Master’s in Firmware Security
Online master's programme of 1,900 hours in firmware security (TrustZone/TPM, secure and measured boot, anti-rollback and secure OTA). 12 modules covering firmware threats, secure boot and root of trust, embedded cryptography, security hardware, secure updates, secure firmware development, secure communications, physical attacks, security testing, regulation and certification, and life-cycle security, applied to Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act), ETSI EN 303 645 and IEC 62443-4-2 with an assigned technical tutor.
Master’s in Firmware Security — studying from India
India's electronics manufacturing and design sector is expanding rapidly, with strong clusters in Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Pune and the Noida-Gurugram region. Semiconductor and electronics initiatives under the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology are encouraging chip design and fabrication projects. Telecom equipment, consumer electronics and automotive electronics all create demand for embedded systems engineers. The Telecommunication Engineering Centre sets telecom standards, while the Bureau of Indian Standards covers electronics product norms. Engineers here design firmware, hardware platforms, communication systems and testing solutions for a wide range of products.
Fees for India: ₹1,050,000 (Indian Rupee), with instalments and employer sponsorship available.
Relevant bodies in India
Typical roles
Questions from India
Which bodies in India recognise electronics and telecom engineers?
Electronics and telecom engineers in India are recognised through the Institution of Electronics and Telecommunication Engineers (IETE), the Institution of Engineers (India), and IEEE India sections. Telecom regulation sits with the Department of Telecommunications, and product certification follows standards from the Bureau of Indian Standards. SEIUM's private qualifications are not accredited by a national body, so their value is for employers to judge.
Who employs embedded systems and telecom engineers in India?
Employers include electronics manufacturers, semiconductor and design firms in Bengaluru and Hyderabad, telecom operators like Airtel and Jio, defence electronics firms, and automotive electronics suppliers. A private online programme can add specialist depth, but hiring managers usually look at practical projects, firmware experience and relevant certifications alongside the qualification.
How can I balance this programme with a job in India, and what is the time commitment?
The programme is fully online and taught in English, so you can study from India without a student visa. Specialist courses take about 300 hours, postgraduate diplomas about 800 and master's about 1,900. Schedules are based on IST, you have an assigned technical tutor, and fees can be paid in instalments. Ask your employer whether they can sponsor the course.
Take the controls.
Run a real engineering trade-off from this field. Move the sliders, watch the model react in real time and beat the challenge.
What you will be able to do
Model threats to embedded devices.
Implement secure boot and roots of trust.
Apply cryptography correctly in embedded systems.
Design secure update mechanisms.
Develop firmware using secure coding practices.
Assess resistance to physical and logical attacks.
Comply with European product cyber security regulations.
Who it's for
- Firmware security engineers.
- Product security engineers.
- Embedded vulnerability analysts.
- Automotive cyber security engineers.
- IoT security architects.
- Hardware security evaluators.
- Engineering or science graduates looking to enter IoT.
What you'll work with
- Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act for products with digital elements)
- ETSI EN 303 645 (cyber security for consumer IoT)
- IEC 62443-4-2 (security requirements for industrial automation components)
- ISO/SAE 21434 (road vehicles – cyber security engineering)
- UNECE Regulation No. 155 (vehicle cyber security management system)
- NIST SP 800-193 (platform firmware resiliency)
- ISO/IEC 15408 (Common Criteria for IT security evaluation)
- IETF RFC 9019 (SUIT firmware update architecture for IoT)
- MCUboot
- Ghidra
- ChipWhisperer
- mbedTLS
- Trusted Firmware-M
12 modules
1.1Device attack surface1.2Attacker models1.3Remote and local attacks1.4Physical attacks1.5Supply chain attacks1.6Public cases of firmware attacks1.7Most common vulnerabilities1.8Secure life cycle1.9Manufacturer responsibility1.10Case study: threat model of an IoT device
2.1Chain of trust2.2Hardware root of trust2.3Boot ROM2.4Signature verification2.5MCUboot and TF-M2.6UEFI Secure Boot2.7Measurement and measured boot2.8Version anti-rollback2.9Signing key management2.10Lab: secure boot with MCUboot
3.1Symmetric cryptography: AES3.2Asymmetric cryptography: ECC and RSA3.3Hash functions: SHA-2 and SHA-33.4Digital signatures3.5Random number generators3.6Cryptographic accelerators3.7mbedTLS and wolfSSL libraries3.8Post-quantum cryptography3.9Common implementation mistakes3.10Practical exercise: image signing and verification
4.1Secure elements4.2TPM 2.04.3Arm TrustZone4.4Enclaves and isolation4.5Secure key storage4.6Flash readout protection4.7Fuses and debug lock4.8PUFs4.9Hardware selection4.10Lab: isolation with TrustZone-M
5.1Secure OTA architecture5.2Package signing and encryption5.3A/B partitions5.4Failure recovery5.5Uptane for automotive5.6SUIT manifest5.7Distribution and servers5.8Staged rollout5.9Vulnerability management5.10Practical exercise: signed OTA update
6.1Secure coding in C6.2Buffer overflows6.3MISRA and CERT C6.4Static analysis6.5Firmware fuzzing6.6Compiler protections6.7MPU and task isolation6.8Code reviews6.9Memory-safe languages such as Rust6.10Lab: fuzzing a parser with libFuzzer
7.1TLS and DTLS on devices7.2Mutual authentication7.3Identity provisioning7.4Certificates and PKI7.5BLE security7.6Wi-Fi and Thread security7.7MQTT security7.8Secure industrial protocols7.9Performance and power consumption7.10Practical exercise: mutual TLS connection from a microcontroller
8.1Power analysis: SPA and DPA8.2Fault injection attacks8.3Clock and voltage glitching8.4Electromagnetic attacks8.5Firmware extraction8.6Software countermeasures8.7Hardware countermeasures8.8Resistance evaluation8.9Security evaluation laboratories8.10Lab: power analysis demonstration with ChipWhisperer
9.1Firmware reverse engineering9.2Ghidra and binary analysis9.3File system extraction9.4Emulation with QEMU9.5Device penetration testing9.6SBOM and component analysis9.7CVE management9.8Coordinated disclosure9.9Test reports9.10Practical exercise: firmware analysis with Ghidra
10.1Cyber Resilience Act10.2ETSI EN 303 64510.3IEC 62443-4-1 and 4-210.4ISO/SAE 2143410.5UNECE Regulation No. 15510.6PSA Certified10.7Common Criteria10.8European certification schemes10.9Security documentation10.10Case study: gap analysis against the CRA
11.1Secure factory provisioning11.2Supply chain security11.3Key management in production11.4Field monitoring11.5Incident response11.6Patches and support11.7Device end of life11.8Data privacy11.9Security metrics11.10Workshop: vulnerability response plan
12.1Device and threats12.2Security requirements12.3Secure boot12.4Key storage12.5Secure updates12.6Security testing12.7Compliance assessment12.8Life-cycle plan12.9Master's Thesis report12.10Master's Thesis: defence before a panel
How you'll learn
Training is 100% online on the SEIUM campus, with downloadable material, recorded classes and an assigned technical tutor. There are no fixed timetables: you progress at your own pace within each intake, so it fits around your job.
Each module combines theory, guided reading of the original standard and applied exercises. The working software is MCUboot, Ghidra, ChipWhisperer, mbedTLS and Trusted Firmware-M, in free, academic or evaluation versions. Testing is studied through real procedures for firmware fuzzing, device penetration testing and side-channel analysis in the lab. Assessment is continuous by module, plus the final Master's Thesis.
Standards covered: Regulation (EU) 2024/2847 (Cyber Resilience Act), ETSI EN 303 645, IEC 62443-4-2, ISO/SAE 21434, UNECE Regulation No. 155, NIST SP 800-193, ISO/IEC 15408 (Common Criteria), IETF RFC 9019 (SUIT).
Build it end to end
Your final project follows the real engineering workflow, step by step, reviewed by your tutor.
Where this takes you
Requirements
- University degree in engineering, science or architecture, or equivalent demonstrable professional experience.
- Internet connection and a computer able to run the programme software.
- English sufficient to read technical standards.
Ready to start?
Send your application today. Our admissions team replies within 72 hours with your study plan and funding options.
Frequently asked questions
The programme totals 1,900 hours over 12–14 months. You set your own pace within each intake, and your tutor helps you plan the workload around your job.
You work with MCUboot, Ghidra, ChipWhisperer, mbedTLS and Trusted Firmware-M, using free, academic or evaluation versions. Your tutor indicates the free alternative wherever one exists.
A SEIUM Institute diploma, awarded on passing the continuous assessment and the Master's Thesis. It is SEIUM's own qualification, not an official state degree; its recognition depends on the programme completed and the regulations of each country.
Yes. Modules passed in a course or postgraduate diploma in the same area are recognised in the higher programme. Ask about the recognition policy when you enrol.
A degree in engineering, science or architecture (or equivalent professional experience), a computer able to run the software, and English sufficient to read technical standards.
Start dates are set by SEIUM's faculty for each intake. Our admissions team will confirm the next available date when you apply.
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