Skip to main content
Monday, April 29, 2013 - 8:30am - 12:00pm
Half-day Tutorials

How to Break Software: Embedded Edition

In the tradition of James Whittaker’s book series How to Break … Software, Jon Hagar applies the testing “attack” concept to the domain of embedded software systems. Jon defines the sub-domain of embedded software and examines the issues of product failure caused by defects in that software. Next, Jon shares a set of attacks against embedded software based on common modes of failure that testers can direct against their own software. For specific attacks, Jon explains when and how to conduct the attack, as well as why the attack works to find bugs. In addition to learning these testing skills, practice the attacks on a device—a robot that Jon will bring to the tutorial—containing embedded software. Specific attack methods considered include data issues, computation and control structures, hardware-software interfaces, and communications.

Jon Hagar, Grand Software Testing

Jon Hagar is a systems-software engineer and tester consultant supporting software product integrity and verification and validation, with a specialization in embedded and mobile software systems. For more than thirty years Jon has worked in software engineering, particularly testing, supporting projects including control system (avionics and auto), spacecraft, mobile-smart devices, IT, and attack testing of smart phones.

read more