Hardware-centric platforms and solutions were traditionally designed with minimal input from software engineers. As Brian Bailey ofSemiconductor Engineering recently noted, this approach worked when software content was negligible – and the practice did not significantly contribute to product delays.
DPA Countermeasures
Evolving differential power analysis targets SIM cards
Ernest Worthman of Semiconductor Engineering recently noted that differential power analysis (DPA) has been a threat vector on the chip landscape for a number of years.
“[DPA] was discovered around the mid 1990s by the teams at Rambus’ Cryptography Research Division,” he explained. “It turned out to be a very effective tool for compromising the ubiquitous SIM card environment.”
Winbond licenses DPA countermeasures from Rambus Cryptography Research
Winbond Electronics has licensed differential power analysis (DPA) countermeasures from Rambus’ Cryptography Research division. By implementing DPA countermeasures in flash memory components, Winbond will ensure the data integrity of products that run applications requiring a high level of security – including mobile payments, premium content, automotive and the Internet of Things (IoT).
Cracking SIM cards with side-channel attacks
A Jiao Tong University researcher has exploited side-channel attack techniques to crack the encryption codes protecting 3G and 4G cards. “[The cards use] AES-128, which is supposed to be virtually unbeatable by a brute-force attack, but turns out to be easy to defeat using side-channel analysis,” explained Iain Thomson of The Register. “Side-channel attacks measure things like power consumption, electromagnetic emissions and heat generation to work out what is going on in a chip. The technique has been around for years, and requires physical access to the target device.”
When power becomes a problem
Semiconductor Engineering editor in chief Ed Sperling recently reported that the current emphasis on lowering power – in everything from wearable electronics to data centers
Rambus Cryptography Research division showcases security cores @ RSA 2015
RSA 2015 kicked off this morning at Moscone Center in San Francisco, California. We’re showcasing a wide range of advanced security core solutions at booth S1815, including DPA countermeasures, as well as CryptoFirewall anti-counterfeiting and content protection platforms.