Integrated Circuit Protection Against Time Attacks
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Integrated circuits face effective attacks through hidden channels, such as time attacks, which exploit consumption and electromagnetic radiation patterns to detect sensitive operations, and existing countermeasures like hardware and software solutions are either localized or incompatible with flash memory operations.
Innovation Solution
A protection module that regularly modifies the configuration of a hardware function, such as the clock signal of a processing unit, by sequentially selecting from a set of configurations with varying application durations, using a random mask to scramble and desynchronize operations, ensuring compatibility with flash memory operations.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the configuration of a hardware function is regularly modified with varying application durations using random masks, then the circuit becomes resistant to time attacks and hidden channel analysis, but the device complexity increases due to the protection module requiring multiple configurations and control mechanisms
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements dynamic configuration switching where the hardware function's configuration is regularly modified during operation. A control circuit selectively applies different configurations from a set of predefined configurations, with each configuration having a varying application duration. This dynamic reconfiguration prevents attackers from establishing consistent temporal patterns, thereby countering time attacks while managing complexity through structured configuration sets.
Solution Approach 2:
The protection mechanism employs periodic reconfiguration where the configuration of the hardware function is changed at regular intervals. The control circuit cycles through multiple configurations with varying durations, creating a periodic pattern that masks the underlying operational timing. This periodic action disrupts hidden channel analysis by preventing continuous observation of stable temporal patterns.
2Object-affected harmful factors
If configurations are applied with varying durations selected from a set, then the operational patterns are masked to prevent time attacks, but the loss of time occurs due to frequent reconfiguration and varying application durations
Solution Approach 1:
Multiple configurations are pre-defined and stored in a configuration set before operation begins. Each configuration includes predetermined parameters and associated application durations. The control circuit selects from these pre-prepared configurations, eliminating the need for real-time configuration generation and reducing the time penalty associated with frequent reconfiguration.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes operational parameters by switching between different configurations, each with distinct parameter sets. The control circuit varies the application duration of each configuration selected from the set, creating parameter variations that mask temporal patterns. This approach achieves security through parameter diversity while managing time loss by using predefined parameter sets.
Data Source
AI summary
An integrated circuit includes functional circuitry such as a processing core, memory interfaces, cryptographic circuitry, etc. The integrated circuit also includes protection circuitry to protect the functional circuitry of the integrated circuit against attacks by hidden channels. The protection circuitry, for each of a series of successive periods of time, selects a configuration of the functional circuitry from a set of configurations of the functional circuitry, sets a duration of the period of time, and applies the selected configuration of the functional circuitry for the set duration of the period of time.