Lowering the Bar: Deep Learning for Side Channel Analysis
White Papers
Deep learning can help automate the signal analysis process in power side channel analysis. So far, power side channel analysis relies on the combination of cryptanalytic science and the art of signal processing. Deep learning is essentially a classification algorithm, which can also be trained to recognize different leakages in a chip. Even more so, we do this such that typical signal processing problems including noise reduction and re-alignment are automatically solved by the deep learning network. We show we can break a lightly protected AES, an AES implementation with masking countermeasures, and a protected ECC implementation.
These experiments show that where previously side channel analysis had a large dependency on the skills of the human, first steps are being developed that bring down the attacker skill required for such attacks.
This paper is targeted at a technical audience interested in the latest developments on the intersection of deep learning, side channel analysis, and security.