data exposure risks in the cloud backend.
Mobile App / Web App Integration
Inspect API calls between app and device, validate authentication flows, check for local storage issues and sensitive data exposure, and confirm secure communication with the device.
Update Mechanism Review
Non-destructive observation of update process, check for signed updates and integrity verification, validate transport security, and look for downgrade or replay vulnerabilities.
Basic Firmware Review
If provided by client: string analysis and secret enumeration, hardcoded credential search, basic static analysis of binaries, and configuration file review for security issues.
Device Hardening Review
External-only assessment: check for exposed debug ports and interfaces, identify insecure reset mechanisms, and evaluate insecure default configurations that could be exploited.
Scope Boundaries
This assessment covers real-world attack paths that adversaries commonly exploit. It does not include JTAG/UART extraction, full firmware reverse engineering, side-channel analysis, chip-off techniques, hardware teardown, RF protocol fuzzing, or deep wireless exploitation. These advanced techniques can be scoped separately if required.
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Learn moreWhy IoT Security Matters
A connected device is a computer you ship to someone else and then stop controlling. It sits on a network you do not manage, in a building you cannot see, often for years between firmware updates. The failures we find are rarely exotic: a debug interface left enabled on production units, a cloud API that authenticates the app but never the device, credentials baked into firmware that is identical on every unit you have shipped, an update channel that will accept an unsigned image. Any one of those is a fleet-wide problem, and fixing it once devices are in the field is far slower and more expensive than fixing software you host yourself.
This assessment treats the device as one system instead of a box on a bench. We map the physical and network attack surface — exposed ports, visible serial headers, wireless interfaces, and the services the device actually listens on — then intercept its traffic to check TLS use, certificate handling, plaintext credentials or tokens, and whether captured messages can simply be replayed. From there we test the cloud backend for authentication, authorization, and API key handling flaws, and the companion mobile or web app for the calls, stored secrets, and auth flows that tie the two together. Firmware review is included when you supply the image. What we deliberately leave out is also worth knowing: no JTAG or UART extraction, no chip-off, no teardown, no side-channel work, no RF fuzzing. Those are specialized engagements, scoped and priced separately, and most devices have exploitable issues well before anyone needs them.
You work directly with the tester doing the work. Findings come back prioritized by real impact with reproduction steps rather than a scanner export, and a free retest within 30 days confirms your fixes landed. We work with organizations across the Charlotte, NC area and nationwide.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does IoT penetration testing cost?
IoT and embedded systems penetration testing starts at $10,000. Final pricing depends on the number of device types, whether firmware extraction is required, and cloud/mobile companion app scope. Get a free, scoped quote within 24 hours.
What kinds of devices do you test?
Network-connected and embedded devices that have a network interface, a cloud backend, or a companion app — smart sensors, PLCs and connected industrial equipment, connected medical devices, and consumer IoT hardware. If the device talks to something, there is an attack surface to assess.
Do you need physical access to the device?
Yes. Interface enumeration, port and wireless discovery, and the hardening review are performed against real hardware, so we ask for at least one representative unit per device type. Testing is non-destructive — no teardown, no chip removal — so the unit is not damaged in the process.
Do you extract and reverse engineer firmware?
Not as part of this assessment. If you provide a firmware image we review it for hardcoded credentials, exposed strings and secrets, insecure configuration, and basic static analysis of the binaries. JTAG/UART extraction, full reverse engineering, side-channel analysis, and chip-off techniques are outside this scope and can be quoted as separate work.
Does the assessment cover the cloud backend and mobile app?
Yes, and it should. We test the cloud API for authentication, authorization, API key handling, and data exposure, and the companion mobile or web app for its API calls, auth flows, and local storage of sensitive data. Most real IoT compromises cross those boundaries rather than staying on the device.
How is this different from a network penetration test?
A network penetration test assesses the network the devices sit on — segmentation, exposed services, and what an attacker reaches from inside it. This assessment evaluates the device itself, the traffic it generates, the cloud service behind it, and the app that controls it. Manufacturers and operators often need both.
What do we receive at the end?
An executive summary for leadership, technical findings with CVSS scoring, proof-of-concept, and reproduction steps, and remediation guidance prioritized by risk. A complimentary retest within 30 days lets your team validate the fixes before shipping them to the fleet.
Ready to Secure Your IoT Devices?
Get a customized proposal within 24 hours. No sales calls, no pressure.
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