SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES and MOSCOW, RUSSIA – 11/15/2011 – Cryptography Research, Inc. (CRI), a division of Rambus (NASDAQ:RMBS), and Mikron JSC (Mikron), a division of SITRONICS JSC (LSE:SITR), today announced they have signed a license agreement regarding the use of CRI’s patents in Mikron products, including Mikron’s secure integrated circuits. Incorporation of CRI’s patented technology can protect Mikron’s tamper-resistant products against differential power analysis (DPA) and related attacks.
“Mikron produces a wide range of ICs for secure ID systems and various smart cards using payment applications that require the highest security rating. Security is a major focus for Mikron, and our strategy is to develop advanced secure microcontrollers with protection against a multitude of attacks. DPA Countermeasures are a critical security requirement, and this agreement will enable Mikron to strengthen its leadership in the security market,” said Gennady Krasnikov, Chief Executive Officer at Mikron JSC.
“Protecting electronic devices and security systems from power analysis attacks is critical. CRI’s patented countermeasures to DPA are a vital part of building tamper-resistant semiconductors,” said Paul Kocher, president and chief scientist of CRI. “Mikron is the largest Russian chip supplier for a variety of industries and we are pleased to include them as our first Russia-based licensed chip supplier.”
DPA is a form of attack that involves monitoring variations in electrical power consumption of a target device and then using statistical methods to derive cryptographic keys or other secrets. Strong countermeasures to DPA are important for securing mobile devices, bank cards, pay television systems, secure identity products, secure storage media, and other electronic systems and components. Many of the world’s leading security standards include requirements that devices be protected against DPA and related attacks.
CRI has developed a portfolio of over 55 patents covering countermeasures to DPA attacks, with additional patent applications pending. For additional information on CRI or on the CRI DPA Workstation platform visit www.cryptography.com.
About Cryptography Research, Inc.
Cryptography Research, Inc., a division of Rambus Inc., is a leader in semiconductor security research and development. Established by internationally renowned cryptographer Paul Kocher, CRI develops and licenses innovative technologies in areas including tamper resistance, content protection, anti-counterfeiting, network security, and financial services. Over five billion security products are made each year under license from CRI. Security systems designed by CRI scientists and engineers protect hundreds of billions of dollars in commerce annually. Additional information is available at www.cryptography.com.
About Rambus Inc.
Rambus is one of the world’s premier technology licensing companies. Founded in 1990, the Company specializes in the invention and design of architectures focused on enriching the end-user experience of electronic systems. Rambus’ patented innovations and breakthrough technologies help industry-leading companies bring superior products to market. Rambus licenses both its world-class patent portfolio, as well as its family of leadership and industry-standard solutions. Headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, Rambus has regional offices in North Carolina, Ohio, India, Germany, Japan, Korea, and Taiwan. Additional information is available at www.rambus.com.
About Mikron JSC
JSC Mikron is the leading manufacturer and exporter of microelectronics in Russia and CIS in terms of sales volume. JSC Mikron is a part of JSC “SITRONICS” and the parent enterprise of the SITRONICS Microelectronics business-division. In 2010 SITRONICS Miroelectronic’s income increased 23% from 2009. Today the company has about 400 customers in Russia and approximately 100 internationally. Mikron produces and sells more than 500 types of integrated circuits. Mikron products are sold to South-Eastern Asia. The main export countries are China, Taiwan and Hong Kong. Mikron has a unique engineering and scientific school and possesses its own research center comprised of about 400 employees. More than 60 scientific organizations work in cooperation with Mikron. Mikron spends more than15% of its revenue on R&D. About 1700 employees work at JSC Mikron. Clean Rooms of Mikron have modern manufacturing equipment for producing ICs based on 180 nm EEPROM technologies on 8″ silicon wafers. The company partners with RUSNANO project on production creation of ICs based on nanoelectronic technology with the use of 90 nm process on the 8″ silicon wafers.
Mikron provides the complete production cycle for integrated circuits (from IC design through production of the final-product). This closed production chain ensures maximum traceability and safety of the production process. Bank card production is certified for the MasterCard network. The company is certified by international auditors for compliance with the standards of the Quality Management System ISO 9001 and the Environmental Management System ISO 14001. Mikron is a member of the Global Semiconductor Alliance (GSA). For additional information please visit www.mikron.sitronics.com.