24.1 Circuit challenges from cryptography

Abstract

Implementing cryptography and security into integrated circuits is somehow similar to applications in other fields. We have to worry about comparable optimization goals: area, power, energy, throughput and/or latency. Moore's law helps to attain these goals. However, it also gives the attackers more computational power to break cryptographic algorithms. On top of this, quantum computers may become soon a reality, so that novel, very computationally demanding "post-quantum" cryptographic algorithms need implementation. Finally, there is a third dimension to the problem: implementations have to be resistant against physical attacks and countermeasures increase the cost. This paper demonstrates with actual data how these conflicting challenges are being addressed.