Embedded Testing
Your product is more than software. So is our testing.
CREST-accredited · Hardware, firmware, and the apps behind them
Internet of Things (IoT) and embedded device testing lets you see exactly where your product has security gaps, before it ships or before the next production run. We examine the specialized computing devices built into your product, whether it’s a medical device, automotive component, smart home device, or industrial equipment. We test them on the hardware, firmware, and communication layers.
Our testing reveals more than a list of vulnerabilities. You’ll understand what’s actually exposed on the board itself, whether hardcoded credentials or debug interfaces are sitting in your firmware, and how your device’s companion app and cloud API hold up alongside it. Every finding comes with clear, practical recommendations your engineering team can act on, whether you’re hardening a shipped product or fixing something before it ever reaches a customer.
Not all penetration testers have the background for this. Testing embedded devices requires knowledge of hardware, firmware, and assembly across multiple architectures, on top of the standard web, mobile, and API skills. Our team has that combination, built from consultants with backgrounds across product security, hardware hacking, and traditional application testing.
You’ll know where you’re vulnerable, what it would take to exploit those weaknesses, and how to prioritize remediation before your device is in someone else’s hands.
Fill out the form to scope your embedded device pentest.
Let's Talk About Your Device
Tell us about the devices you need to test and we’ll be in touch.
Our Penetration Testing Process
Thorough testing with business-focused analysis.
We identify attack paths, evaluate realistic impact to your operations, and provide prioritized guidance that aligns with your resources and goals.
![Pentesting Process [Recovered]](https://secureideas.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/10/Pentesting-Process-Recovered.webp)
Secure Ideas has done excellent work for us. They are highly skilled and work well with their clients. Would recommend them to anyone.
Security Solutions Architect
Manufacturing
Testing Across the Whole Device
Most IoT devices have an associated application, but vulnerabilities could appear anywhere between that app and the hardware itself, including firmware and APIs. IoT testing looks at every part of the device’s ecosystem, starting with an understanding of how the components talk to each other. Our IoT testing covers the following areas:
The Physical Layer
What’s Actually Running
The App and API Behind It
1 Credit = Up to 1 Full Day of Expert Work
Purchase credits ahead of time, and arrange testing as you need it. Partnership-based security testing on your schedule. One credit gets you up to one full day of expert work from consultants who understand your business. Engage our team as needed with complete flexibility.
Ongoing advisory services included for no extra charge. No rigid scopes, real-time collaboration, and engagement tailored to your priorities.
Exclusively from Secure Ideas.
A Holistic Device Examination
Testing embedded systems and IoT devices requires that the tester understand hardware, firmware, and assembly for multiple architectures, on top of the standard web, mobile, and API testing skills that most consultants already bring. Many embedded devices tend to hide their vulnerabilities below the application layer, and teams that don’t pull the firmware off the board or wire up a UART are likely to miss them.
Because there are so many moving parts in IoT devices, seemingly small issues in one place can compound with other vulnerabilities. For example, a hardcoded credential in firmware could be reachable through the device’s own debug port, but it might also be the same credentials that the companion app uses to talk to your cloud API. Testing the full stack, not just the part that looks like a normal application, is what surfaces those shared weaknesses before a customer, a competitor, or a security researcher finds them first.
Different Devices, Markets, and Regulations
Each connected device is different, depending on its use and design. We work with you to identify the systems, services, applications, and activities that make up your specific device before we ever start testing.
Some of the device categories we’ve tested include:
Testing the Full Device Stack
We identify vulnerabilities across hardware, firmware, and software components, then hand your team a report built for engineers, not just a compliance checkbox.
Our IoT testing examines the following areas:
Deliverable: Each engagement receives a report documenting vulnerabilities across hardware, firmware, and software components with actionable recommendations.
Cybersecurity doesn’t price on a fixed menu, but you shouldn’t have to talk to sales just to know if you’re in the right neighborhood. Use the table below to estimate where your device lands before you request a real scope.
| Type | Scope | Flat Fee | PETaaS Credits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Simple | Single embedded device, no companion app | 5-8 days / $13.6K–$21.8K | 5-8 credits / $12.6K–$20.2K |
| Moderate | Device plus a companion mobile app or web portal | 8-13 days / $21.8K–$35.4K | 8-13 credits / $20.2K–$32.8K |
| Complex | Device, companion app, and cloud API or backend | 13-18 days / $35.4K–$49K | 13-18 credits / $32.8K–$45.4K |
| Highly Complex | Multiple device variants or firmware families, full ecosystem | 18-24+ days / $49K–$65.3K+ | 19-24+ credits / $45.4K–$60.8K+ |
Note: These are starting-point estimates to help you gauge investment, not a quote. Services are scoped around the specific device or devices you need tested, so your actual cost depends on complexity and ecosystem size.
An evaluation of your security program against the PCI Data Security Standard, covering PCI security assessments, self-assessment support, and advising on scope, applicability, and controls. You get direct access to a Qualified Security Assessor who speaks plainly and knows the standard inside and out.
Led by the “PCI Guy” himself – Jeff Man.
Beyond the Test
New Firmware Can Mean Existing Hardware Finds New Bugs
A point-in-time test only tells you about the firmware revision that existed the day we tested it. New firmware ships, new companion app features get added, and a device that passed testing on launch day can pick up new vulnerabilities with every update after that. PETaaS® (Professionally Evil Testing as a Service) lets you deploy prepaid credits across embedded device testing, the companion app, and API testing as your product evolves, with advisory support built in at no additional cost.
A shipped device isn’t a finished one. Keep testing as it changes.
Embedded
Device
Testing
Frequently
Asked
Questions
Have a question that isn’t answered here?
See our full FAQ page.
Do we need to ship you a physical device?
In most cases, yes. Hardware-level testing requires physical access to the device itself. We’ll work with you during scoping to confirm exactly what’s needed, including test units, debug access, or development boards. Testing can be scoped as destructive or non-destructive, if you need the device back afterward (although testers can get more information by disassembling the device).
Does testing cover the companion app and cloud API too?
Yes, it can if it needs to. Most connected devices ship with a mobile app and a backend API, and we regularly test that full ecosystem alongside the device itself, since vulnerabilities often show up at the seams between the digital and physical.
Can you test a device before it launches?
Yes, and it’s often the ideal time. Testing pre-production hardware and firmware lets you fix issues before they’re baked into a manufacturing run or a public release. Remediating issues in the firmware first means fewer worried about users not updating their devices in the wild.
How long does an embedded device pentest take?
Timelines scale with complexity, from about 5 days for a simple standalone device to 18 days or more for a device with a companion app, cloud API, and multiple firmware variants. Your quote will include a specific timeline once we understand your device.
What kinds of devices have you tested before?
Our team has experience across many kinds of devices, including door access systems, controller remotes, DVRs and IP cameras, medical devices, sensor nodes, and network appliances, among others.
Can we see a sample report from a Penetration Test?
PETaaS® is on-demand pentesting services, which provides you with continuous access to our penetration testing expertise rather than a one-time assessment. This approach offers on-demand or scheduled testing, which integrates with your software development lifecycle, and delivers regular vulnerability analysis with ongoing support. While it may initially appear more expensive than traditional testing, PETaaS® is significantly more cost-effective than hiring full-time security staff and provides proactive, real-time vulnerability identification.
Note: The industry lacks a standard definition for penetration testing as a service, so verify that your provider’s approach aligns with your expectations.
What is Professionally Evil Testing as a Service (PETaaS®)?
PETaaS® is on-demand pentesting services, which provides you with continuous access to our penetration testing expertise rather than a one-time assessment. This approach offers on-demand or scheduled testing, which integrates with your software development lifecycle, and delivers regular vulnerability analysis with ongoing support. While it may initially appear more expensive than traditional testing, PETaaS® is significantly more cost-effective than hiring full-time security staff and provides proactive, real-time vulnerability identification.
Note: The industry lacks a standard definition for penetration testing as a service, so verify that your provider’s approach aligns with your expectations.
Other Pentesting Focuses
Network Penetration Test
Network Pentesting looks at whether an attacker could reach sensitive systems or data through your network, from inside or out. We can test external IP ranges, internal ranges, or a combination, using the same techniques adversaries would try. Our team can design engagements as assumed compromise, controls testing, red team exercises, or network segmentation reviews, depending on what you need to validate.
Trusted for company-driven and regulatory testing alike.
Application Penetration Test
Application Pentesting digs past the obvious and into how your app actually behaves under pressure. Choose a gray box test, a collaborative session with your dev team, SDLC-aligned testing, an authenticated scan, or whatever fits your release cycle. We cover the OWASP Top 10 and beyond, testing internal and external apps against PCI DSS, HIPAA, SOC, and other standards.
We find what the automated scan missed.
API Penetration Test
API Pentesting examines how your interfaces hold up against unauthorized access and abuse, not just whether they return the right response. Our consultants manually test authentication, authorization, and data handling across your endpoints, going beyond what documentation and automated scanners catch. We work to tailor engagements to your architecture, whether you’re testing one API or several that work together.
Manual testing built around how your API is actually used.
Mobile App Penetration Test
Mobile App Pentesting evaluates your app’s code, storage, and communication before it ever reaches your users. We manually assess how the app responds to different inputs, review the code for weaknesses, and attempt access using unauthorized credentials. Testing can run alongside API assessments when your mobile app and backend share risk.
Before it hits the app store, it hits our team.
OT Penetration Test
OT & ICS/SCADA Pentesting searches for potential vulnerabilities to your industrial and automation control environments, without putting production availability at risk. We combine passive and active information gathering across the full stack, from physical access to application layer, tailoring each engagement to your sector.
Testing designed around uptime, not just findings.
IoT & Embedded Device Penetration Test
IOT & Embedded Device Pentesting calls for a different skill set: hardware, firmware, and assembly knowledge layered on top of standard application and API testing. Our consultants have hands-on experience with tons of devices, including door access systems, DVRs and IP cameras, medical devices, sensor nodes, and network appliances. We scope the engagement around the systems, services, and activities specific to your device.
Built for product launches and post-launch confidence alike.
Physical Penetration Test
Physical Pentesting tests whether your facility can withstand tailgating, social engineering, lock bypass, RFID cloning, and other real-world tactics. Our consultants start with reconnaissance, active and passive, before assessing entry points and physical controls in person. Choose a joint walkthrough, business hours testing, or after-hours building security testing, depending on what security measures you want evaluated.
Real-world tactics, tested with your safety in mind.
Recognized authority and trusted guidance built on years of uncovering risks for organizations like yours.
