The Invisible Attack Surface: Cybersecurity for Embedded Systems

Embedded systems power everything from critical infrastructure to defense systems, yet vulnerabilities in those systems often go unseen and unaddressed. In this episode of Exploited: The Cyber Truth, host Paul Ducklin is joined by RunSafe Security CEO Joe Saunders and special guests Mario Zuniga and Matt Janson of MITRE to discuss the “invisible attack surface” lurking within embedded and cyber-physical systems.

Drawing on their frontline experience in cyber operations and resiliency engineering, Mario and Matt explain why embedded systems demand a fundamentally different approach to cybersecurity. From limited patching capabilities and long system lifecycles to unique hardware and firmware attack vectors, traditional IT security models fall short in these environments.

Together, they discuss:

• Why embedded systems are often overlooked in cybersecurity strategies
• How attackers exploit firmware, hardware interfaces, and air-gapped environments
• The challenges of securing systems that must remain operational for decades
• The role of MITRE’s embedded threat matrix (ESTEEM) in mapping adversary behavior
• Why resilience—not just prevention—is key to defending critical infrastructure

From industrial control systems to national defense, this episode reveals what it takes to secure the technologies that quietly underpin modern society and why the time to act is now.