RAM: Rapid Alignment Method

Abstract

Abstract. Several countermeasures against side-channel analysis result in misalignment of power traces, in order to make DPA more difficult. In this paper we propose a new algorithm to align the measurements after this desynchronizing through the variations of the internal clock, random delays, etc. The algorithm is based on the ideas of SIFT and U-SURF algorithm that were originally proposed for image recognition. The comparison with other known methods favors our solution in terms of efficiency and computational complexity.

Recent advances in deep learning‐based side‐channel analysis

“…As statistical methods are used for these analyses, this type of attack exploits many traces. Especially in these kinds of attacks, trace alignment is a necessary step prior to attack .…”

“…To perform SCA to defeat hiding countermeasures, increasing the SNR is necessary. The SNR can be improved through pre‐processing steps such as noise reduction, alignment, and superimposition of the waveforms .…”

Pre-processing power traces to defeat random clocking countermeasures

“…An elastic alignment method was proposed in [17] with an optimized variant termed the rapid alignment method in [18]. The technique also uses a reference trace, to which the other traces are dynamically stretched or compressed.…”

An EDA-Friendly Protection Scheme against Side-Channel Attacks

“…Randomized clock countermeasures use a single system clock which switches at random discrete time instants. Since these countermeasures do not change the overall power consumption behavior of the circuit, but only misaligns the power consumption traces, alignment preprocessing techniques such as elastic alignment [26] and rapid alignment method (RAM) [16] could be used to defeat such countermeasures. The random delay insertion method proposed by Bucci et al [4] uses random number of delay buffers after each memory element on the data path.…”

“…Our design also uses the idea of power trace misalignment; however, since each element (or groups of elements), whether sequential or combinational, consumes power independently at random moments, the total power consumption of the circuit is randomized, and the overall circuit is robust against alignment techniques [5], [14], [16], [26] even if the attacker knows the amount of delays.…”