{"id":162919,"url":"https://alion.io/job/packetlabs-hardware-penetration-tester","title":"Penetration Tester - Hardware (Canada)","company":{"id":58303,"name":"Packetlabs","domain":"packetlabs.net","url":"https://alion.io/company/packetlabs","size_band":"51-200","is_staffing_agency":false,"employer_type":"direct","is_intermediary":false,"listed_via":null,"ats_vendor":"Rippling","truth_index":null},"role":"Security","role_family":"Security","seniority":null,"employment_type":"full_time","work_mode":"remote","remote_scope":"stated_countries","remote_scope_basis":"posting_text","remote_working_hours":null,"hiring_geo_confidence":"explicit","locations":[],"countries":[],"hiring_countries":["CA"],"hiring_countries_total":1,"salary":null,"salary_estimate":{"min_usd":64000,"max_usd":133000,"period":"year","method":"role_country_seniority_unknown","sample_n":145},"experience_years_min":null,"visa_sponsorship":false,"relocation_package":false,"has_equity":false,"technologies":[{"name":"Ghidra","optional":false},{"name":"Python","optional":false},{"name":"RTOS","optional":false},{"name":"KiCad","optional":true},{"name":"Wi-Fi","optional":true}],"status":"live","first_seen_at":"2026-08-06T13:28:38Z","employer_posted_date":"2026-08-06","last_verified_at":"2026-10-20T08:22:15Z","board_verified":true,"closed_at":null,"days_open":74,"trust":{"level":"ok","repost_count":null,"flags":[],"days_open":74},"description":"Packetlabs is a cybersecurity consulting firm specializing in advanced Penetration Testing. We exist to eliminate the false sense of security that comes from shallow testing and checkbox-driven assessments. Our slogan, \"Ready for more than a VA scan?\", reflects a simple standard: real security work should be rigorous, manual, and built to uncover what automated approaches miss. Our clients span government, technology, law enforcement, retail, healthcare, and financial services, and they rely on us because credibility matters when the stakes are high.\nPacketlabs is looking for an Penetration Tester - Hardware to lead security assessments of embedded and IoT devices, the physical products where a vulnerability lives in silicon, firmware, and board layout, rather than in a web request. The Ethical Hacker - Hardware is a specialized technical role focused on assessing embedded systems across all industries, from consumer IoT to industrial and connected devices. This role involves getting hands-on with a device, opening it up, and proving what an attacker with physical or local access can really do.\nThis role requires the rare combination of offensive security instinct and genuine hardware fundamentals. You will work directly with clients to understand their devices and deliver findings that improve security posture.\nWho we are looking for\nNo egos, ever. Egos don't belong at Packetlabs. The more you learn, the less you know. You stay humble, ask questions, and work to help clients improve their security.\nCustomer-first mentality. You are an excellent communicator with clients, project managers, and teammates. You are responsive, reliable, and professional throughout every engagement.\nYou deliver work that you take pride in. Your work is an autograph of your excellence. You hold yourself to a high standard, and it shows in what you produce.\nDigs deeper into every finding. You don't stop until impact is proven, while understanding that restraint is the right call in sensitive OT environments where high-risk activity is not appropriate.\nComfortable being uncomfortable. You move toward obstacles, not away from them. Consulting is not a typical job and requires adapting to rapidly changing environments.\nAlways learning. Cybersecurity changes every day, and you keep up because you want to. You are deeply aware of your skillset and committed to improving it.\nSelf-motivated and dependable. You take ownership of your work and your outcomes without needing to be managed into them.\nWhat you’ll be doing\nHardware Penetration Testing\nPlan and execute end-to-end hardware penetration tests on embedded and IoT devices, against a defined scope and rules of engagement\nIdentify, access, and exploit on-board debug interfaces: JTAG, SWD, UART, and similar, to gain code execution or memory access\nExtract firmware via debug ports, in-circuit flash reads (SPI / I2C / NAND), or chip-off when required, and analyze it for vulnerabilities\nIntercept and analyze data on common embedded buses (SPI, I2C, UART, CAN, USB) using logic analyzers and protocol decoders\nWhere in scope, perform side-channel analysis and fault injection (power analysis, voltage/clock glitching) to bypass secure boot, readout protection, or authentication\n\nFirmware Analysis & Reverse Engineering\nReverse engineer firmware and embedded binaries (Ghidra, IDA, Binwalk, etc.) to find logic flaws, hardcoded secrets, and exploitable conditions\nAssess physical attack surface, tamper resistance, and key/secret storage\nDistinguish between theoretical and operationally relevant risk to keep findings actionable\n\nClient Advisory & Remediation\nWrite high-quality technical reports and present findings to client stakeholders, both technical and non-technical\nAdvise on practical, prioritized remediation that clients can act on\nBuild client confidence through credibility, clear communication, and proven impact\n\nMethodology, Research & Continuous Improvement\nBuild and maintain lab tooling, test rigs, and internal methodology\nContribute to research, responsible disclosure, and internal knowledge-sharing\nStay current on hardware attack techniques, embedded architectures, and defensive controls\nHelp raise the standard of hardware security work across the firm\n\nWhat success looks like\nClients gain a clear, accurate understanding of their hardware risk, backed by proven, reproducible impact\nFindings are credible, actionable, and land for both technical and leadership audiences\nEngagements are delivered to a consistently high standard with strong client confidence\nScope and rules of engagement are managed well as engagements evolve, with risk surfaced early and clearly\nPacketlabs' hardware testing methodology and lab capability continue to mature through your contribution\nClients trust Packetlabs as the partner that can break their hardware before someone else does\nEducation and Experience\nA graduate of an Information Security, Computer Science, or Computer/Electrical Engineering degree program (or equivalent hands-on experience)\nStrong electronics fundamentals. Able to read schematics and datasheets and reason about a board from them\nHands-on soldering ability, including surface-mount (SMD) rework and basic chip removal\nDemonstrated experience accessing debug interfaces (JTAG, SWD, UART) and extracting firmware from real devices\nComfort with core bench instruments: logic analyzer, oscilloscope, and multimeter\nFirmware reverse-engineering skills and scripting proficiency in Python, plus enough C to read embedded code\nFamiliarity with common embedded architectures (ARM/Cortex-M, MIPS, AVR, RISC-V) and RTOS/bare-metal concepts\nClear written and verbal communication. \nNice to have (one or more would be an asset):\nSide-channel / fault-injection experience (e.g., ChipWhisperer)\nRF and wireless work: SDR, BLE, sub-GHz, Wi-Fi\nKnowledge of secure boot chains, TEEs, secure elements, and HSMs\nPCB design familiarity (KiCad / Altium) for understanding target boards\nPublished CVEs, conference talks, CTF placements, or open-source tooling\nRelevant certifications (e.g., OSCP for breadth, or hardware-focused training)\n\nWhy us?\nThe opportunity to work on high-stakes hardware engagements where your judgment and bench skills genuinely matter\nReceive immediate and ongoing offensive security training, mentorship, and professional development to advance your technical capabilities\nPlay a key role in shaping the growth, direction, and methodology of Packetlabs' expanding hardware practice\nA leadership team that values substance, quality, and disciplined execution\nCollaboration with a highly skilled team of security professionals who are passionate about technical excellence and raising the bar\nCompetitive compensation and growth opportunity\nFlexible work environment that empowers employees to do their best work\nFully remote within 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