side channel analysis, information leakage, information security, encryption keys, key management, cryptography

Eliminate Information Leakage

Witham Laboratories has experience and expertise in the evaluation of information leakage, from single integrated circuit chips to entire devices.

Using our customised in-house developed software and measurement devices, we can effectively test devices for any possible leakage. If any leakage is occurring, we can provide guidance to our clients on how the algorithms used for the encryption can be altered to improve their resistance to attacks.

Cryptographic devices can often reveal the secrets of their operation through the analysis of side channels such as power, time, and radiation. The commonly used methods to reveal these secrets are:

• Simple Power Analysis (SPA)
• Differential Power Analysis (DPA)
• Simple Electro Magnetic Analysis (SEMA)
• Differential Electro Magnetic Analysis (DEMA)

For the 'simple' methods: the analysis of the emissions from a single operation is used to reveal information about the secret information used in that operation.

In the 'differential' methods: the analysis spans many different operations, using statistical techniques to extract the required information.

The area of side channel analysis is well researched, and Witham Laboratories ensures that its software is up-to-date with the latest statistical and signal analysis methods to provide the most accurate assessment of our clients' devices.

The analysis process

Our software records billions of samples each second. We then can capture the power and electro-magnetic emissions of the target device many thousands of times, and use this information to recover secret encryption keys. When recovery of key material is successful we advice our clients on how to reinforce their security and avoid future leakage.