A theory of reverse engineering and its application to Boolean systems

Logic, probability, and human reasoning

“…In daily life, deductions yield the consequences of rules, laws, and moral principles [2]. They are part of problem solving, reverse engineering, and computer programming [3][4][5][6] and they underlie mathematics, science, and technology [7][8][9][10]. Plato claimed that emotions upset reasoning.…”

Towards cognitive obfuscation

“…In this section we provide the psychological background required to describe and analyze human behavior in hardware reverse engineering. Our research is based on the theory of reverse engineering and its application to Boolean systems by Lee et al [16] which will be presented in the following.…”

“…Lee and Johnson-Laird [16] explored underlying psychological processes of reverse engineering and defined it as a special kind of problem solving. Problem solving comprises psychological competencies which involve goal-directed thinking and actions in situations, in which the problem solver does not operate routinely [13].…”

“…Complex problems combine different characteristics like non-transparency of information, dependencies between components of the problem, dynamics, or multiple goals [13]. Lee & Johnson-Laird [16] argue that reverse engineering involves both attributes of analytical and complex problem solving. Hence, problem solver in reverse engineering divide a given system (like a netlist) in subsystems which is a common strategy in analytical problem solving.…”

“…Hence, problem solver in reverse engineering divide a given system (like a netlist) in subsystems which is a common strategy in analytical problem solving. Additionally, dependencies between single components influence the problem solving process in reverse engineering [16]. Dependencies and their influence on the problem solving process are typically allocated to complex problem solving processes [16].…”