Texas A&M Cohort for Hardware Security (TACHS)
Course Director: Dr. Jeyavijayan “JV” Rajendran
Email: jv.rajendran@tamu.edu
Next Offering: Fall 2026
Description
The Texas A&M Cohort for Hardware Security (TACHS) is a focused, 10-week immersive program designed to provide undergraduates with early, hands-on experience in semiconductor and hardware security. The program bridges a critical workforce gap by exposing students to advanced hardware security concepts and workflows that are typically reserved for M.S. and Ph.D. programs.
Participants work directly with modern hardware design and verification environments, simulating open-source RISC-V processors using industry-standard EDA tools. Students apply state-of-the-art hardware fuzzing techniques to discover vulnerabilities, analyze root causes using RISC-V ISA documentation and full toolchains, and develop exploits to demonstrate real system-level security impact. TACHS equips students with practical, job-relevant skills for securing modern semiconductor systems and understanding hardware vulnerabilities at scale.
Topics
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RISC-V Processor Architecture and ISA Analysis
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RTL Simulation and Verification
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Hardware Fuzzing Techniques for Vulnerability Discovery
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Root-Cause Analysis of Hardware Security Bugs
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Exploit Development and System-Level Impact Demonstrations
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Secure Hardware Design and Modern EDA Workflows
Who Should Attend
This program is designed for undergraduate students interested in hardware security, computer architecture, semiconductor design, or embedded systems. TACHS is ideal for students seeking early exposure to advanced hardware security topics and practical experience with real-world design flows.
Participants will develop foundational, high-demand skills relevant to careers in hardware security, semiconductor design, embedded systems, and electronic design automation. The program is particularly well suited for students considering graduate study or industry roles focused on secure hardware and system assurance.
Logistics
Dates and Times: Tuesday 7 – 8:30 PM
Location: Web. 324
Instructors
Fall ’25 Instructors
Chen Chen: chenc@tamu.edu
Stephen Muttathil: stephen7929@tamu.edu
Jayden Koh: jkohhokj@tamu.edu
HANDS-ON HARDWARE SECURITY: ATTACK & DEFENSE
Course Director: Dr. Jeyavijayan “JV” Rajendran
Email: jv.rajendran@tamu.edu
Next Offering: TBD
Description
The hardware security lab is designed to provide an immersive, hands-on experience with real-world threats and defenses. You will conduct practical experiments on physical devices and obtain critical insights into hardware vulnerabilities. By working directly with real hardware platforms, you will develop the expertise needed to analyze vulnerabilities, execute attacks, and implement defenses. This lab serves as a crucial foundation for those seeking to specialize in hardware security, equipping them with job-ready skills sought after in semiconductor design, embedded systems, and electronic design automation industries.
Topics
- Fault Injection Attacks
- Side-Channel Attacks
- Hacking Embedded Systems
- Exploiting Hardware Vulnerabilities
- Hardware PenTesting
Who Should Attend
This course is designed to provide hands-on experience with real-world attack and defense scenarios. By the end you will have develop high-demand technical skills for security-related careers. The course is ideally suited for engineers and analysts who work in in security, embedded systems, semiconductor, and EDA industries. This course will also give you experience in securing hardware systems against emerging cyber threats.
Logistics
Dates and Times: TBD
Location: TBD
