  Hardware Reverse Engineering (HRE) is a technique for analyzing Integrated
Circuits (ICs). Experts employ HRE for security-critical tasks, such as
detecting Trojans or intellectual property violations. They rely not only on
their experience and customized tools but also on their cognitive abilities.
Conducting controlled experiments to assess the cognitive processes involved in
HRE can open new avenues for hardware protection. However, HRE experts are
largely unavailable for empirical research in real-world settings. To address
this challenge, we have developed REVERSIM, a game-based environment that
mimics realistic HRE subprocesses and can integrate standardized cognitive
tests. REVERSIM enables quantitative studies with easier-to-recruit non-experts
to uncover cognitive factors relevant to HRE, which can subsequently be
validated with small expert samples. To evaluate the design of REVERSIM, the
minimum requirements for successful participation, and its measurement
capabilities, we conducted two studies: First, we performed semi-structured
interviews with 14 professionals and researchers from the HRE domain, who
attested to the comparability of REVERSIM to real-world HRE problems. Second,
we conducted an online user study with 109 participants, demonstrating that
they could engage in REVERSIM with low domain-specific prior knowledge. We
provide refined screening criteria, derive fine-grained performance metrics,
and successfully perform a cognitive test for mental speed in REVERSIM, thus
contributing an important piece of the puzzle for the development of innovative
hardware protection mechanisms.
