Hardwear.io USA 2026 Set for Santa Clara Return with Live Device Hacking and Advanced Training
Eighth Edition to Spotlight Embedded Systems, Wireless, Automotive and Industrial Device Security
Princeton, NJ, May 14, 2026 --(PR.com)-- ISMG will host the eighth edition of Hardwear.io USA from May 26 to 30 at the Santa Clara Marriott, bringing together hardware security researchers, firmware engineers and embedded systems specialists for five days of technical training, live device hacking and applied security research.
The program includes three days of technical training from May 26 to 28 and a two-day conference from May 29 to 30, along with Hardwear.io CTF, HardPwn contest, networking activities and hands-on workshops.
Hardwear.io is built for specialists, including hardware security researchers, embedded engineers, firmware analysts, PSIRT teams, reverse engineers and penetration testers, who need the technical depth that broad cybersecurity events rarely provide. The focus is deliberate: real devices, real workflows and real research.
That focus has built a dedicated following. The 2025 edition attracted over 160 attendees from more than 20 countries, with 118 completing hands-on training sessions. HardPwn – the event’s live device hacking contest – showcased hardware from Google and Meta, resulting in three confirmed vulnerabilities through responsible disclosure. The eighth edition advances from this foundation.
The Hardwear.io CTF, hosted by Quarkslab and Ledger, challenges teams of up to four members with problems related to PCB reversing, BLE, RFID, automotive security, radio communication, microsoldering and embedded device exploitation. They use genuine hardware hacking tools in an environment that simulates real research scenarios.
HardPwn, the live hardware hacking contest, will return in 2026 as a key research platform. Held in a controlled environment with responsible disclosure procedures, HardPwn allows researchers to test and analyze real devices while showcasing practical offensive and defensive hardware security techniques.
The conference keynotes feature Dr. Yossi Oren, head of the Implementation Security Lab at Ben Gurion University, addressing IoT hardware’s security complexity and AI’s dual role in attack and defense, and a closing fireside chat with Will Eatherton, senior vice president and head of Cisco Networking Engineering at Cisco.
The 2026 training program reflects the increasing complexity of embedded systems and connected device security. Scheduled trainings include:
- Medical Device Hacking and Defending with Marcus Richardson
- LoRaPWN: From Custom/Industrial to Drone Hacking with Sebastien Dudek
- Connected Car Hacking with Philippe Azalbert
- IC Reverse Engineering: ROM Is Your Primary Target with Olivier Thomas
- Practical Hardware Hacking Basics + Bonus Day! with Joe Grand
- Virtual Hands-On TrustZone TEE Security with Marcel Busch and Philipp Mao
The conference agenda will focus on practical training and technical research for practitioners working with embedded systems, wireless technologies, automotive platforms, industrial devices and modern hardware ecosystems.
“The hardware attack surface is now larger than ever, and the experts securing it have become more specialized,” said Jen Eisenhofer, vice president, events – global summits, ISMG. “Hardwear.io is positioned at this crossroads. It isn’t just a general cybersecurity conference; it’s designed specifically for those who think in schematics, firmware and signal traces.”
As the hardware threat landscape grows more complex, so does the demand for spaces where specialists can test ideas, share findings and push each other’s thinking in real time.
“What makes Hardwear.io stand out is what happens outside the main stage – in the CTF pit, during a HardPwn session when someone discovers an unexpected vulnerability, or in a hallway conversation that turns into a research collaboration. The culture of open, hands-on experimentation is what keeps this community coming back and committed,” said Rahul Neel Mani, director of Hardwear.io and vice president for community engagement and editorial at ISMG.
As organizations increasingly rely on connected devices and embedded infrastructure, hardware security is becoming more central to enterprise and product security strategies. Hardwear.io USA 2026 aims to provide a prominent platform for researchers and practitioners to share practical insights, test concepts in real-world settings and collaborate on new hardware security issues.
Registration for Hardwear.io USA 2026 is currently open under the standard pricing window.
For more information, visit https://hardwear.io.
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 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.
The program includes three days of technical training from May 26 to 28 and a two-day conference from May 29 to 30, along with Hardwear.io CTF, HardPwn contest, networking activities and hands-on workshops.
Hardwear.io is built for specialists, including hardware security researchers, embedded engineers, firmware analysts, PSIRT teams, reverse engineers and penetration testers, who need the technical depth that broad cybersecurity events rarely provide. The focus is deliberate: real devices, real workflows and real research.
That focus has built a dedicated following. The 2025 edition attracted over 160 attendees from more than 20 countries, with 118 completing hands-on training sessions. HardPwn – the event’s live device hacking contest – showcased hardware from Google and Meta, resulting in three confirmed vulnerabilities through responsible disclosure. The eighth edition advances from this foundation.
The Hardwear.io CTF, hosted by Quarkslab and Ledger, challenges teams of up to four members with problems related to PCB reversing, BLE, RFID, automotive security, radio communication, microsoldering and embedded device exploitation. They use genuine hardware hacking tools in an environment that simulates real research scenarios.
HardPwn, the live hardware hacking contest, will return in 2026 as a key research platform. Held in a controlled environment with responsible disclosure procedures, HardPwn allows researchers to test and analyze real devices while showcasing practical offensive and defensive hardware security techniques.
The conference keynotes feature Dr. Yossi Oren, head of the Implementation Security Lab at Ben Gurion University, addressing IoT hardware’s security complexity and AI’s dual role in attack and defense, and a closing fireside chat with Will Eatherton, senior vice president and head of Cisco Networking Engineering at Cisco.
The 2026 training program reflects the increasing complexity of embedded systems and connected device security. Scheduled trainings include:
- Medical Device Hacking and Defending with Marcus Richardson
- LoRaPWN: From Custom/Industrial to Drone Hacking with Sebastien Dudek
- Connected Car Hacking with Philippe Azalbert
- IC Reverse Engineering: ROM Is Your Primary Target with Olivier Thomas
- Practical Hardware Hacking Basics + Bonus Day! with Joe Grand
- Virtual Hands-On TrustZone TEE Security with Marcel Busch and Philipp Mao
The conference agenda will focus on practical training and technical research for practitioners working with embedded systems, wireless technologies, automotive platforms, industrial devices and modern hardware ecosystems.
“The hardware attack surface is now larger than ever, and the experts securing it have become more specialized,” said Jen Eisenhofer, vice president, events – global summits, ISMG. “Hardwear.io is positioned at this crossroads. It isn’t just a general cybersecurity conference; it’s designed specifically for those who think in schematics, firmware and signal traces.”
As the hardware threat landscape grows more complex, so does the demand for spaces where specialists can test ideas, share findings and push each other’s thinking in real time.
“What makes Hardwear.io stand out is what happens outside the main stage – in the CTF pit, during a HardPwn session when someone discovers an unexpected vulnerability, or in a hallway conversation that turns into a research collaboration. The culture of open, hands-on experimentation is what keeps this community coming back and committed,” said Rahul Neel Mani, director of Hardwear.io and vice president for community engagement and editorial at ISMG.
As organizations increasingly rely on connected devices and embedded infrastructure, hardware security is becoming more central to enterprise and product security strategies. Hardwear.io USA 2026 aims to provide a prominent platform for researchers and practitioners to share practical insights, test concepts in real-world settings and collaborate on new hardware security issues.
Registration for Hardwear.io USA 2026 is currently open under the standard pricing window.
For more information, visit https://hardwear.io.
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 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.
Contact
Information Security Media Group
Merllyne Nesakumaran
+1-609-356-1499
https://ismg.io/
Merllyne Nesakumaran
+1-609-356-1499
https://ismg.io/
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