In general, hardware hacking refers to modifying an existing piece of hardware in order to use it in a way that was not intended. Information extraction, network function hacking, hardware takeover, or hardware failure or misbehavior are the goals.

The act of altering, personalizing, or reusing tangible electrical equipment or parts in order to alter their operation, enhance their performance, or reveal hidden capabilities is known as hardware hacking. It is a type of experimental and creative engineering that combines electronics, software, and hardware.

Hardware hacking is now more common than ever due to the proliferation of IoT goods. In order to improve data and network security, this opens the door for ethical hardware security assessments to enter the debate.