Hardware and Firmware Security Foundations
RCCE students will learn the foundations of hardware and firmware security including boot processes, trust anchors, firmware attack surfaces, peripheral risks, and device integrity controls. RCCE students will learn to identify weaknesses in device initialization paths, evaluate firmware update mechanisms, map trust boundaries between hardware and software, recognize common chip-level and board-level attack vectors, and assess how insecure components can undermine higher-layer defenses. The course covers practical scenarios ranging from secure boot concepts to firmware tampering investigations. RCCE students will learn to analyze complex systems and think like an attacker to better defend the organization. This comprehensive course delivers practical knowledge applicable to real-world cybersecurity operations. Starting from foundational concepts, RCCE students will learn through a combination of concept explanation, practical demonstration, and hands-on exercises.
- Endpoint Security Engineers and EDR Analysts
- Windows and macOS Administrators managing privileges
- Identity and Access Management Engineers
- IT Security Operations Leads reducing attack surface
- Professionals implementing Hardware and Firmware Security Foundations
- Explain Security Foundations fundamentals
- Explain Course Overview & Learning Objectives fundamentals
- Execute hands-on tasks for the hardware security landscape
- Execute hands-on tasks for computing platform layers
- Execute hands-on tasks for why hardware matters — covering Hardware -> Firmware -> OS -> Application.
- Explain System Boot Process Overview fundamentals
- Design a scalable privilege management architecture with policy and enforcement, including 16-bit real mode execution.
- Execute hands-on tasks for legacy bios — covering 16-bit real mode execution.
- Execute hands-on tasks for uefi firmware — covering 32/64-bit protected mode.
- Execute hands-on tasks for secure boot key hierarchy & enforcement — covering OEM master key — controls all other keys, Authorizes db/dbx updates, held by OEM/OS vendor, Allowed signers — OS bootloaders, drivers.
- Execute hands-on tasks for platform key (pk) — covering OEM master key — controls all other keys.
- Execute hands-on tasks for key exchange key (kek) — covering Authorizes db/dbx updates, held by OEM/OS vendor.
| Module 01 | Security Foundations |
| Module 02 | Course Overview & Learning Objectives |
| Module 03 | The Hardware Security Landscape |
| Module 04 | Computing Platform Layers |
| Module 05 | Why Hardware Matters |
| Module 06 | System Boot Process Overview |
| Module 07 | UEFI vs Legacy BIOS Architecture |
| Module 08 | Legacy BIOS |
| Module 09 | UEFI Firmware |
| Module 10 | Secure Boot Key Hierarchy & Enforcement |
| Module 11 | Platform Key (PK) |
| Module 12 | Key Exchange Key (KEK) |
| Module 13 | Signature Database (db) |
| Module 14 | Forbidden Database (dbx) |
All hands-on labs run on Rocheston Rose X OS. Students practice hardware and firmware security foundations by implementing the controls discussed in class, with a focus on real-world deployment, monitoring, and validation.
- Lab 1: Explain Security Foundations fundamentals
- Lab 2: Explain Course Overview & Learning Objectives fundamentals
- Lab 3: Execute hands-on tasks for the hardware security landscape
- Lab 4: Execute hands-on tasks for computing platform layers
- Lab 5: Execute hands-on tasks for why hardware matters
Upon successful completion of this course, students will receive an official RCCE Course Completion Certificate for Hardware and Firmware Security Foundations, verifiable through the Rocheston certification portal.
- Full access to all course materials and slide decks
- Hands-on lab access on Rocheston Rose X OS environment
- Access to Rocheston CyberNotes
- Access to Rocheston Zelfire — EDR/XDR SIEM platform
- Access to Rocheston Raven — online cyber range exercise platform
- Access to Rocheston Vulnerability Vines AI