Reverse-engineering as a crossroads for investigation, science and open tools and technologies
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Coadic, Xavier
Reverse-engineering investigations implies to be able to reconstruct and experiment with the methods and information acquired in the initial process in order to visualize what elements are indispensable to how a "system" works. It also allows one to figure out what elements could be removed, replaced with more contextual information if the method can be replicated, or "hacked" to make the "system" or method work differently in other settings. Methodology & Major Findings: We are experimentally trying to revisit the practice of reverse-engineering to explore these possible and effective contributions in the case of investigation (journalism, activism, science, art). We engage with different techniques, tools and methods along with the individual practices of those working at the new frontiers of investigation. We all come from very different research and professional backgrounds, use different methodologies and techniques, investigate very different things. From a software perspective, reverse-engineering is used for: - industrial espionage - cracking - exploit creation - security audit - bug correction - malware analysis - interoperability - scientific study - fun.
 Hi, I am Xavier from France. I am a contributor in the Explosive Invisible Projects from the NGO Tactical Tech and I am in my kitchen in France. As you can see, let's talk about reverse engineering as a crossword for investigation, variance, and open tools and technologies. What is reverse engineering? Reverse engineering consists in studying objects or methods sometimes in order to determine its internal functioning. Reverse engineering consists in identifying a precise case, making a recognition disassembling pieces by pieces and step by step. Then understanding the mechanism and finally reassembling the object of the method with a new value proposition in its operation. In the free software world, some people know software like Rata2 or GNU Project Debugger or many tips by hundreds of common lines in the practice of reverse with embedded tools. So used for open source intelligence. Who are the current usual suspects in reverse engineering? And then using them requires some time to tame and then learn the associated techniques and methods. It also requires meticulousness and precision in their use. And let's be honest about the thousand frustrating mistakes to reach a level that provides present satisfaction. Software developers, also academics and engaged citizens, journalists and activists need a final social configuration to collaborate in peer-to-peer contribution of this software and their documentation on their learning and the associated knowledge. And this is also an issue of new ways of producing free knowledge and I think the best part and also the power to liberate knowledge. Reverse engineering is not limited to software. Some people who are used in a hacking festival might also think about the hardware of computer machine. We would like to show you that it's possible to practice even further than these two points. And that is the interest of the previous mentioned communities to collaborate on this area as well. That's why we launched IQEA, the Exposing Invisible Seminar. IQEA is a group of people with different backgrounds and knowledge in different countries. It stands for investigation questioning experimental approach. Now, let me show you some examples about reverse engineering. First of all, please keep in mind, do not trust any dark boxes. Now the first example comes from a cafe with a pop education. With pop education, you can do reverse engineering like you play biology for example. Let me show you. You do the headboard bar with when you bring people together who are not engineers, who are not scientists, who are not hackers, but who are motivated to investigate environmental issues that affect their daily lives and community life. You can simply rely on the popular education method to learn reverse engineering. These are some of the small everyday objects in order to divert them to serve the needs of environmental analysis. Even a simple sheet of folded paper can be used as a pedagogical and technical basis. And here you can do that while drinking tea or beer. Because it's not for you. It's a kind of introduction to the investigation. You can find some information into exposing the invisible kids on the web. Now let's have another point of view with Clio. Hello, I'm Clio and I'm a member of the IKEA group with Xavier. And after a few weeks of reading and researching, I conduct some interviews with experts such as scientists and designers in order to understand better what's behind reverse engineering and how people apply to their works. In this process, I just discovered that people do not always consciously realize they're working with a reverse engineering approach, even thought they use the methodology every day. Only in the moment in which they reflect on the concept and they question them, they suddenly understand that their approaches are reverse engineering, but in different ways, let's say. For example, David Benke, that is from the Institute of the Diagram Studies and as a designer at Cryptpad, you think that reverse engineering is in the frame of creative practices and knowledge productions. So for him, it is not pretty technical, but reverse engineering is a way to look at the things by different perspectives. So for example, also the historical perspective is a reverse engineering tool. Another example is Oliver Keller, that is a scientist from CERN, studying the radiactivity and who made the DIY particle detector. For him, the main statement was looking at reverse engineering has a learning tool, so also has a way to understand the physics around us and the black boxes of natural phenomena. And one of the main questions he made was how do you reverse engineering randomness? Well, can we do reverse engineering on the randomness? What a huge question. Now another example, we were in a café with people extracting DNA from environmental samples. And now, did you ever try to reverse engineering a new in-planet test or actually blue test? Let's have a look. By doing it with a small team, you will learn together and also learn from each other. You will see that every teeny slice of the paper hidden in the plastic cassettes fills up a kind of technical, scientific and social question. What is the place of woman in society, in science and in tech? And in the history of science and tech. Are the reagents used in the test paper free or proprietary? What happens? If you reassemble the test for another use or just after the first attempt into a diagnostic? And guess what? We needed software to do that. One last example for the road. Perhaps you already heard or read the reverse engineering of several coronavirus vaccines. Yeah, do not trust any dark boxes. And then this reverse opens avenues of knowledge, investigation, studies, transparency and activities. Well done. Now, the main question is when will free and open source vaccines will be available? Yes, we run after knowledge, collaboration, citizen science, investigation, etc. However, that is not all reverse engineering as a method and other crossroads is also a new purpose. Instead of constantly extracting every resources from the soil around us, it's an ecological and strategic redirection, a redirection of knowledge prediction. And that's our invitation to you. Thank you and see you soon.
 Hi, I am Xavier from France.  I am a contributor in the Explosive Invisible Projects from the NGO Tactical Tech and I  am in my kitchen in France.  As you can see, let's talk about reverse engineering as a crossword for investigation,  variance, and open tools and technologies.  What is reverse engineering?  Reverse engineering consists in studying objects or methods sometimes in order to determine  its internal functioning.  Reverse engineering consists in identifying a precise case, making a recognition disassembling  pieces by pieces and step by step.  Then understanding the mechanism and finally reassembling the object of the method with  a new value proposition in its operation.  In the free software world, some people know software like Rata2 or GNU Project Debugger  or many tips by hundreds of common lines in the practice of reverse with embedded tools.  So used for open source intelligence.  Who are the current usual suspects in reverse engineering?  And then using them requires some time to tame and then learn the associated techniques  and methods.  It also requires meticulousness and precision in their use.  And let's be honest about the thousand frustrating mistakes to reach a level that provides present  satisfaction.  Software developers, also academics and engaged citizens, journalists and activists need a  final social configuration to collaborate in peer-to-peer contribution of this software  and their documentation on their learning and the associated knowledge.  And this is also an issue of new ways of producing free knowledge and I think the best part and  also the power to liberate knowledge.  Reverse engineering is not limited to software.  Some people who are used in a hacking festival might also think about the hardware of computer  machine.  We would like to show you that it's possible to practice even further than these two points.  And that is the interest of the previous mentioned communities to collaborate on this area as  well.  That's why we launched IQEA, the Exposing Invisible Seminar.  IQEA is a group of people with different backgrounds and knowledge in different countries.  It stands for investigation questioning experimental approach.  Now, let me show you some examples about reverse engineering.  First of all, please keep in mind, do not trust any dark boxes.  Now the first example comes from a cafe with a pop education.  With pop education, you can do reverse engineering like you play biology for example.  Let me show you.  You do the headboard bar with when you bring people together who are not engineers, who  are not scientists, who are not hackers, but who are motivated to investigate environmental  issues that affect their daily lives and community life.  You can simply rely on the popular education method to learn reverse engineering.  These are some of the small everyday objects in order to divert them to serve the needs  of environmental analysis.  Even a simple sheet of folded paper can be used as a pedagogical and technical basis.  And here you can do that while drinking tea or beer.  Because it's not for you.  It's a kind of introduction to the investigation.  You can find some information into exposing the invisible kids on the web.  Now let's have another point of view with Clio.  Hello, I'm Clio and I'm a member of the IKEA group with Xavier.  And after a few weeks of reading and researching, I conduct some interviews with experts such  as scientists and designers in order to understand better what's behind reverse engineering and  how people apply to their works.  In this process, I just discovered that people do not always consciously realize they're  working with a reverse engineering approach, even thought they use the methodology every  day.  Only in the moment in which they reflect on the concept and they question them, they suddenly  understand that their approaches are reverse engineering, but in different ways, let's  say.  For example, David Benke, that is from the Institute of the Diagram Studies and as a  designer at Cryptpad, you think that reverse engineering is in the frame of creative practices  and knowledge productions.  So for him, it is not pretty technical, but reverse engineering is a way to look at the  things by different perspectives.  So for example, also the historical perspective is a reverse engineering tool.  Another example is Oliver Keller, that is a scientist from CERN, studying the radiactivity  and who made the DIY particle detector.  For him, the main statement was looking at reverse engineering has a learning tool, so  also has a way to understand the physics around us and the black boxes of natural phenomena.  And one of the main questions he made was how do you reverse engineering randomness?  Well, can we do reverse engineering on the randomness?  What a huge question.  Now another example, we were in a café with people extracting DNA from environmental samples.  And now, did you ever try to reverse engineering a new in-planet test or actually blue test?  Let's have a look.  By doing it with a small team, you will learn together and also learn from each other.  You will see that every teeny slice of the paper hidden in the plastic cassettes fills  up a kind of technical, scientific and social question.  What is the place of woman in society, in science and in tech?  And in the history of science and tech.  Are the reagents used in the test paper free or proprietary?  What happens?  If you reassemble the test for another use or just after the first attempt into a diagnostic?  And guess what?  We needed software to do that.  One last example for the road.  Perhaps you already heard or read the reverse engineering of several coronavirus vaccines.  Yeah, do not trust any dark boxes.  And then this reverse opens avenues of knowledge, investigation, studies, transparency and activities.  Well done.  Now, the main question is when will free and open source vaccines will be available?  Yes, we run after knowledge, collaboration, citizen science, investigation, etc.  However, that is not all reverse engineering as a method and other crossroads is also a  new purpose.  Instead of constantly extracting every resources from the soil around us, it's an ecological  and strategic redirection, a redirection of knowledge prediction.  And that's our invitation to you.  Thank you and see you soon.
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