Cryptography Research and StarChip sign patent license agreement for DPA countermeasures

USA & FRANCE: Cryptography Research Inc. (CRI), a division of Rambus Inc. and StarChip SAS (StarChip), experts in designing and qualifying Smart Card ICs, have signed a patent license agreement allowing the use of Cryptography Research’s patented technology in StarChip products, including the StarChip line of smartcard integrated circuits.

Incorporating Cryptography Research’s patented countermeasures onto their devices will help protect StarChip’s products against differential power analysis (DPA) and related side channel attacks. The license covers hardware and software countermeasures developed by StarChip or its customers.

DPA is a form of attack that involves monitoring the fluctuating electrical power consumption of a target device and then using statistical methods to derive cryptographic keys and other secrets.

Strong countermeasures to DPA are important for securing mobile devices, bank cards, pay television systems, secure identity products, secure storage media, anti-tamper products, and other electronic systems and components. Many of the world’s leading security standards require that devices be protected against DPA and related attacks.