hardware · security · product
Independent consulting for product design, hardware security, firmware engineering, and prototype production — from concept through certification.
Services
Tinker & Twist brings senior-level expertise across the full product lifecycle, from napkin sketch to shipping hardware.
Physical layer through firmware through network stack. JTAG/UART/SPI interface exploitation, secure boot bypass research, firmware extraction, and supply chain security evaluation.
Production-quality firmware for microcontrollers and embedded Linux platforms. Architecture review, secure update mechanisms, and low-level bring-up for custom hardware.
From concept through DFM. Industrial design guidance, PCB schematic review, BOM optimization, and hands-on prototype builds. Maker-fluent, manufacturing-realistic.
Threat modeling for AI-integrated embedded platforms. Edge ML deployment, model security, and the attack surface created where LLMs meet physical hardware.
Hands-on experience sourcing components, qualifying contract manufacturers, and managing pilot production runs. Practical advice that survives contact with the real supply chain.
Penetration testing, vulnerability research, and executive-level risk communication. Technical credibility with engineering teams; board-level clarity on what it means.
About
Martin Bogomolni is the founder of Tinker & Twist, a boutique consultancy built on the conviction that hardware and software are one attack surface, not two separate disciplines.
His background spans three decades of hands-on work: co-inventing load balancer technology and scaling platforms like Slashdot and EverQuest; ARM server architecture at Calxeda; and now hardware and firmware penetration testing at Leviathan Security Group.
He co-founded ATX Hackerspace in Austin, served as a SXSW advisory board member for the Maker track, and has spent years working with large language models and generative AI — well before that became fashionable.
If the problem involves atoms, electrons, firmware, or the seams between them, this is the right conversation.
Hardware and firmware penetration testing, physical security assessments, secure boot bypass, and vulnerability research against proprietary network operating systems.
Worked on ARM-based server platforms when the space was genuinely experimental, developing the cross-layer reasoning that defines his security approach today.
Helped build one of Austin's premier maker community spaces. Elected Director of Education 2017-18. Deep roots in the DIY and open hardware communities.
Connected makers, hardware startups, and the broader technology ecosystem as a SXSW advisory board member since 2014.
Computer Science and microcontrollers focus. Engineering instincts paired with a builder's hands-on sensibility.
Expertise
A representative sample of areas where Tinker & Twist brings direct, applied experience.
Contact
Tinker & Twist takes on a limited number of engagements to ensure each project receives focused, senior attention. If you have a hardware product, security challenge, or prototype that needs expert eyes, reach out.
Engagements range from focused assessments (days to weeks) to longer product development advisory relationships. Based in Portland, OR — available remotely and on-site.
Typical engagement areas include: