What is the Practical IoT Pentest Associate (PIPA) Certification?
The Practical IoT Pentest Associate (PIPA) certification is an associate-level IoT firmware review exam experience. This exam will assess a student’s ability to perform a firmware review of an embedded Linux IoT device. Students will have two (2) full days to complete the assessment and an additional two (2) days to write a professional report.
The Practical IoT Pentest Associate certification was formerly known as the Practical Junior IoT Tester. The exam has not changed, only the name! Read more on our blog.
How to Pass the PIPA Exam
In order to receive a certification, a student must:
Perform a comprehensive review of an IoT device’s firmware, logic analyzer captures of its communication ports, and high level design documents.
Provide a detailed, professionally written report.
TCM Security exam vouchers come with 12 months of access to the training materials the exam is based on. Access begins on the day the voucher is purchased. We highly recommend preparing before attempting the exam. If you don’t initially succeed, don’t worry! We never want to profit on failure and include one free retake with every exam voucher.
Practical IoT Pentest Associate Exam Format
Like all TCM Security certifications, the PIPA exam was designed to teach students how to apply their skills in a real-world situation. This is not a CTF. Our exams provide an experience that is similar to what you will be asked to do in a professional environment.
Absolutely ZERO flags to capture.
NO multiple choice questions.
WHAT IS INCLUDED
13+ Hours of On-Demand Training (12 Months Access)
Hands-On Exercises
1 Exam Attempt + 1 Free Retake (Lifetime)
2 Days to Complete
2 Days to Write Report
24/7/365 Course Support
Prerequisites
Beginner IT Knowledge
Device capable of running virtual machines
Basic understanding of penetration testing
$249
Veterans, Active Military, First Responders, Students, and Educators can save 20% on all certifications! Email support@tcm-sec.com with proof to get a custom discount code.
Who Should Take the Practical IoT Pentest Associate Exam?
The PIPA is an associate-level introduction to the world of hardware hacking. Though students should have some experience with computer systems and penetration testing, previous IoT hacking experience is not required to take the exam. The PIPA is appropriate for:
- Anyone with some experience in IoT and/or firmware development looking to gain some experience with security.
- Experienced or beginner penetration testers looking to validate their skills in the niche of IoT testing.
- People who have a keen interest in IoT devices and how they can be exploited.
- Bug bounty hunters who are looking to expand their repertoire to include IoT devices.
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How to Prepare for the PIPA Exam
In addition to the lifetime voucher and exam attempt, students who enroll in the PIPA certification will receive the following:
12 months of access to over 13 hours of training materials in the Beginner’s Guide to IoT and Hardware Hacking course. The PIPA exam was built from the information and resources that you will find delivered in this course material, including:
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- Electrical engineering and electronics fundamentals
- Understanding and identifying common electronic components
- How to use common hardware hacking tools such as digital multimeters, logic analyzers, USB to serial adapters and flash programmers
- An optional lesson on soldering
- Performing OSINT and recon on hardware
- How to read and interpret datasheets
- Common IoT protocols such as UART and SPI
- Initiating and using a serial shell
- Firmware extraction methods
- Firmware analysis and reverse engineering
To view the full course curriculum, please visit our Academy page here.
How to Prepare for the PIPA Exam
In addition to the lifetime voucher and exam attempt, students who enroll in the PIPA certification will receive the following:
12 months of access to over 13 hours of training materials from the Beginner’s Guide to IoT and Hardware Hacking course. The PIPA exam was built from the information and resources that you will find delivered in this course material, including:
- Electrical engineering and electronics fundamentals
- Understanding and identifying common electronic components
- How to use common hardware hacking tools such as digital multimeters, logic analyzers, USB to serial adapters and flash programmers
- An optional lesson on soldering
- Performing OSINT and recon on hardware
- How to read and interpret datasheets
- Common IoT protocols such as UART and SPI
- Initiating and using a serial shell
- Firmware extraction methods
- Firmware analysis and reverse engineering
To view the full course curriculum, please visit our Academy page here.
All TCM Security Certifications Include:
Video Training
Receive 12 months of access to video-led training that was developed to provide a hands-on learning experience.
Realistic Exams
Our certification exams are designed to provide the student with a real-world experience to prepare them for the job market.
Free Retake
If for any reason you need to take the exam a second time, we include a free retake voucher. We don’t profit from your failures.
Industry Recognized
We are pleased to provide the most realistic and cost-effective cybersecurity certifications recognized by industry professionals and organizations.
Non-Invasive Experience
Complete the exam in the comfort of your own home without proctors or installed monitoring software.
Stable Environments
Get unlimited access to our stable student exam environments. Hosted safely for you in the cloud.
Unbeatable Support
We proudly offer 24/7/365 customer support with the additional benefit of access to our community Discord with over 60,000+ students.
Discounts
We happily provide military, veterans, students, teachers, and first responders with a 20% off coupon, valid on certification vouchers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who can take the Practical IoT Pentest Associate (PIPA) Exam?
Any individual from any country is eligible to sit for the PIPA exam. Individuals under the age of 18 years old must submit a Parental Consent Form prior to purchasing the exam voucher. Contact our support team at support@tcm-sec.com for more information.
This is an associate-level certification exam. While we do include the training material that contains all of the information required to pass our exam, we still advise students to have a basic fundamental knowledge of computers, computer networks, and security. In addition to the included training materials, the Practical Ethical Hacking course from TCM Security Academy is recommended for beginners.
What Happened to the PJIT Exam?
As of November 2024, the Practical Junior IoT Tester certification was renamed to the Practical Iot Pentest Associate. The exam itself did not change, only the name was updated to better align with job postings and hiring manager preferences. Read more about the change on our blog.
I already own the Beginner's Guide to IoT and Hardware Hacking course, do I get a discount?
No, the cost of the exam is $249.
12 months of access to the Beginner’s Guide to IoT and Hardware Hacking course is included at no additional cost.*
If you do not require access to the training materials, the price of the exam is $249.
*Courses included in exam bundles cannot be traded, gifted, or redeemed for any monetary value or discounts.
What equipment do I need for the exam?
All you need is a computer and a stable internet connection. We provide a cloud environment for firmware analysis that includes all the tools required for the exam.
Does the certification expire?
No, the Practical IoT Pentest Associate certification does NOT expire.
Does my exam voucher expire?
No, exam vouchers do not expire.
Does my training expire?
All certifications come with 12 months of training access starting from the purchase date.
Will I receive a digital certification?
Yes! You can view an example of those here.
Can I use any tools I want on the exam?
All the tools you need for the exam will be provided in the enviroment.
How long is the exam?
The exam environment permits two full days.
You will have an additional two days to write a professional report and submit it to our team.
How difficult is the exam?
Though this is considered a junior-level exam, IoT security and hardware hacking are more complex topics that build on fundamental IT and security concepts. If you are a true beginner, we strongly recommend that you complete the Practical Ethical Hacking course offered in the TCM Security Academy in addition to the Beginner’s Guide to IoT and Hardware Hacking that is included with this exam.
Do you offer any other discounts?
Yes! We are veteran-owned and want to thank you for your service.
We offer a 20% discount to current and former military as well as first responders (Police, EMTs, Firefighters, Nurses, Doctors, etc.), regardless of country. We also extend this discount to students and educators.
Please email support@tcm-sec.com with proof of first responder status, such as a discharge form, ID, etc. and we will issue you a coupon code to use on purchase. If you are a student or educator, please email us from a valid educational address or provide proof of current enrollment.
Is the exam proctored?
No. We do monitor network traffic in the exam environment and have detection mechanisms in place for cheating in the environment and the exam, but there will be no proctor or intrusive software to install on your machine.
Do you offer printed certifications?
In efforts to stay green, we do not offer printed certifications. However, our certifications come in a high quality printable format and you’re welcome to have them printed on your own accord.
