How side-channel attacks break secure encryption

Encryption can fail even when the math is secure

An encryption method can be mathematically secure while the computer running it still gives secrets away. Attackers can learn information from how long operations take, how much power the machine uses, what happens in its memory, the signals it gives off, and even its sound.

A theremin is played without touch

A theremin’s antennas sense how close the player’s hands are. The player’s hand movements control the instrument’s pitch and volume without physical contact.

Fires accidentally preserved records from ancient Greece

Linear B tablets were usually made from clay and used for administrative records in Mycenaean palaces. Many were never intended to survive for thousands of years. When palace buildings burned, however, the heat hardened some tablets and preserved them. Destruction helped save the documents that later revealed an early form of written Greek.

How side-channel attacks break secure encryption

Encryption can fail even when the math is secure

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