Disclosed are devices, systems, apparatus, methods, products, media and other implementations, including a method that includes triggering a beacon circuit combined with a hardware-based protection module, included within a hardware device, the hardware-based protection module configured to provide protection against malicious implementations within the hardware device, with the beacon circuit being configured to provide a beacon output when triggered. The method further includes determining based on the beacon output provided by the triggered beacon circuit whether the hardware device includes at least one malicious implementation.