Kernel and Device Driver Development Services

At Apriorit, we have vast experience building operating system (OS) monitoring drivers, network hardware drivers, peripheral device drivers, virtual device drivers, and custom device drivers. Our experts can also help you in building a custom file system filter or minifilter driver to control and adjust operating system behavior, improving the security of your existing solution.

Driver development projects usually go through similar stages: gathering information on the target operating system or hardware and eliciting requirements, preparing a technical specification and approving it with the client, estimating the project, designing and building the actual driver, and then testing it to ensure functionality, compatibility, and security. We also create testing guidelines and provide quality assurance recommendations. Depending on the specifics of your project, some of these stages might be omitted or expanded with additional activities.

While the majority of kernel-level tasks are easier to solve by developing a dedicated driver, there are other ways to control and manipulate operating system behavior. For example, when working with virtual devices, a possible alternative would be to use available system APIs. To determine whether your project requires a new driver or if there are better alternatives, reach out to us with a brief description of your product and the task you would like to solve using a custom driver.

<p>There are many factors affecting the time needed to deliver a stable driver-based solution, from the type of driver you want to build to the specifics of its service logic and your requirements for it.</p>

<p>Usually, a simple driver MVP takes around two to three months to build, while a product-ready solution might take 12 to 18 months.</p>

<p>Your driver needs to be properly certified and signed in order for the target operating system to see it as legitimate and trustworthy. Having a verified signature proves that your driver contains no malware and, therefore, is safe to use.</p>

<p>For example, if you build a Windows driver, you might need to sign it with a Microsoft certificate or a certificate from a Microsoft partner. Otherwise, you won’t be able to install and launch your driver without extra manipulations on the operating system side. The Apriorit team can help you with obtaining a WHQL release signature for your custom driver as well as signing drivers for other operating systems.</p>

<p>To build a driver for a custom device, our development team needs access to the actual device and its technical documentation. It’s possible to emulate a device based on its key characteristics or work without the full technical documentation, but this will significantly complicate and prolong the driver development process.</p>

<p>We would also need to discuss and approve all of your requirements for the driver itself and finalize these requirements in a technical specification.</p>