> However, can these be delivered remotely without physical access to the hardware? Yes, most devices (including hard drives) can have their firmware updated f

> However, can these be delivered remotely without physical access to the hardware? Yes, most devices (including hard drives) can have their firmware updated from the host computer. Some newer devices support some form of firmware signing, making it more difficult for a malicious firmware to be installed, but they're in the minority -- most firmware update mechanisms are insecure.