Why Hardware Security Testing Is the Missing Layer in Your Cybersecurity Strategy
Most organizations invest a lot of time and budget into network, application, and endpoint security. That makes sense. Those are the layers you can see and measure.
Hardware is often inherently trusted as secure, and hardware security testing is often left out. That leaves a gap attackers are happy to use.
At OnDefend, we see this play out often. Teams feel confident in their defenses, but they are missing what is happening underneath the system.
Take Five
Watch as Aaron Rosenmund, Managing Director of Tradecraft & Programs at OnDefend, gives a quick five-minute breakdown traditional security testing vs. advanced hardware security testing
Validating Every Layer of Your Security Program
Network Security Stops Threats at the Edge
Most security strategies start at the network level. Firewalls, signature development and detection, and network monitoring are designed to stop attackers before they get in.
When these controls are working well that’s great, but we all know that attackers don’t rely on just one entry point.
Application Security Protects Access Points
Below your network security is your application layer. This is where you manage things like IAM, identities, logging in, etc.
It adds another strong layer of protection. Still, it is only part of the picture.
Endpoint and OS Security Detects Intrusions
Then you have an operating system. Here, tools like EDR and antivirus help detect and respond to threats that make it through earlier layers.
For many organizations, this feels like the last line of defense. The issue is that attackers know how to go deeper.
Where Hardware Security Fits In
Sitting below all these layers of security is your hardware – things like IoT devices, servers, cameras. Everything from traffic lights to robot vacuums, baby monitors and cranes at a port.
When manufactured off-site, hardware ships to you with chipsets and firmware already embedded.
Hardware security testing looks at what’s happening at that level. It focuses on firmware and chipsets where traditional tools have little to no visibility.
This is where things start to get interesting.
How Attackers Bypass Traditional Security
Firmware Is a Hidden Attack Surface
Firmware acts like software, but it’s not treated the same way. It is updated less often and reviewed far less.
That makes it a great target for including hard-coded passwords or backdoors that were potentially put there on purpose for nefarious reasons.
Debug Interfaces Create Entry Points
Many devices are built with debug interfaces like UART or JTAG. These are useful during development, but they are often left accessible in production.
An attacker with the right access can use these to get around your security controls entirely.
Undocumented Capabilities Increase Risk
Some hardware includes features you may not even know are there. RF capabilities like Bluetooth or Wi-Fi can exist without clear documentation.
That expands your attack surface without your team realizing it.
Why Hardware-Level Attacks Are So Dangerous
When someone gets in at the hardware level, your other defenses don’t matter much. Network, application, and endpoint controls can all be bypassed; it’s a supply chain issue.
These attacks are also hard to detect. In many cases, they operate below the level your tools can monitor. Even worse, they stick around.
A reboot does not fix a hardware issue. The risk stays in place until it is properly addressed.
Real-World Impact Across Enterprise Environments
This isn’t just an IT problem. Hardware vulnerabilities show up across the entire organization.
Think about cameras, IoT devices, industrial systems, and critical infrastructure. These are all potential entry points.
For enterprise organizations, one weak device can create a path into much larger systems (again a supply chain vulnerability).
How Hardware Security Testing Protects Enterprises
Attackers are looking for the easiest way in, and it makes sense, start at the point of entry.
At OnDefend, we take an offensive approach. We test hardware the same way an attacker would, so you can fix the issue before it becomes a real problem.
How do we do that? We take a comprehensive approach inclusive of standard hardware testing and layer on our proprietary advanced capabilities including, hardware breakdown, testing for unauthorized chip transmission, and firmware testing. We validate device and component authenticity, identify supply chain and embedded risks, and detect malicious or unintended behavior that traditional one-note testing often misses.
Protect Your Hardware with OnDefend
