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Details of Grant 

EPSRC Reference: EP/N011635/1
Title: Leakage Aware Design Automation (LADA): Tools & Techniques for Software Crypto Implementations
Principal Investigator: Page, Dr D
Other Investigators:
Oswald, Professor ME
Researcher Co-Investigators:
Project Partners:
Embecosm Ltd.
Department: Computer Science
Organisation: University of Bristol
Scheme: Standard Research
Starts: 01 January 2016 Ends: 31 December 2020 Value (£): 1,150,814
EPSRC Research Topic Classifications:
Fundamentals of Computing
EPSRC Industrial Sector Classifications:
Information Technologies
Related Grants:
Panel History:
Panel DatePanel NameOutcome
03 Sep 2015 EPSRC ICT Prioritisation Panel - Sep 2015 Announced
Summary on Grant Application Form
Information leakage via side channels is a widely recognised threat to cyber security: in particular small devices are known to leak information via physical channels (power consumption, electromagnetic radiation, and timing behaviour). Side channel leakage provides skilled adversaries with information about otherwise secret internal variables, which can ultimately lead to complete security breaches in the form of secret key (or data) recovery. For small embedded devices, which feature architectures of limited complexity (i.e. a small number of pipeline stages, few data and/or address buses), the nature of the leakages can be appropriately modelled using statistical tools such as regression analysis or by estimating (multivariate) normal distributions. Our research hypothesis is that one can make meaningful statements about the leakage behaviour of new implementations on such devices by utilising a priori derived (instruction level) leakage models.

Aiming to allow engineers with limited domain-specific knowledge to do just this, and hence improve the quality of software they develop, our overarching goal is: based on the development of a suitable instruction-level leakage model (for a device) plus specification of cryptographic primitives, we will explore techniques that allow sound assessment of leakage-related attacks on associated implementations without the need for a fully equipped side channel lab.

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Organisation Website: http://www.bris.ac.uk