Hardwear.io USA 2025 Leads the Conversations in Global Hardware Security

Driven by the Ethos of ‘Equip, Engage, Evolve,’ the Conference United Hardware Security Pioneers in a Collaborative Push

Princeton, NJ – The fifth edition of Hardwear.io USA 2025 brought together hundreds of researchers, engineers, hackers and cybersecurity professionals in Santa Clara, California, for a week-long convergence of cutting-edge training, breakthrough research, and vibrant community connection.

Held from May 27 to May 31, this year’s event served as both a reflection on how far the field has come and a call to action for what lies ahead. “We aim to foster a community that treats hardware as the frontline – not the last line – of defense,” said Hardwear.io founder Antriksh Shah.  

This ethos – equip, engage and evolve – was evident across every facet of the five-day event. The first half of the week focused on intensive, hands-on technical trainings on Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) exploitation, attacking TrustZone Trusted Execution Environments (TEEs), applied false injections, and automotive and IoT reverse engineering.

Trainings went beyond traditional classroom learning; they enabled participants to explore and simulate real-world attack scenarios and defense mechanisms, sharpening skills directly transferable to operational environments. As one attendee noted, “Things which are hard to experience without industry connections are great!” – highlighting unique opportunities like the hands-on wire bonding session with industry expert from Chippie Partners.

The final two days focused on research and innovation and featured over 20 technical presentations from global thought leaders, delving into topics such as firmware extraction techniques for embedded systems, fault injection attacks on smart cards and Trusted Platform Modules (TPMs), practical methods for Secure Boot circumvention in consumer chipsets, challenges in hardware obfuscation and de-obfuscation, and case studies exploring ethical dilemmas in offensive research. These talks underscored the urgent need for interdisciplinary approaches, blending deep technical understanding with risk mitigation strategies.

The conference talks brought forth in-depth field research from both practitioners and pioneers, such as IBM X-Force Red’s skimmer analyst Aidan Quimby, who shared firsthand insights from dissecting over 110 real-world POS skimming devices. A significant takeaway: modern skimmers disproportionately target EBT users and exploit the enduring reliance on magnetic stripe technology, which remains widely accepted despite decades of warnings.

Another headliner was Samy Kamkar, the legendary hacker behind the infamous MySpace worm, who walked attendees through the philosophical and technical layers of hardware hacking – from electromagnetic fault injection and cold boot attacks to reverse engineering through thermal and optical-side channels.

A standout highlight of the week was the Capture the Flag (CTF) competition organized by Quarkslab, which drew several skilled participants. The challenge arena tested competitors on RF communication exploits, automotive firmware puzzles, custom chip analysis and more.

Parallel to the CTF was the HardPwn initiative, a cornerstone of Hardwear.io’s commitment to responsible disclosure with a moto “hackfearlessly.” It is a one of a kind initiative, where security researchers hack consumer devices at the hardware level with the help of a hardware hacking lab, comprising any equipment they might need to compromise their targets. Several impactful disclosures were made this year to target vendors like Google and Meta. OEMs value this collaboration and community engagement between security researchers and manufacturers.

What truly sets Hardwear.io apart, however, is its emphasis on community. “Great community, the only one focused on hardware security!” shared one attendee. Outside the scheduled sessions, the venue buzzed with informal hallway conversations, late-night hacking jams and spontaneous soldering challenges.

Hardwear.io USA 2025 delivered not just content, but connection and clarity that many attendees described as rare in the conference circuit. Attendees also highlighted the opportunity to learn about the latest hardware security tools and practices, the exceptional speaker lineup and the platform’s value for talent recruitment.

The momentum is already building for what’s next. Hardwear.io is poised for continued global expansion in 2026. The need for secure-by-design hardware has never been greater, and Hardwear.io continues to lead the charge in making that vision a reality.

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About Hardwear.io

Hardwear.io is one of the only embedded security reverse engineering conferences and training platforms in the world. Hardwear.io attracts audiences that are interested in niche topics such as silicon reverse engineering, side channel and fault injection attacks, decapping chips, breaking secure boot, firmware security, rowhammer, IC ROM extraction across industries like automotive, healthcare, media and entertainment, IoT OEMs, government and specialized  certification labs. While the conference is community-driven with a passion to “secure your hardware,” it hosts annual editions across the United States and Europe. 

About ISMG

Information Security Media Group (ISMG) is the world’s largest media organization devoted solely to cybersecurity, information technology, artificial intelligence and operational technology. Each of our 38 media properties provides education, research and news that is specifically tailored to key vertical sectors including banking, healthcare and the public sector; geographies from North America to Southeast Asia; and topics such as data breach prevention, cyber risk assessment, OT security, AI and fraud. Our annual global summit series connects senior security professionals with industry thought leaders to find actionable solutions for pressing cybersecurity challenges.