Cost guide
Hardware and IoT Penetration Testing Cost
Hardware and IoT penetration testing starts at $5,200 for a small device, fixed in writing before work begins. It covers firmware extraction, debug and wireless interface testing, and the companion app where one exists, with a full report and a free retest; larger devices and product lines are quoted on request.
Small
A single device with a few interfaces: firmware, one or two debug ports, and a wireless radio, plus the companion app where one exists.
Medium
A more complex device or a small product line with more interfaces, radios, and physical attack surface, scoped and quoted after we see it.
Large
A complex device, a full product family, or one needing chip-off, fault injection, and side-channel work, quoted after a scoping review.
What moves the number
What drives the cost of hardware and IoT penetration testing
Number of interfaces
Each interface is its own test: firmware, UART, JTAG, SPI or I2C flash, and each radio. A device with one debug port and Bluetooth is quicker than one with many exposed interfaces to work through.
Depth of physical testing
Firmware and interface testing is the baseline. Going to the physical layer, with chip-off flash extraction, fault injection against secure boot, and side-channel analysis, adds specialized bench work that only some threat models justify.
Companion app and cloud back end
Most connected devices are only as secure as the app that configures them and the service they report to. Including the iOS and Android companion app and the back-end APIs extends the test beyond the box itself.
Device class and standard
A consumer sensor, a medical device mapped to FDA guidance, an automotive ECU, and an industrial controller each carry a different standard the report has to satisfy, which shapes the effort involved.
Product line versus single unit
One unit on the bench is contained. A product family sharing firmware and a platform, or several variants, is more to test, which is why medium and large hardware scopes are quoted after we see the device.
In the price
What every hardware and IoT penetration testing price includes
- ✓Firmware extraction and analysis, and debug-interface testing over UART, JTAG, and SPI
- ✓Wireless and radio testing, with physical and side-channel work where the threat model calls for it
- ✓The iOS and Android companion app and back-end APIs where they are in scope
- ✓A fixed price agreed in writing before work begins, with no hourly billing
- ✓An executive summary for leadership and a full technical report with reproduction steps
- ✓A free retest of remediated findings, with the report updated to show them closed
- ✓An attestation letter and findings platform access at no extra cost
- ✓Senior in-house testers, OSCP and OSCE3 certified
Keep it tight
How to keep the price down
- 01Send engineering samples before manufacturing, when a debug port or an unsigned image is a design change rather than a recall. Testing early is the cheapest point to fix a hardware flaw.
- 02Share schematics, firmware images, and datasheets during scoping. The more we know about the interfaces up front, the less bench time goes into discovering them and the more into testing.
- 03Scope to firmware and interface testing first, and add physical-layer work only where the threat model justifies it. Chip-off and side-channel analysis are specialized and not always needed.
- 04Test one representative unit of a product family that shares firmware and a platform. Findings usually apply across the line, so one careful test can cover several variants.
Timeline
Onboarding begins within 24 hours of a signed proposal, and testing usually starts within a week of scoping, once the device reaches our bench. A small device runs about a week or more depending on its interfaces, followed by reporting. Larger devices and product lines take longer and are quoted on request, with a free retest of the fixes.
FAQ
Questions about hardware and IoT penetration testing cost
01How much does a hardware or IoT penetration test cost?
It starts at $5,200 for a small device, fixed before work begins, with a free retest. More complex devices and product lines are quoted on request after we see the unit, because interface count and physical-testing depth vary widely. Starting prices for every service are on the pricing page.
02Why are medium and large hardware tests quoted on request?
Because hardware effort depends on what is physically on the board. The number of interfaces, the radios present, and whether the threat model calls for chip-off or fault-injection work only become clear once we see the device, so we scope and quote a fixed price after a short review.
03What drives the price of a hardware test?
The number of interfaces to test, how deep the physical-layer work goes, and whether the companion app and cloud back end are included. Firmware and interface testing is the baseline; chip-off extraction, fault injection, and side-channel analysis are specialized additions some threat models justify.
04Is the companion app and back end included?
They can be, and we recommend it. Most connected devices are only as secure as the app that configures them and the service they report to, so a hardware engagement can cover the iOS and Android app and the back-end APIs under one fixed price rather than the device alone.
05How can we keep a hardware test affordable?
Send engineering samples before manufacturing, when a debug port or an unsigned image is a design change rather than a recall, share schematics and firmware up front, and test one representative unit of a product family that shares firmware and a platform.
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