Storage Device Power Noise Masking Against Voltage Analysis
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing storage devices are vulnerable to power voltage analysis attacks, where attackers can recover secret data by monitoring tiny power voltage offsets during access operations, despite restricted access rights.
Innovation Solution
A storage device architecture with a primary storage unit and additional units, all connected to the same power rail and connection wire, allowing simultaneous access to secret and non-specific data, ensuring identical power supply noise injection characteristics, making it difficult for attackers to distinguish the signal of the primary storage unit from other units.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If secret data is stored in the storage device with restricted access rights, then security is improved, but the device becomes vulnerable to power voltage analysis attacks
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies homogeneity by making additional storage units identical in structure to the primary storage unit, both connecting to the same power rail. This creates uniform power consumption patterns across all units, making it impossible to distinguish secret data access from non-specific data access through power analysis, thereby neutralizing the vulnerability while maintaining security
Solution Approach 2:
The patent introduces additional storage units as intermediaries that share the same power rail connection as the primary storage unit. These intermediary units generate power consumption noise that masks the specific power signatures of secret data operations, preventing attackers from extracting information through power voltage analysis
2Reliability
If additional storage units are added to mask power supply noise, then security against power analysis is improved, but device complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The patent applies universality by designing additional storage units with the same structure and interface as the primary storage unit. These units serve multiple functions: storing non-specific data, generating power consumption noise, and maintaining identical power rail connections. This multi-functionality achieves security enhancement without requiring fundamentally different or more complex architectural elements
Data Source
AI summary
A storage device and a data access method are provided. The storage device includes a primary storage unit and at least one additional unit. The primary storage unit includes: a primary memory element configured to store secret data and a primary access unit configured to receive an external access command. Each additional unit is configured to receive the external access command. Each additional unit includes: an additional memory element configured to store non-specific data, a local access generation element configured to trigger generating an internal access command based on the external access command, and an additional access unit configured to receive a local access command. The primary storage unit and each additional unit are coupled to a same power rail and a connection wire to simultaneously receive the external access command to parallelly (simultaneously) access the secret data and the non-specific data stored in each additional unit.