20 August 2009
Atmel adds extra security to tamper proof chips
Atmel and Cryptography Research have entered an agreement under which the latter's technology will be used to enhance the security of Atmel's chips against differential power analysis and related attacks.
Under the agreement, Atmel is free to use CRI's patents as part of its strategy to develop and enhance its security chips used in smart cards and other applications. The license also covers software executing on Atmel chips, which means Atmel's customers can develop their own security countermeasures without the need for a separate license from Cryptography Research.
"Security is one of our main focus areas, and our strategy is to develop the most advanced secure microcontrollers with state of the art protection mechanisms against a multitude of attacks. This agreement enables Atmel to strengthen its leadership in the security market," said Hervé Roche, Atmel's marketing manager for telecom and banking.
Differential power analysis involves monitoring the fluctuating electrical power consumption of a target device and then using advanced statistical methods to derive cryptographic keys and other secrets. Countermeasures help protect tamper resistant chips for use in applications such as banking, pay television, mass transit, secure ID and wireless telecommunications.
Author
Graham Pitcher
Supporting Information
Websites
http://www.atmel.com
http://www.cryptography.com
Companies
Atmel UK Ltd
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