Knowledge / Electronics & Embedded Systems

Embedded Security

Protecting firmware, devices, communications, keys, interfaces, and physical assets against compromise.

By Siddhant Krishna · Published 2026-10-06 · Updated 2026-10-06

Threat Surface

Malicious firmware.
Compromised software dependencies.
Exposed debug interfaces.
Weak authentication.
Insecure communication.
Credential extraction.
Physical tampering.
Supply-chain compromise.

Secure Boot

Secure boot establishes a chain of trust in which firmware is authenticated before execution. The objective is to prevent unauthorized software from becoming trusted device software.

Device Identity

Connected embedded systems require mechanisms for identifying devices and establishing trust relationships with other systems. Cryptographic keys and certificates can provide device identity and authenticated communication under appropriate key-management practices.

References

NIST guidance and research concerning cybersecurity, device identity, lifecycle security, and connected embedded systems.
https://www.nist.gov/internet-things
Arm Developer documentation covering Cortex-M microcontroller architectures and embedded processor resources.
https://developer.arm.com/Processors/Cortex-M

Firmware EngineeringThe software layer that directly controls embedded hardware and peripherals.Embedded Systems ArchitectureHardware-software co-design, memory maps, device drivers, boot processes, peripherals, and firmware architecture.

Threat Surface

Secure Boot

Device Identity

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