Cryptology ePrint Archive: Report 2004/149

Secure and Efficient AES Software Implementation for Smart Caards

E. Trichina and L. Korkishko

Abstract: In implementing cryptographic algorithms on limited devices such as smart cards, speed and memory requirements had always presented a challenge. With the advent of side channel attacks, this task became even more difficult because a programmer must take into account countermeasures against such attacks, which often increases computational time, or memory requirements, or both. In this paper we describe a new method for secure implementation of the Advanced Encryption Standard algorithm. The method is based on a data masking technique, which is the most widely used countermeasure against power analysis and timing attacks at a software level.

The change of element representation allows us to replace all multiplications in the field with table lookups using masked log/alog tables, and achieve an efficient solution that combines low memory requirements with high speed and resistance to attacks.

Category / Keywords: implementation / AES, smart cards, power analysis attacks

Publication Info: Not published

Date: received 26 Jun 2004

Contact author: e v trichina at samsung com and etrichin@cs uku fi

Available format(s): PDF | BibTeX Citation

Version: 20040707:072016 (All versions of this report)

Short URL: ia.cr/2004/149