RetroReversing - The Home of Reverse Engineering Enthusiasts (2024)

FAQs

What is a famous example of reverse engineering? ›

The German Enigma machine of World War II, an electro-mechanical encryption/decryption device, is a famous example. In fact, classic cryptanalysis is itself a form of reverse engineering applied to systems of symbols, but also, as in the case of the Enigma, the machines used to process those symbols.

Because each nerve cell receives messages from tens of thousands of others, and circuits of nerve cells link up in complex networks, it is extremely difficult to completely trace the signaling pathways.

This shortage of qualified candidates is partly due to the fact that reverse engineering is a specialized field. As all specialized fields, it requires a unique set of skills and knowledge. It's not a skill that can be learned quickly or easily. It takes time and experience to become proficient at it.

Reverse engineering, sometimes called back engineering, is a process in which software, machines, aircraft, architectural structures and other products are deconstructed to extract design information from them.

One of the most well-known examples of reverse engineering success is the case of the IBM PC. In the early 1980s, IBM was the dominant player in the computer industry, but they lacked a personal computer (PC) in their product lineup.

Reverse engineering your goals is basically thinking in first principles. That is, we need to take something apart to better understand how it's made. Reverse engineering goals means you're thinking backwards and unpacking larger goals into micro and nano ones.

Reverse engineering is generally legal. In trade secret law, similar to independent developing, reverse engineering is considered an allowed method to discover a trade secret. However, in patent law, because the patent owner has exclusive rights to use, own or develop the patent, reverse engineering is not a defense.

How much does a Reverse Engineer make? The estimated total pay for a Reverse Engineer is $148,574 per year, with an average salary of $105,350 per year. These numbers represent the median, which is the midpoint of the ranges from our proprietary Total Pay Estimate model and based on salaries collected from our users.

Conclusions. Both company employees agreed that reverse engineering was a valid practice; however, they agreed it must be done in with care. Learning from what others have done is a valid method, but copying what they have done is dishonest.

How to Become a Reverse Engineer. The qualifications to become a reverse engineer are a bachelor's degree in computer science or computer engineering and significant experience working in a developer or programmer job.

What is the first step in reverse engineering? ›

5 steps for reverse engineering

The first step in backward engineering is collecting information about the product. This might mean measuring product dimensions, identifying source design and understanding the coding of the device.

Although the process is specific to the object on which it is being performed, all reverse engineering processes consist of three basic steps: information extraction, modeling, and review.

Reverse engineering examples

Computer engineers could reverse engineer a computer or its parts to learn how to build one. This may be helpful for people who are new to building computers. A computer engineer could also disassemble a computer to replace its parts with newer pieces or run tests on a broken part.

Decompiling is absolutely legal, regardless of what the shills say. At most, you can be sued for unauthorized activity relating to software unless you're redistributing it.

A common example is to adapt a program written for use with one microprocessor to another. Other examples include reconstructing lost source code, studying how a program performs certain operations, improving performance and fixing bugs or correcting errors when the source code is not available.

Examples of Reverse Engineering

Military experts can analyze and understand how enemy technologies work through reverse engineering. This allows them to identify vulnerabilities and weaknesses that can be exploited during combat operations or used to develop countermeasures.

While China has a rich history of successful reverse engineering, particularly in technology and industrial development, India has under-leveraged this potential. In the 1950s and 1960s, China caught up with Western technology largely through reverse engineering.